Other laws four

Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972

The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to preserve, protect, develop and where possible, restore and enhance the resources of coastal zones. This mandate is to be accomplished in cooperation with the 29 states and five territories that have coastal management programs. The Act assists the states in achieving responsible use of land and water resources in the coastal zone by giving full consideration to ecological and aesthetic values, cultural history and economics. (http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/)

Clean Water Act Connection: In 1990, through amendments to CZMA, Congress created the Coastal Zone Management Program, requiring states to develop and implement programs to reduce polluted runoff and more effectively manage nonpoint source pollution. The CZMA provides a hook for regulating nonpoint sources of pollution in coastal states. This tool can come into play when developing and implementing TMDLs that address problems in estuarine species and habitat.

National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968

In the 1960s, the country awoke to the fact that our rivers were being dammed, dredged, diked, diverted and degraded at an alarming rate. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act serves to protect designated free-flowing rivers that have “outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural and other similar values.” The Act says these rivers “shall be preserved in the free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.” By 1998, 175 rivers had been designated, covering 10,955 river miles (out of 3.5 million U.S. river miles). The most recent designation was 30 miles of the Westfield River in Massachusetts in 2004. (http://www.nps.gov/rivers)

Clean Water Act Connection: This law states that by maintaining rivers in a free-flowing condition, it can “protect the water quality of such rivers and… fulfill other vital national conservation purposes.” For example, at the time Oregon’s Klamath River was protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, a 15-year battle over the proposed Salt Caves Hydro Project came to an end. The dam would have increased water temperatures in a river system that was already seriously stressed by other uses. A Wild and Scenic designation becomes an existing use of a river that needs to be protected in water quality standards by a designated use such as “aesthetics” or “recreation.” The use can be protected against harm through the most basic antidegradation protection of existing uses as well as through designation as an Outstanding National Resource Water (ONRW).

Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Farm Bill)

The 2002 Farm Bill increased spending for agricultural conservation programs by $9 billion, including incentives to help farms address environmental problems associated with farming. It increased funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to provide more than $1 billion per year for farmland and floodplain protection, grazing lands conservation, and wildlife habitat protection. The 2002 Farm Bill also continued the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) launched in the 1996 farm bill, which targets areas for restoration. (http://www.usda.gov/farmbill/)

Clean Water Act Connection: Washington and Oregon are using CREP funds to restore habitat for salmon species listed under the ESA. The Washington CREP is restoring freshwater riparian habitat along 3,000 miles of salmon streams, including all streams that provide spawning habitat for listed species. The Farm Bill also gives billions of dollars to farming operations to encourage the use of fertilizers and pesticides that ultimately degrade water quality. By providing funds to improve management practices on agricultural lands, the Farm Bill can help to implement agricultural nonpoint source pollution reductions in TMDLs.