| Over the past three decades, the use of special area-based approaches for coastal management has increased in the United States. Geographic area designations, whether on land or offshore, can be classified as resource-based areas, special overlay zones, and planning areas, and can be further classified according to geographic scope and content. The classifications enabled cross-state comparisons of the various "special management area" policies and programs across state and territory coastal programs, and were important in undertaking a systematic approach to the study of U.S. coastal management.; Substantial diversity and complexity existed in the area-based approaches within and between coastal states and territories; in some cases this diversity was related to the varying institutional frameworks adopted by state and territory coastal programs. In general, there is a need to reduce complexity and improve coordination between area-based management approaches in the coastal zone. Early signs of this are evident in Executive Order 13158 concerning Marine Protected Areas. Additional systematic reforms should be directed to improve regional initiatives that integrate land and water use planning in the coastal zone. |
