The Division of Coastal Resources works in partnership with community groups, non-profit organizations, state and federal agencies, and local governments to make communities better places to live, work and visit.
The Division of Coastal Resources is involved in a wide variety of programs and initiatives that help revitalize, promote and protect New York's communities and waterfronts. Over the past 20 years, the Division has worked with hundreds of local governments and communities to prepare Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs that define a local vision for the waterfront, and has provided technical and financial assistance to hundreds more communities for plans and projects that have expanded public access, reinvigorated urban waterfronts, restored habitats, and strengthened local economies.
The Division is continuing to expand collaborative relationships through numerous statewide and regional initiatives to assure that the quality of life for New Yorkers continues to flourish, both within and beyond the coastal area. Prominent among these initiatives are: Quality Communities Community Center Revitalization Committee, an interagency work group created to show communities how they can enhance their downtowns and community centers; Heritage Areas Advisory Commission; New York State Scenic Byways Advisory Board; New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee; Canal Recreationway Commission; Hudson River Valley Greenway; and New York State Bird Conservation Area Program Advisory Committee, to name a few.
The Division of Coastal Resources employs both traditional and innovative techniques to advance communities' use and enjoyment of their waterfronts and waterways. The Division works with partners in the public, business and non-profit sectors to foster appropriate use of these important resources. We provide timely technical and financial assistance to New York's communities, to help them respond to their changing waterfronts. The Division is involved in a wealth of activities, including:
- Implementing the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act in New York State through the New York State Coastal Management Program.
- Implementing the State's Waterfront Revitalization of Coastal Areas and Inland Waterways Act - how the Division goes about this is outlined in the State's implementing regulations. The State's Waterfront Revitalization of Coastal Areas and Inland Waterways Act includes the State’s traditional coastal areas, such as Long Island, New York City, the Hudson River Estuary, and the Great Lakes, as well as “Designated Inland Waterways”. Designated Inland Waterways are major lakes, rivers and streams designated by the State Legislature as significant because of value as natural, scenic, recreational, historic, and/or economic resources. Any municipality (town, village, city or county) adjacent to a Designated Inland Waterway is eligible for funding from the Department of State for a broad range of projects through the Environmental Protection Fund Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.
- Developing Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs and Harbor Management Plans with over 200 municipalities
- Planning and technical assistance for redevelopment of brownfields, abandoned buildings and deteriorated urban waterfronts
- Revitalizing community centers
- Regional planning for the Long Island Sound shore and the South Shore Estuary Reserve
- Protecting water quality through intermunicipal watershed planning
- Developing and applying remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems technology
- Interpreting coastal resources and promoting tourism
- Planning for the prevention and mitigation of coastal hazards
- Protecting and restoring coastal habitats
- Planning for the preservation of historic resources, maritime heritage, and scenic resources
- Implementing New York's coastal policies through consistency review
- Investing in improvements to waterfront areas through state and federal grant programs
The Division of Coastal Resources includes people with a wealth of expertise and experience. Our staff includes planners, landscape architects, biologists, geologists, GIS analysts, attorneys and water quality specialists.
Message from Director George Stafford |
