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According to conservationist Wallace Kaufman and marine geologist Orrin Pilkey, "the federal government,
through its constitutional power to regulate commerce and activities affecting navigable waters, had great but unused authority over most of coastal America."* However, rather than exercise that federal authority, Congress chose to delegate responsibility to the states by encouraging them to establish coastal plans.* Even so, not all states were quick to respond to the federal appeal. It took Texas twenty-five years to develop a State Coastal Management Plan. Texas's first attempt to develop a coastal plan failed in the late 1970s when the governor declined to submit its program to the federal government for approval. The effort to develop a state coastal plan was revived in the mid-1980s when coastal residents, local governments, and some businesses expressed renewed interest in the program. In 1989 the legislature designated the Texas General Land Office as the lead agency to coordinate and develop a long-range management plan for the Texas coast. After many public hearings and draft plans, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approved Texas's Coastal Management Plan in January 1997.
Much of the debate in Texas concerning the
Coastal Management Plan was focused on three issues: the potential delay of permits for regulated industrial and commercial entities, the wetlands permitting process, and the dredging
policies of the Army Corps of Engineers, specifically the disposition of dredging materials. The Texas plan established uniform coastal policies that address beach access, coastal erosion, dredging, protection of dunes, energy facility siting, wetlands management, and other topics. With the plan's
approval, Texas receives some $2.5 million annually for coastal projects. Under the plan, local coastal governments and not-for-profit organizations endorsed by local governments can apply
for grants through the Texas General Land Office. As with other natural resources in the public domain, the Texas coast is being used for multiple purposes. Whether it can continue to provide
for industrial, business, and human needs as well as the needs of aquatic life is unknown, particularly as the industrial and population pressures on the coast increase.
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