". . . all Americans — of present and future generations — have a right 

 to enjoy the shoreline experience." — report of the president's com- 

 mission ON recreation and natural beauty, "from sea to shining 

 sea" 



Chapter IV 



ENHANCING BENEFITS FROM THE 

 COASTAL ZONE 



Thirty States, with more than 75 percent of the Nation's population, 

 are on the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and 

 the Great Lakes. More than 45 percent of our urban population lives in 

 coastal counties, and almost all of the major megalopoli now projected for 

 the year 2000 are in the Coastal Zone — the margin where land and water 

 meet and interact (Figure IV-1) . 



Shipbuilding, maritime commerce, and the fishing industry could have 

 developed only in the Coastal Zone. Our naval strength and our seaward 

 thrust for offshore oil, gas, and minerals must be based there. Many indus- 

 tries have found it advantageous to locate there because of proximity to 

 ocean transport, labor, and product markets. With the demand for outdoor 

 recreation increasing twice as fast as our burgeoning population, the Ameri- 

 can people increasingly seek the aesthetic benefits of the Coastal Zone — its 



63 



