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Center for Coastal Resources Management

Primer on Planning for Coastal Resources Management

Local Governments in Virginia are inextricably linked as partners with the Governor’s Office, the General Assembly, the State Courts, and State agencies for implementation of the Commonwealth’s policies, plans, preferences, and mandates for coastal area and resources resiliency management. Virginia has an extensive Coastal Zone.

Virginia’s Coastal Zone includes:

  • All of Virginia's Atlantic coast watershed
  • Parts of the Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle-Pamlico Sound watersheds
  • 29 counties, 17 cities, and 42 incorporated towns in 'Tidewater Virginia', as defined in the Code of Virginia § 28.2-100

Maps of Virginia’s Coastal Zone can be found here: Virginia Coastal Zone Map, and here: Virginia Coastal GEMS.
See a map of Virginia's Shoreline Miles: Virginia Coastal Resources Tool.

Because Virginia does not have a statewide Planning office or agency, the laws passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor enable local governments and the regional Planning District Commissions (PDCs) to work with the Governor’s Office, the General Assembly, various state agencies, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to address coastal resources management and resiliency in Virginia as prescribed in the Code of Virginia (“the Code”). This is accomplished in the following ways:

  • Through study and discussion of Virginia’s Coastal PDCs issues and their respective, unique challenges, as a whole or within their regions;
  • Through local Comprehensive Planning;
  • Through local Resiliency Planning and the Commonwealth’s Coastal Resiliency Master Plans and Planning;
  • Through local/regional Hazard Mitigation Planning;
  • Through local Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (CBPA) policies and ordinances, along with implementation and enforcement of those;
  • Through local CBPA and/or Wetlands Board procedures and decisions; and,
  • Through local and state program regulatory enforcement for all of the above.

More specifically, Virginia’s coastal area management is a multi-faceted effort, primarily administered by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), through several program offices:

  • DEQ Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM)
  • DEQ Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPA and 6-State Chesapeake Bay Program Agreement)
  • VMRC – Tidal Wetlands Regulation and Permitting
  • DEQ – Non-Tidal Wetlands Regulation and Permitting

In addition, multiple other state agencies interact in the coastal area management space including, but not limited to:

  • Governor’s Office – Office for Resiliency
  • Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR)
  • Department of Emergency Management (VDEM)
  • Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR)
  • Department of Forestry (DOF)
  • Coastal Planning District Commissions (8)

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is cited in the Virginia Code as the state’s primary scientific advisor and is called upon routinely to perform research and provide technical assistance that informs the formulation of policy pertaining to coastal resources management in support of state agencies, localities, and Tribes.

Virginia’s Coastal Zone Management Program (CZMP) is administered and coordinated by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Office, with major funding assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through its national Coastal Zone Management Program. DEQ’s CZM Office also convenes the Virginia Coastal Policy Team (CPT), comprised of state agencies, local governments, PDCs, and VIMS several times a year. The CPT discusses coastal zone area challenges, and research and management priorities.

For everything you need to know as a Local Government official or PDC staff, please refer to this review of state planning mandates and local management procedures, plus highlights of technical assistance resources available from VIMS to assist you with the data and resources you need to assist you with your Planning analysis and local regulatory procedures.