ODNR Office of Coastal Management - Grants

Office of Coastal Management
105 West Shoreline Drive
Sandusky, OH 44870
419-626-7980
1-888-OhioCMP
Fax: 419-626-7983
coastal@dnr.state.oh.us

Coastal Zone Enhancement Grants Program

Section 309 Grants

Section 309 of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), as amended in 1990 and 1996, establishes the Coastal Zone Enhancement Grant Program. The enhancement program provides states and territories with federal funds to develop and implement changes to their approved coastal programs.

The enhancement program provides funding through a noncompetitive weighted formula.
The state is not required to provide matching funds.
To be eligible for these funds, the state must assess its coastal program and develop a strategy for enhancing priority areas.

The nine priority enhancement areas set by federal statute are listed below. Ohio's focus for the five-year period from federal FY 2006 to federal FY 2010 are noted with an "*."

Download a PDF of the Ohio Coastal Managment Program's Assesment and Multi-Year Strategy 2006-2010.

States and territories must update their Assessments based on a set of questions developed by the NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in consultation with states and territories. The Assessment consists of an Introduction that includes a summary of past 309 efforts and a summary of public review, and an Enhancement Area Analysis section for each of the nine priority enhancement areas. Strategies must be based on the priority needs and priority enhancement areas identified in the Assessment and will cover the five-year period from federal FY 2006 through federal FY 2010.

Section 309 grant funds may not be used to fund Section 306A-type projects such as acquisition, construction, or shovel-in-the-dirt projects. Section 309 grant funds may be used to fund activities that lead to program amendments, routine program changes and program change implementation. Program changes include any of the following activities that would enhance the state's ability to achieve one or more of the coastal area enhancement objectives:

Coastal area boundary changes
New or revised authorities
New or revised local coastal programs
New or revised land acquisition, management and restoration programs
New or revised Special Area Management Plans or plans for Areas of Particular Concern
New or revised guidelines, procedures and policy documents formally adopted by the state.

Program implementation activities: (1) relate to one or more Section 309 program changes; (2) include a component of the activity that measures, within two years, how it will improve program effectiveness; and (3) are cost-effective.

Section 309 funds may be used to implement a program change for no longer than two years. In addition, under special considerations, states are encouraged to incorporate consideration of
threatened and endangered species within their Assessments and Strategies. States are also encouraged to consider how they can improve management of any special marine and Great Lakes’ areas during the Section 309 Assessment and Strategy process.

Ohio's Section 309 Programmatic Objectives

Public Access*

I. Improve public access through regulatory, statutory, and legal systems.

II. Acquire, improve, and maintain public access sites to meet current and future demand through the use of innovative funding and acquisition techniques.

III. Develop or enhance a Coastal Public Access Management Plan that takes into account the provision of public access to all users of coastal areas of recreational, historical, aesthetic, ecological, and cultural value.

IV. Minimize potential adverse impacts of public access on coastal resources and private property rights through appropriate protection measures.

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Coastal Hazards*

I. Direct future public and private development and redevelopment away from hazardous areas, including the high hazard areas delineated as FEMA V-zones and areas vulnerable to inundation from sea and Great Lakes level rise.

II. Preserve and restore the protective functions of natural shorelines features such as beaches, dunes, and wetlands.

III. Prevent or minimize threats to existing populations and property from both episodic and chronic coastal hazards.

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Great Lakes Resources*

I. Develop and enhance regulatory, planning, and intra-governmental coordination mechanisms to provide meaningful state participation in ocean and Great Lakes resource management and decision-making processes.

II. Where necessary and appropriate, develop a comprehensive ocean and Great Lakes resource management plan that provides for the balanced use and development of ocean and Great Lakes resources, coordination of existing authorities, and minimization of use conflicts. These plans should consider, where appropriate, the effects of activities and uses on threatened and endangered species and their critical habitats. The designation of specific marine protected areas should be considered.

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Wetlands*

I. Protect and preserve existing levels of wetlands, as measured by acreage and functions, from direct, indirect and cumulative adverse impacts, by developing or improving regulatory programs.

II. Increase acres and associated functions (e.g. fish and wildlife habitat, water quality protection, flood protection) of restored wetlands, including restoration and monitoring of habitat for threatened and endangered species.

III. Utilize non-regulatory and innovative techniques to provide for the protection and acquisition of coastal wetlands.

IV. Develop and improve wetlands creation programs.

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Cumulative and Secondary Impacts*

I. Develop, revise or enhance procedures or policies to provide cumulative and secondary impact controls.

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Marine Debris

I. Develop or revise programs that reduce the amount of marine and/or lake debris in the coastal zone.

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Special Area Management Planning

I. Develop and implement special area management planning in coastal areas applying the following criteria:

Areas with significant coastal resources (e.g., threatened and endangered species and their critical habitats, wetlands, waterbodies, fish and wildlife habitat) that are being severely affected by cumulative or secondary impacts.

Areas where a multiplicity of local, state, and federal authorities hinder effective coordination and cooperation in addressing coastal development on an ecosystem basis.

Areas with a history of long-standing disputes between various levels of government over coastal resources that has resulted in protracted negotiations over the acceptability of proposed uses.

There is a strong commitment at all levels of government to enter into a collaborative planning process to produce enforceable plans.

A strong state or regional entity exists which is willing and able to sponsor the planning program.

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Energy and Government Facility Siting*

I. Enhance existing procedures and long range planning processes for considering the needs of energy-related and government facilities and activities of greater than local significance.

II. Improve program policies and standards that affect the subject uses and activities so as to facilitate siting while maintaining current levels of coastal resource protection.

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Aquaculture

I. Enhance existing procedures and long range planning processes for considering the siting of public and private marine aquaculture facilities in the coastal zone.

II. Improve program policies and standards which affect aquaculture activities and uses so as to facilitate siting while ensuring the protection of coastal resources and waters.

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