The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is a part of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA). Our mission is to balance the impacts of human activity with the protection of coastal and marine resources. As a networked program, CZM was specifically established to work with other state agencies, federal agencies, local governments, academic institutions, nonprofit groups, and the general public to promote sound management of the Massachusetts coast. CZM is funded primarily through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
CZM Spotlights

		StormSmart Coasts To help people working in coastal communities address challenges arising from storms, floods, sea level rise, and climate change, StormSmart Coasts provides a menu of options for successful coastal floodplain management. The StormSmart Coasts website includes regulatory tools, case studies, planning strategies, and other technical assistance materials. CZM’s StormSmart Coasts program implements the Coastal Hazards Commission recommendation to establish a storm-resilient communities program to provide case studies for effective coastal smart growth planning and implementation. This national model helps translate often overwhelming technical materials into user-friendly information for local planning efforts.
		The Aquatic Habitat Restoration Task Force Convened in August 2007, the Task Force has issued its report, which contains a series of recommendations to ensure the Commonwealth's position as a national leader for aquatic habitat restoration in the decades ahead. For a copy of the report and a fact sheet that highlights the work of the Task Force and summarizes the recommendations, see the Aquatic Habitat Restoration Task Force web page.
		No Discharge Areas Boat sewage can be harmful to water quality and public health. No Discharge Areas (NDAs) are designated bodies of water where the discharge of all boat sewage is prohibited. To support Governor Patrick’s goal of ultimately making all Commonwealth coastal waters NDAs, CZM is working with communities to apply for no discharge status, and is supporting efforts to increase boat pumpout facilities to make proper sewage disposal more convenient for boaters. See Massachusetts Pumpout Facilities for more information.
		Guides to Coastal Access Sites Available in print and online, CZM’s Massachusetts Coast Guide to Boston & the North Shore provides maps and descriptions of not only the spectacular beaches found on major road maps, but smaller, little-known coastal treasures too. Order your free copy of the print version today. Also available is CZM's Online Locator of Coastal Public Access Sites. Developed in coordination with MassGIS, this searchable inventory displays maps and site-specific information and printable descriptions of coastal publicly accessible waterfront properties owned by government agencies and major nonprofit land conservation organizations.
		Massachusetts Ocean Management Initiative This website provides information on state efforts to examine evolving ocean uses and develop a comprehensive approach for ocean resource management and includes the Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force's Waves of Change report, the Massachusetts Ocean Education Guide, links to ocean management resources, recent news, national highlights, and technical reports.