V-112 



The statute is considered to be applicable in principle to other 

 estuarine areas of the United States, and it is presented as 

 suggested guidelines which could be tailored by the coastal States 

 to meet their needs in important estuarine areas in order to improve 

 or strengthen their management capabilities. Of course, it is recog- 

 nized that some States have made significant progress in this direction. 

 Such guidelines were developed on the basis of a selected geographic 

 area (Chesapeake Bay) merely to insure an element of reality and 

 practicality rather than a purely theoretical approach. Therefore, 

 these guidelines do not imply the need for action by the governing 

 States, but merely a response to an expressed need. 



SUMMARY OF STATE ESTUARINE-RELATED LAWS 



State governments are both owners and regulators of the estuarine 

 zone. They generally have sufficient legal and constitutional 

 authorities to act. Yet in practice, most State Laws. are ineffective; 

 they are sorely out-of-date and need updating, revision, and a basic 

 reorientation towards comprehensive management and regulation of 

 estuarine resources. 



At their worst. State laws affecting estuaries are rudimentary, 

 antiquated, and fragmented. There may be laws dealing with water 

 quality or land zoning but they are uncoordinated and sometimes 

 inconsistent with each other. 



