Revitalizing the Florida Coastal Management Program

The Florida Coastal Management Program has received critical evaluations from the Federal Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management citing serious concerns about the effectiveness of the program. This paper describes changes since 1991, under Governor Lawton Chiles' Administration, to revitalize the program and address Federal concerns. The paper covers an independent assessment of the program, nine necessary actions in the 1991 Federal evaluation and program responses to address those concerns. It also covers state legislation and recommendations of the Environmental Land Management Study Committee pending before the Florida Legislature. Observations and conclusions about Florida's networked approach to coastal management are also provided.