Voice your concerns

This is a Federal review of local policy

A meeting is scheduled for this coming Thursday (Aug 31) at 6:00pm in the Legislature building in Cruz Bay to hold one of three hearings by the federal government on the performance of the territorial Coastal Zone Management (CZM) program. Meetings are also scheduled on STT and STX.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office for Coastal Management is conducting an evaluation of the U.S. Virgin Islands Coastal Zone Management Program covering the period from December 2007 to August 2017.

The primary focus areas for this review are as follows:
Target Area I: Permitting, Regulations and Enforcement
· Electronic Access to proposed developments
· Improving understanding of the process
· Challenges regarding enforcement
· Tier 1/Tier 2 discussion – benefits of having CZM review ALL large-scale developments

Target Area II: Coastal Planning and Active Management
· Public Use and Access to the shoreline
· Community Engagement initiatives (clean-ups, marine debris, other)
· Coastal/Habitat Restoration opportunities
· Leveraging funding opportunities

Anyone who has constructive comments to make about the CZM program may attend the meeting. This is not a forum for specific complaints unless they are illustrative of larger issues which need to be corrected.

And for those of you who prefer to email, please send your comments to Susie.holst@noaa.gov