Chapter III 



ENHANCING THE BENEFITS FROM 

 THE COASTAL ZONE 



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

 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. 



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 industries 

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

 transport, labor, and produce markets. With their growing leisure time and 

 disposable income, the American people increasingly seek the esthetic bene- 

 fits of the coastal zone — its climate and opportunities for swimming, sport 

 fishing, and boating. Tens of millions live or vacation at coastal resorts, 

 retirement homes, and beach cottages. Millions more regularly head for 

 beaches on weekends. Many others find business opportunities there. Figure 

 III-l exemplifies the increasing demand for coastal recreational facilities. 



In the early stages of a shoreline's development, a few small, individual 

 actions by users may have relatively little effect on the ecology, and upon 

 other potential users. As the extent of usage grows, the environment is in- 

 creasingly modified, often in ways which are reversible only with difficulty. 

 Further, as early users become entrenched, later ones may find themselves 

 preempted. As examples, dredging, filling, and coastal construction have 

 already impaired the capacity of large areas to support fish and wildlife; 

 municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastes have turned many rivers into 

 open sewers, and altered the ecological balance of the estuaries into which 

 they flow; and the limitations imposed by extensive private ownership have 

 sharply reduced public access to beaches at a time when a growing and 

 increasingly affluent population demands more recreational opportunities. 



The diversity, magnitude, and significance of activities in the coastal zone 

 require that many diverse interests must become involved in its management, 

 if balanced multiple usage is to be assured, and further degradation of the 

 environment avoided. This participation includes private landowners, and 

 industries which occupy coastal sites ; conservation and recreation interests ; 



31 



The Santa Barbara oil spill spread to the California 

 coastline. A second well is being drilled from the ship in the 

 bottom of the photo to intercept the original well. 



