This publication presents the specific recommendations which evolved from each of the three conference work groups: water quality, land use management, and coastal habitat protection. As these three groups looked to solve the problems facing America's lakes and estuaries from differing perspectives, it was necessary to merge the three view-points in order to present a more readable and useful tool. Thus, this document addresses the wide range of threats facing coastal waters by viewing them from two new perspectives: how to prevent future coastal land abuses; and how to correct current misuses of the coastal zone.