Title 16 › CHAPTER 33 — COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT › § 1456
Federal agencies must talk with and work with the Secretary and with each other when doing things that affect the coast. Before the Secretary approves a state's coastal management plan, the Secretary must consider the views of federal agencies that will be most affected. Any federal project or action that affects land, water, or natural resources in a coastal area must follow, as much as possible, the mandatory policies in the state’s approved plan. A federal agency must tell the state about its planned action as early as possible, and no later than 90 days before the agency gives final approval unless both agree on another schedule. If someone needs a federal license or permit for an activity that affects the coast, the applicant must certify that the activity follows the state’s approved rules and must give the state a copy. The state then has up to six months to agree or object (three months for certain offshore oil and gas plans); if the state does not act in time, agreement is assumed. No federal permit may be issued until the state agrees or agreement is presumed, unless the Secretary finds the activity consistent with the law’s goals or needed for national security. After a final court decision that a federal activity is not consistent, and if mediation is unlikely to help, the President can exempt parts of the activity only if it is urgently in the nation’s interest; lack of money alone is not a reason unless Congress was asked for funds and refused. State and local projects seeking federal help must show how they relate to the approved coastal plan. Federal agencies should not approve projects that conflict with a state’s mandatory coastal policies unless the Secretary finds they meet the law’s goals or are needed for national security. The coastal program must keep existing federal and state rights and must include clean water and clean air requirements from the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Clean Air Act. If a serious disagreement arises between a federal agency and a coastal state, the Secretary, with help from the White House, must try to mediate and hold public hearings for disputes over running an approved program. For appeals filed after November 5, 1990, the Secretary must charge at least $200 for minor appeals and $500 for major appeals, may waive fees for people who cannot pay, may collect other fees to cover costs, and must put collected fees into the Coastal Zone Management Fund.
Full Legal Text
Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
16 U.S.C. § 1456
Title 16, Conservation
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110