The Guam Coastal Management Program (GCMP) was established in 1979
through a cooperative agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bureau of Planning, Office of the Governor and draws its authorities from the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972 and 5 GCA Ch.1, Article 2, Centralized Planning under the renamed Bureau of Statistics and Plans, Office of the Governor. The GCMP is responsible for the land-use and natural resource planning duties of the Bureau. The Common interest and function of GCMP is to integrate its policy-making efforts with public and private interests engaged in physical, social, and economic development planning for the island through a process and mechanism in which duly adopted policies of Guam are linked and considered with all elements of decision-making among governmental and nongovernmental coastal uses. GCMP’s Goal is to create a responsible and balanced use of Guam’s coastal resources through improving management and policy systems, optimizing planning, creating awareness, and improving the administration and enforcement of natural resource-related laws and regulations.