Coastal Zone Management Boundaries in Virginia

Although only 29 percent of Virginia’s land area lies within the “Coastal Zone” more than 60 percent – 4.9 million – of Virginia’s citizens call it home. [NOAA, 2015]

Virginia’s coastal zone includes:

• All of Virginia’s Atlantic coast watershed
• Parts of the Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle – Pamlico Sound watersheds
• 29 counties, 17 cities and 42 incorporated towns in ‘Tidewater Virginia’, as defined in the Code of Virginia 28.2-100 – see list of counties, cities and towns below
• Total Shoreline Miles: 10,120 Tidal Bay – 7,213 miles Ocean – 132 miles Inland Bays/Lagoons – 2,775 miles
• Four tidal rivers reaching as far as 100 miles inland – the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James Rivers
• All of the waters within and out to the three mile Territorial Sea boundary

Download a hardcopy of the Virginia Coastal Zone Map.  For a GIS map of Virginia’s Coastal Zone, visit Virginia Coastal GEMS.

See a map of Virginia’s Shoreline Miles – https://www.vims.edu/bayinfo/faqs/shoreline_miles.php.

Federal Consistency

Having a federally approved coastal zone management program authorizes Virginia to require that federal actions in the coastal zone are consistent with the Virginia CZM Program’s laws and enforceable policies.

For more information about requesting or submitting a federal consistency determination, go to Environmental Impact Review.

Virginia Coastal Planning District Commissions

Virginia’s eight coastal planning district commissions (PDCs) play an integral role in the Virginia CZM Program.

Coastal PDCs provide an important link between the state agencies and 87 localities – listed below – that constitute Virginia’s network of coastal resource managers.  A representative from each PDC serves on the Virginia CZM Program’s Coastal Policy Team.

• Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission 
• Crater Planning District Commission

About the Author

Wayne Creed

Administrator

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