Pennsylvania has two coastal areas: 77 miles of coastline along Lake Erie and 112 miles of coastline along the Delaware Estuary near Philadelphia. The Lake Erie coastal zone is located within Erie County including the shorelines of major tributaries. The coastal zone extends to the middle of the lake, to the boundary with Canada, and inland an average of 1.4 miles. The Lake contains Presque Isle State Park and is one of the state ports for international shipping.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Water Planning Office coordinates and implements the Coastal Resources Management Program (CRM.) CRM receives funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to administer the program and provide grants to local governments, state agencies and nonprofit organizations to undertake projects in the coastal zones.

Program activities are reviewed and advice is given by the PA Coastal Zone Advisory Committee. CRM work activities include:

1. Working with other organizations and agencies with similar policy goals on coastal issues of regional or national importance.
2. Providing financial assistance for coastal improvement projects in the coastal zones.
3. Supporting public outreach, education and public input strategies.
4. Monitoring coastal wetland activities and investigating acreage changes.
5. Assisting local administration and enforcement of the Bluff Recession Setback Act which requires local zoning permits for development within Lake Erie bluff areas.
6. Evaluating federal, state and local activities for consistency with coastal program policies.
7. Providing technical assistance to Lake Erie property owners affected by shoreline erosion and bluff recession.
8. Measuring rates of shoreline erosion and bluff recession.
9. CRM also has a federally approved program for controlling coastal nonpoint source pollution