The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing ongoing funding through the national coastal zone management program to the territory of puerto rico to help administer the…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a Cooperative Agreement totaling $5,040,000 to the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources under the Coastal Zone Management Administration Awards program (CFDA 11.419) effective October 1, 2025 through March 31, 2027. This award provides ongoing federal funding to support the administration of Puerto Rico's federally approved Coastal Zone Management Program. NOAA's federal investment of $2,593,000 leverages an additional $2,447,000 in territorial matching funds to support job creation and program implementation across multiple coastal management priorities.

The award funds a comprehensive range of coastal management services and products, including coastal hazard mitigation, habitat protection and restoration, water quality improvement, coastal community development, pollution control, and public access initiatives. Key deliverables encompass the promotion of nature-based infrastructure to minimize flooding and erosion; restoration of natural protective features such as seagrass beds, mangroves, beaches, and dunes; development and distribution of spatial data on coastal features and protected areas; updates to beach access studies; implementation of best management practices to reduce sediment and nutrient loading in coastal ecosystems and coral reef areas; and enhanced interagency coordination efforts with the Puerto Rico Coral Reef Conservation and Management Program. The program emphasizes education and outreach activities to advance environmental protection while supporting responsible coastal development.

The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing ongoing funding through the national coastal zone management program to the territory of puerto rico to help administer the territories federally approved coastal management program. The national coastal zone management program, under the coastal zone management act, is an important voluntary federal-state partnership that protects, restores, and responsibly develops our nations coastal communities and resources by balancing economic development, coastal uses, and natural resource protection. Noaas investment of over $2,593,000 is leveraging over $2,447,000 in state funds. These funds will support jobs and provide continued assistance to puerto ricos coastal management program to address many important coastal issues in the state including coastal hazards, habitat protection and restoration, water quality, coastal community development, control of land-based sources of pollution and public access. The PR czmp will promote the implementation of natural or nature-based infrastructure (NBI), to minimize flooding, erosion, and runoff. The program will also work in restoration of natural protective features, such as seagrass beds, mangroves, beaches and dunes. For example, the czmp will promote, through education and outreach, the implementation of best management practices (BMP) to reduce sediment, pollutants, and nutrient loading in coastal ecosystems and coral reef areas, identifying and coordinating efforts with the puerto rico coral reef conservation and management program (PRCRCMP). IT will increase interagency coordination to identify, assess, and reduce sediment, pollutants, and nutrient loading in coastal ecosystems and coral reef areas. The award is also funding a number of local projects or initiatives including: the development and distribution of spatial data regarding coastal features and natural protected areas throughout puerto rico. Updates to the puerto rico beach access study and the public access guides to the coasts of puerto rico. This will offer information to enhance the actions and strategies of the prczmp and identify new associated projects to improve public access to the coast, ensure its appropriate use, and strengthen the conservation and protection of coastal resources. Support the wetland monitoring network of the prczmp to record substrate elevation and composition. CMO staff will continue data collection and database development. Project details, maps, data, and statistics for each station will be published online.