Governing the US coastal zone: An unresolved issue

Abstract

The coast often contrasts the vastness of the ocean with an intensively used shoreline. Coastal governance attempts to integrate these two spheres within one framework that would reconcile ocean and shoreline use conflicts; however, US coastal governance is rooted in an organizational complexity that inhibits effective governance. The use of the area management paradigm to reconcile competing interests has not been as successful as hoped; yet, this evolutionary experience appears to be the only avenue available to greater governance capability.