[brief] “In 1973, the Legislature enacted CAFRA ‘to protect the unique and fragile coastal zones of the State. ’”  In re Protest of Coastal Permit Program Rules (“In re Protest CPP Rules”), 354 N.J. Super. 293, 309 (App. Div. 2002) (quoting Matter of Egg Harbor Associates (Bayshore Ctr.), 94 N.J. 358, 364 (1983)).  The “desire to address the adverse environmental effects of coastal area development,” however, was “balanced . . . with recognized economic considerations for those who inhabited the coastal areas. ”  Seigel v. New Jersey Dep’t of Envtl. Prot., 395 N.J. Super. 604, 615 (App. Div. 2007).  CAFRA was intended to also “encourage the development of compatible land uses in order to improve the overall economic position of the inhabitants of that area within the framework of a comprehensive environmental design strategy which preserves the most ecologically sensitive and fragile area from inappropriate development and provides adequate environmental safeguards for the construction of any facilities in the coastal area. ”  [Ibid. (quoting N.J.S.A. 13:19-2) (emphasis added). ]  Consistent with the foregoing, CAFRA requires that any rules or regulations adopted pursuant thereto “be closely coordinated with the provisions of the State Development and Redevelopment Plan. ”  N.J.S.A. 13:19-17(b).  Pursuant to the powers delegated to it by CAFRA, the Department is required “to regulate land use within the coastal zone for the general welfare. ”  Bayshore Ctr., 94 N.J. at 364.  Under CAFRA, any proposed development within the coastal area that meets certain “construction and development thresholds . . . must obtain a permit from [the Department] before the commencement of that construction unless otherwise expressly exempted. ”  In re Protest CPP Rules, 354 N.J. Super. at 310.  The Department “exercises its statutory authority under CAFRA through the [CZM Rules].”  Raleigh Ave. Beach Ass’n v.  Atlantis Beach Club, Inc., 185 N.J. 40, 61 (2005).  The CZM Rules must “be liberally construed to effectuate the purpose of the Acts under which it was adopted. ”  N.J.A.C. 7:7-1.7.  The CZM Rules “are founded on . . . broad coastal goals” which embody the need to balance environmental protection with economic considerations, as intended under CAFRA.  N.J.A.C. 7:7-1.1(c).  These foundational goals include “[h]ealthy coastal ecosystems,” “[m]eaningful public access to and use of tidal waterways and their shores,” and “[c]oastal open space. ”  N.J.A.C. 7:7-1.1(c)(1), (3), (5).  In addition to and in conjunction with the foregoing, the CZM Rules also include the goals of “[s]afe, healthy and well-planned coastal communities and regions” and “[c]oordinated coastal decision-making, comprehensive planning and research. ”  N.J.A.C. 7:7-1.1(c)(6), (7).  In relation to the goal of “[s]afe, healthy and well-planned coastal communities and regions,” the CZM Rules further set forth the policy of “[m]anag[ing] coastal activities and foster[ing] well-planned communities and regions that,” inter alia, “[e]ncourage mixed-use redevelopment of distressed waterfront communities,” “[p]romote concentrated patterns of development,” “[s]ustain coastal economies,” and “[c]reate vibrant coastal communities and waterfronts. ”  N.J.A.C. 7:7-1.1(c)(6).  With respect to the goal of “[c]oordinated coastal decision-making, comprehensive planning and research,” the CZM Rules set forth the policy of “[e]ncourag[ing] the preparation of comprehensive plans, including: . . . [s]pecial area management plans that protect significant natural resources and provide the opportunity for sound coastal dependent economic development[.]”  N.J.A.C. 7:7-1.1(c)(7).  2.