FEDERAL-STATE COORDINATION IN COASTAL MANAGEMENT - AN ASSESSMENT OF THE FEDERAL CONSISTENCY PROVISION OF THE COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT

Although much has been written about the federal consistency process of the Coastal Zone Management Act, almost no empirical analysis has been done on the program. In 1988, we surveyed state coastal zone management program officials for data on federal consistency submissions reviewed during the 1987 calendar year. In addition to questions about the frequency and types of consistency reviews conducted, state official were asked questions about the effectiveness of the consistency mechanism and their relationships with various federal agencies. This article summarizes the results of our assessment and reviews the evolution of federal consistency and its implementation prior to the 1990 amendments.