Coastal zone management from an administrative perspective: A case study of the san francisco bay conservation and development commission

Abstract

Competent administration of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA) must proceed on an informed understanding of the organization styles and capacities of agencies presently dealing with similar problems. One such agency, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), the forerunner of the California model of coastal management, is analyzed here to shed light on where we are headed and what we can expect administratively as the CZMA becomes an operation reality. The major administrative insights offered fall into the areas of: (1) effectiveness assessment‐the BCDC's success is systematically defined and measured, and a discussion of what effectiveness evaluation implies in the area of coastal resource management is undertaken; (2) understanding organizational success—the BCDC's administrative style is analyzed in terms of the synergy which has been created between its organizational structure and decision‐making process; and (3) implications of agency success—which of the BCDC's lessons are most valuable and how these can be applied to other situations are shown.