The Virginia Coastal Zone Management (VCZM) Program has prepared Draft Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program Coastal Enhancement Strategies.  The strategies were developed using NOAA's Section 309 Guidance issued in January 2013.  

The Virginia CZM Program began its 2016 - 2020 Coastal Zone Enhancement Process in fall of 2014 by distributing to its partners a Virginia Coastal Needs Assessment and Prioritization Survey.  The results of this survey were shared at the December 2014 Virginia Coastal Partners Workshop, which included attendees from regional, local and state agencies, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, marine-related businesses, and individuals who help manage and protect Virginia's coastal resources.  During the course of the workshop, attendees heard presentations on critical or evolving coastal resource management issues, and helped prioritize which areas should be considered the highest priorities for the Virginia CZM Program and the focus of Coastal Enhancement (Section 309) strategies for the coming 2016-2020 cycle.

Virginia CZM Program staff then presented recommendations to the Virginia Coastal Policy Team (CPT) in February 2015.  The CPT approved staff recommendations to develop strategies in the following three "High Priority" areas:

• Ocean Management
• Coastal Hazards
• Cumulative and Seconday Impacts of Coastal Development

The Department is now seeking comment on the draft strategies.  The draft strategies can be reviewed in the Section 309 Coastal Needs Assessment & Strategy document on the Department's web site at:  http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Portals/0/DEQ/CoastalZoneManagement/FundsInitiativesProjects/section309VACZM2016-2020needsassessandstrategies.pdf