This article investigates resistance to the implementation of a federal program of coastal zone planning. Interviews were conducted with officials in New York State and Washington, D.C., to explore the dynamics of state and local responses to a federal grant-in-aid. Resistance was found at every level of government, as well as in the environments of these levels. Segmentation of the program and the displacement of federal intention were found to be common state and local tactics. A comparison with the progressive program in California is used to indicate the significance of political and economic conditions for program development. The successful resistance to the federal program in New York is discussed in terms of its implications for the future of federal land use planning. © 1979, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.
