An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

2. DEFINING THE COASTWhat is meant by the “coast”? The figures citedabove that more than 50% of the U.S. populationis “on the coast” includes the population in allcounties 1 within 50 miles (80 km) of the shoreline.The 50 mile boundary reflects both the resident populationof the coast and those who live “within aday’s drive” and thus are likely to be frequent visitorsto the shore. This definition of the coast encompassesa substantial amount of inland geography thatwould not be immediately recognized as coastal byeither residents or visitors. To get a better picture ofthe population trends affecting the coast requiresthree different perspectives on the idea of “coast”:• Near shore. The population in the region closestto the shore area and thus the population withthe greatest effect on the fragile shoreline. In thisreport, the near shore population is measured bythe population living in zip codes adjacent to theshore as defined by the Census Zip CodeTabulation Areas. (Bureau of the Census 2003)Employment, wages, and output of the nearshore area is defined by the zip code of reportingestablishments in the Bureau of Labor Statisticsemployment data.• Coastal Zone Counties. This is the populationliving in the counties which are included inwhole or in part in the coastal zone as defined bythe states for purposes of the Coastal ZoneManagement Act. 2 The coastal zone defined bythe states varies significantly from state to state.In four states, 3 the coastal zone includes theentire state. In other states the coastal zone isdefined by political jurisdictions such as townsand counties 4 and while still others define it bynatural features. This wide variation makes the“coastal zone” a difficult basis for comparison,but as the Coastal Zone Management Program isone of the most significant accomplishmentsstemming from the Stratton Commission, itrequires examination.• Coastal Watershed Counties. The boundaries ofthe near shore and coastal zone are largely determinedfor political and administrative purposes,and thus intersect natural regions only by chanceor in those states that explicitly define theircoastal zone to match natural boundaries.Another important perspective is to look atcounties that include the watersheds of coastalareas, since the effects of population growth inupland areas sooner or later flow to the sea downcoastal rivers and streams. Coastal watershedcounties have been defined by NOAA as a meansof more closely aligning political and naturalboundaries. (National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration 2001)A PPENDIX C: LIVING N EAR… AND M AKING A L IVING F ROM…THE N ATION’ S C OASTS AND O CEANS C 5