Bi-Weekly Report 
  June 3, 2015

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AgenciesAt the Agencies

Deepwater Horizon Trustees Invite Public Comment on 10 Proposed Early Restoration Gulf Projects

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees (Trustees)

released a draft plan on May 20, that proposes 10 early restoration projects across the Gulf states at an estimated cost of $134 million.

NOAA announces $9 million in grants to improve coastal community resilience

Two new NOAA grant programs will help coastal communities and their managers create on-the-ground projects to make them more resilient to the effects of extreme weather events, climate hazards, and changing ocean conditions.

USEPA and Army Corps of Engineers Release Final Clean Water Rule

On May 27, 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("USEPA") and the United States Army Corps of Engineers ("USACE") released their long-awaited final rule defining the scope of "waters of the United States" subject to federal jurisdiction and oversight under the federal Clean Water Act ("CWA"). Formerly known as the "waters of the United States" (or "WOTUS") rule, the final rule has been "rebranded" as the Clean Water Rule as part of USEPA's marketing campaign.
 


StatesIn the States and Regions

East Coast 
 
Florida DEP Continues Indian River Lagoon Restoration Efforts

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is hosting a public meeting to review progress in water quality restoration activities for the Indian River Lagoon. Stakeholders and the public are invited to attend. Updates on ongoing activities and new projects implemented since early 2014 will be provided.


A new federal report on the cleanup of the Hudson River has found that General Electric's ongoing PCB dredging project may not be adequate and that more work is needed. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association concluded in a report released earlier this month that "additional removal of PCB-contaminated sediment in the [Upper Hudson River is] needed."

 

Savannah Harbor Expansion Project Update

 

Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, visited the Port of Savannah on Thursday, for an update on the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). "The SHEP will create economic opportunity not only across Georgia, but throughout the Southeast," said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. "We're grateful for our federal partners and their efforts thus far and will continue to work with them to ensure that their commitment is fully funded and reflects the importance of this project to the nation."

 

Gulf Coast  

 

Louisiana - Coastal plan moves forward

 

Louisiana's coastal restoration master plan for next year has taken its next big step. It won approval from the Legislature last week, meaning it should go into effect for 2016. The plan itself contains $884 million in projects that attack the widespread erosion that is weakening our coast and making coastal resident more vulnerable every year.

 

Coastal restoration group details progress made with wetlands

 

Through a habitat restoration program established 15 years ago, a Baton Rouge-based nonprofit has restored 4,500 acres of wetlands in south Louisiana, organizers announced during a meeting Tuesday in Thibodaux. The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana shared information on area projects amid Cajun food and music at Mudbug Brewery.

 

Oil spill trustees announce $133M in proposed restoration projects, 4 of 10 are in Alabama

 

State and federal trustees announced 10 new proposed projects Wednesday to restore damage stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with a total estimated cost of $133.6 million. If approved, the projects would be funded by BP, which has agreed to provide up to $1 billion for early restoration projects in the Gulf before the Natural Resources Damage Assessment process is complete.

 

 

West Coast and Pacific Islands 


At a ceremony in Seattle Wednesday, officials with the Port of Grays Harbor and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers met with U.S. Sen. Patty Murray to sign the Project Partnership Agreement, allowing the Corps to move forward with the channel deepening project to dig Grays Harbor's navigational channel to a minimum of 38 feet.


Scientists at the University of Hawaii's School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology (SOEST) studied data from  10 retreating beaches  on Oahu, Maui and Kauai islands and found that beaches will erode as much as  20 feet by 2050 and 40 feet by 2100 .

Great Lakes 


 Wisconsin will receive $36.5 million for conservation programs and projects in 2015, part of a $1.15 billion apportionment of excise tax revenues to states from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Both the Wisconsin and national sums are records in a mechanism that dates to 1937. The funding comes from the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration and Sport Fish Restoration programs, also known as Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson, respectively, for the laws that established them.



The Department of Natural Resources Lake Michigan Coastal Program is seeking public input on funding priorities for the 2016 funding cycle of the Coastal Grants Program. The Coastal Grants Program is a competitive grants program that awards funding to units of local government, regional and state agencies, colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations. The funds can be spent on public access or habitat improvements, land acquisition, planning and coordination, education and outreach, applied research and emerging issues projects. 


 

 

New maps created by U.S. Geological Survey that show the world hidden beneath the waters of the Golden Gate, Drakes Bay and off Tomales Point could help scientists tackle problems ranging from sea-level rise to coast flooding. The maps detail the underwater habitats, geology and environment on the sea floor off the coasts with the intent of providing information to better manage and understand California's marine resources.

 

Hurricane simulator gives scientists new perspective

 

As the Atlantic hurricane season enters its second day, forecasters predict fewer storms this year. But, they warn a quiet season could still produce a devastating hurricane.

 


AnnoucementsAnnouncements
 
Reminder! CSO Fall Meeting 

Registration for CSO's Fall Meeting is now open! Please click here to register. We look forward to seeing you. 

 

TitleClimate Change: Embedding Social Sciences into Climate Policy 

Date & TimeMon, June 10, 12 pm - 1 pm (ET) 

 

Seminars are open to the public. For remote access, location, abstracts and more, visit the OneNOAA Science Seminar Calendar at:  http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/seminars/


Seminars are posted in Eastern Time and subject to changes without notice; please check the web page for the latest seminar updates.  

 

World Ocean Day Celebration 2015 at the National Museum of Natural History 

  • Date: June 7 & 8
  • Location: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Description: World Ocean Day celebrations will extend over two days, June 7th and 8th. Explore ocean science with interactive activities throughout the museum. Appreciate the ocean's beauty and express yourself through art. Watch ocean films and see cartoonist Jim Toomey create his marine comic strip, Sherman's Lagoon. 

 

Job Openings

 

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation: Accounting Assistant 

 

Ocean Conservancy: Special Assistant to the President

The PEW Charitable Trusts: Associate, Environmental Science Division

International Association for Great Lakes Research, Job Board

The Pew Charitable Trusts: Senior Associate, U.S. Oceans, Northeast 

EcoAdapt: Associate Scientist 

State of Louisiana: Coastal Resources Scientist 


MARCO: Project Coordinator  

 

Oregon Dept. of Land Conservation and Development: Operations & Policy Analyst 4 (Land Use Policy Analyst)

 

Massachusetts Department of Fisheries : Director of Marine Fisheries 

 

Upcoming Events



The Voice of the Coastal States and Territories on Ocean, Coastal & Great Lakes Affairs

             

www.coastalstates.org  Call us: 202.508.3860    cso@coastalstates.org


*** The next Weekly Report will be published on June 16 , 2015***

 

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