BOSTON (AP) - The Massachusetts Senate is unanimously supporting
a final version of a landmark bill designed to protect the state's
coastal waters.

Environmentalist call the bill a first-in-the-nation attempt by
a state to create a comprehensive ocean management plan.

The bill approved Thursday by the Senate is designed to make
sure all decisions and permits about development in
state-controlled waters up to three miles from the coast conform to
a single plan.

The plan would cover everything from whale watching tours to
wind farms and liquefied natural gas terminals.

Separate versions of the bill had been approved by the House and
Senate. The final version now heads back to the House.

Gov. Deval Patrick also supports the bill.