About the Ohio Coastal Management Program

The Ohio Coastal Management Program sets forth the guidelines for wise use of Ohio’s valuable coastal resources to ensure their continued benefit for this and future generations.

The goal of the Ohio Coastal Management Program is threefold:

1. To preserve, protect, develop, restore and enhance Lake Erie’s valuable resources,
2. To manage coastal activities that affect the resources, and
3. To foster the resources’ sustainable use for the benefit of all Ohio citizens.

Networking between local, state and federal entities is an important aspect of Ohio’s Coastal Management Program which establishes policies concerning the protection of air, water, wildlife, rare and endangered species, wetlands and natural areas.

Ohio’s Coastal Management Program also provides for the management of coastal erosion areas and the public trust property of Lake Erie. The Program has an advisory council and provides grants to local communities, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions for projects that enhance the coast.

The Coastal Program outlines standards for coastal development, redevelopment, and historic and cultural restoration. This is done with the goal of increasing the public’s access to the coast for recreational purposes.

The Ohio Coastal Management Program divides the 41 guiding polices into nine issue areas including:

1. Coastal Erosion and Flooding
2. Ecologically Sensitive Areas
3. Water Quantity
4. Energy and Mineral Resources
5. Ports and Shoreline Development
6. Water Quality
7. Fish and Wildlife Management
8. Recreation and Cultural Resources
9. Environmental Quality

Ohio Coastal Management Program History

The State of Ohio has long recognized the importance of the Lake Erie shore as a natural resource and the need for its protection and management. The regulations and agencies responsible for this protection and management have evolved over the years as the needs along the Lake have changed.

In 1917 local communities began requiring submerged land leases for the placement of structures on the land of the Lake Erie Public Trust. This leasing authority was later taken over by the state.

In 1935 the Beach Erosion Board was created in the Department of Public Works to regulate the removal of minerals from the bed of Lake Erie.

In 1955, Ohio began requiring permits for the construction of shore erosion, wave and flood control structures as one of many early efforts to protect and manage this natural resource.

In recognition of the intense pressures facing our nation’s coastal regions, Congress enacted the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. The Act and subsequent amendments affirm a national commitment to the effective protection and rational development of coastal areas.

That same year, the Act resulted in the creation of the U.S. Office of Coastal Zone Management within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the Department of Commerce. The purpose of the federal office is to encourage and assist states in planning for the wise use of land and water resources in the coastal zone.

By 1974 the ODNR Shoreland Management Unit in the Division of Water began developing a coastal management program for Ohio. The goal: To create a plan for the use and development of the Lake Erie coastal zone, giving full consideration to ecological, cultural, historic and aesthetic values as well as to needs for economic development.

In 1988, the Ohio General Assembly unanimously approved the Ohio Coastal Management Act. The Ohio Coastal Management Program was federally approved in 1997. Today, the Office of Coastal Management works to implement the Ohio Coastal Management Program.

Ohio’s Coastal Management Law gives ODNR the responsibility of managing the Public Trust property of Lake Erie for the citizens of the state. The law also provides for the management of Coastal Erosion Areas; establishes two advisory councils; establishes the Lake Erie Protection Fund; and provides for grants to local communities, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions for projects to enhance the management of coastal resources.

(See Ohio Revised Code Chpater 1506: Coastal Managment)

Ohio Coastal Management Program is important because it helps…

The recreational, economic and natural resources of the coastal area are under many demands and Ohio’s coastal management program:

• Helps blend development with preservation
• Helps shoreline residents cope with natural hazards such as erosion and flooding
• Helps fund and create demonstration projects, encouraging innovative solutions to coastal problems
• Helps provide funding sources for acquiring lands to provide access to beaches in the public domain.
• Provides the guidelines to protect, restore and enhance Ohio’s Lake Erie coast for this and future generations.

Results of the Ohio Coastal Management Program

In addition to a cleaner, healthier Lake Erie and coastal region, participation in the national Coastal Zone Management Act has brought Ohio benefits including:

• Receiving more than $2 million annually from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The money is used to carry out goals in the Ohio Coastal Management Program, improving the quality of Lake Erie and the quality of life for all Ohioans.
• Federal agencies that undertake, fund or permit projects in the coastal zone area must assure they comply with all state laws and regulations.
• Increasing Ohio’s influence at the regional and national level in addressing issues of vital interest to Ohio citizens.
• 2007 Office of Coastal Management Annual Review (2.1 MB pdf) NEW
• Ohio Coastal Management Program Grants 1998-2007  (4.2 MB pdf) NEW
• Accomplishments