The Coastal States Organization represents the nation’s Coastal States, Territories & Commonwealths on ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resource issues.
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Spotlight on Coastal Management
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Developing a statewide Texas Coastal Resilience Master Plan
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The
Texas General Land Office
(GLO) CZM program led a statewide effort to develop the Texas Coastal Resiliency
Master Plan
in 2017.
[1]
The Texas coast is critical to the Blue Economy, with a population of 6.5 million, bustling ports, military installations, 25% of the nation's refining capacity, and most of the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve. These communities are also highly risk exposed, with severe threat from hurricanes and 65% of the state’s coastline eroding at an average rate of two feet per year. The Master Plan confronts these challenges by identifying and prioritizing vulnerabilities, and selecting and implementing the most cost-effective projects to contain those vulnerabilities, using a natural infrastructure approach in project design to balance competing demands on ecosystems and coastal economies. GLO is also leveraging federal partnerships through a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Coastal Texas Protection & Restoration Feasibility Study to stabilize and protect the Texas Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and natural barriers surrounding the Houston shipping channel to defend industries and densely populated neighborhoods. These planning efforts have already significantly assisted the state’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey.
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DOE released a Request for Information about alternate applications for marine renewable energy for various maritime markets like aquaculture, data collection and ocean observation, shoreline protection, and disaster relief (among others). All comments and feedback are extremely valuable and will help inform WPTO which markets marine energy could best serve or enable.
The comment period closes July 31st.
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Environmental Protection Agency and US Army Corps:
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Definition of “Waters of the United States” -
Recodification of Preexisting Rule will be Published on 07/12/2018 but the unpublished PDF is available for download now.
FR Link:
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In the States and Regions
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CRMC adopts Beach SAMP Eighth CRMC SAMP is first climate change plan in nation
The State of Rhode Island now has a roadmap to plan for impacts to homes, businesses, and vital infrastructure as a result of climate change-driven erosion, increased storms, and flooding from sea level rise: the newly adopted Rhode Island Shoreline Change (Beach) Special Area Management Plan, the only one of its kind in the nation.
With its June 12 adoption of the Beach SAMP, the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) now has eight tailored regional plans that span most of the state, providing customized guidelines and regulations for addressing the specific needs of those areas. This SAMP seeks to address Rhode Island’s constantly changing shoreline, and provide tools and guidance to our 21 coastal communities that are on the front line of sea level rise impacts.
Read more.
Rising seas, rising stakes: R.I. researchers project future flooding
A once-in-a-century hurricane would wreak havoc in R.I. Raise the sea level 7 feet and things get really ugly. An interactive look.
Read more.
SCDNR: Charleston Harbor Dredging Holds Key to Saving Crab Bank
Coastal bird populations face multiple threats, including habitat loss and degradation, human disturbance, increased predation and sea level rise, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) said in its latest release.
In fact, their populations have declined by 70 percent during the last forty to sixty years, according to SCDNR.
South Carolina is a critical link in preserving these birds; numerous species of nesting and migrating birds visit the coastline each year, including a remarkable 38 percent of all the nesting brown pelicans on the East Coast during summer and some of the largest colonies of skimmers and terns in the Southeast.
Read more.
This Seaside Community Is Getting Swallowed by the Ocean
SLOWLY BUT SURELY, North Carolina's Outer Banks are being eaten up by the sea.
The 200-mile stretch of islands that sits just off the coast is known for its idyllic beaches and thriving tourism, but scientists say those beaches are in jeopardy. Rising sea levels are forcing residents to grapple with a home that's slowly washing out from under them.
Read more.
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State adopts plan for evaluating new ocean projects
Washington has adopted a new tool to help make coordinated, science-based decisions about new projects and uses that may be proposed for the Pacific Ocean that are adjacent to the state coastline.
The Washington departments of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources (DNR) jointly developed a
marine spatial plan after a six-year planning process. The plan sets a framework for evaluating new projects and uses proposed in an ocean area nearly 6,000 square nautical miles in size between Cape Flattery and Cape Disappointment.
Read more.
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NYDEC Extends Lake Ontario Flood Recovery General Permit
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner, Basil Seggos, yesterday announced that DEC has completed revisions to the Lake Ontario General Permit related to erosion and shoreline damage caused by the historic high-water levels of Lake Ontario during 2017-18, and is extending the permit authority to September 30, 2019.
The revisions and extension of the General Permit are the latest in a series of State actions that support Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s ongoing commitment to helping residents impacted by last year’s devastating flooding.
Read more.
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National Coastal Resilience Fund 2018 Request for Proposals
- RFP Overview Webinar: Wednesday, July 11, 2018 3:00 PM Eastern Time
- Full Proposal Due Date: Tuesday, August 7, 2018 11:59 PM Eastern Time
OVERVIEW
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is pleased to announce the National Coastal Resilience Fund. Projects funded under this national program will provide benefits to communities, as well as for fish and wildlife. In partnership with NOAA, NFWF will make investments to advance identified priorities for restoring and strengthening natural systems so they can protect coastal communities from the impacts of storms and floods and enable them to recover more quickly, while also enhancing habitats for important fish and wildlife populations.
Read more.
Tips and Stories for Coastal Managers, Delivered to Your Inbox
Have the latest technical topics, professional tips, and stories from your peers emailed to you each month.
Subscribe
to NOAA Office for Coastal Management’s recently redesigned
Digital Coast Connections newsletter
. Stay in the know about new data, tools, and resources from NOAA’s Digital Coast, as well as announcements from the research reserves, the Coastal Zone Management Program, and the Coral Reef Conservation Program.
Email the office
for more information.
Funds projects by 501(c)(3) public charities that advance the understanding and/or implementation of living shorelines. HMSF will select an estimated 2-3 grantees per year. Grant amounts may range from $25,000-$75,000. Letters of Intent due
October 1, 2018.
The State of Sea Grant 2018 Biennial Report to Congress
Add Your Name In Support of National Ocean Sciences Board
Ocean education needs greater attention in the U.S. The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) is a long-standing program providing high school students with high quality educational experiences and building a community—already tens of thousands strong—of STEM trained, ocean literate, and thoughtful future leaders in our nation’s workforce. The letter linked below urges the federal government to renew its support for ocean education and, in particular, the NOSB. Without sustained federal funding, the NOSB will likely soon come to an end. Please help us demonstrate the ocean science and education community’s support for this program and the need for federal action by signing on to the letter.
Sign on here!
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August 6 - 9, 2018
August 2, 2018
- Mid Atlantic Council on the Ocean - Richmond, VA
September 10 - 13, 2018
- Great Lakes Regional CZ Meeting
September 17 -19, 2018
October 13 - 18, 2018
- Pacific Program Managers Meeting - Guam
October 15 - 19, 2018
- Coastal States Organization Annual Meeting, Providence, Rhode Island
October 17 - 18, 2018
October 22 - 25, 2018
October 30 - Nov 2 , 2018
December 8 - 13, 2018
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will host a series of public engagement sessions this summer to update the public on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
(GLRI)
and to seek their input on future priorities.
EPA and its federal partners are in the process of developing Action Plan III, which will outline priorities and goals for the
GLRI
for 2020-2024. Action Plan III will identify five focus areas for environmental progress: toxic substances and areas of concern, invasive species, nonpoint source pollution impacts on nearshore health, habitat and species, and future restoration actions.
The proposed plan is expected to be available for formal public comment this fall.
The schedule of the remaining public engagement sessions is:
Thursday, July 12, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
EPA Mid-Continent Ecology Division
6201 Congdon Boulevard
Duluth, Minn.
Wednesday, July 18, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Zelazo Center
2419 E. Kenwood Blvd
Milwaukee, Wis.
Tuesday, July 24, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Saginaw Valley University Curtiss Hall
7400 Bay Road
Saginaw, Mich.
Tuesday, August 7, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
EPA Region 5
Lake Michigan Room – 12
th
floor
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, Ill.
The NOAA Digital Coast: Turning Coastal Data and Tools into Actionable Information by Josh Murphy, Doug Marcy, and Nate Herold of NOAA.
- Tuesday, July 31, 1 pm US EDT/10 am US PDT/5 pm UTC
NOAA’s Digital Coast is a website and partnership that provides public access to coastal data, tools, training, and resources in order to meet the unique needs of coastal communities. Coastal resource managers can access collections of high quality, authoritative geospatial data (e.g., topography, coastal land cover change, socioeconomic information), tools, and trainings to address coastal and ocean management challenges. More than just a website, the Digital Coast provides the framework and information needed to save organizations time and money and allows groups that might not otherwise work together to join forces. Content on the Digital Coast comes from many sources, all of which are vetted by NOAA. This webinar will provide an overview of the Digital Coast and demonstrate two geospatial tools that turn data into actionable information: 1) Sea Level Rise Viewer (
https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slr), which visualizes coastal flooding scenarios and social vulnerability due to sea level rise; and 2) Land Cover Atlas (
https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/lca
), an online data viewer that provides user-friendly access to coastal land cover and land cover change information developed through NOAA’s Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP). Visit NOAA’s Digital Coast at
https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast. Webinar hosted by the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe).
Register for the webinar at
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WzBSJVBbRlSezGWIljjqDQ
.
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9th National Summit on Coastal and Estuarine Restoration and Management
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Register now and be a part of the largest gathering of the coastal restoration and management community!
All attendees, including program participants, sponsors, and exhibitors, must register
online
. Registration fees are as follows: Early Bird (available through October 12) - $495, Full Rate - $595, On-site - $625, Student - $275, One-day - $290.
Summit Fast Facts
When:
December 8-13, 2018 - put it on your calendar and get your travel paperwork submitted!
Where:
Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. See the
Travel and Hotel Information
for additional information on rates, reservations, travel, and more.
What will happen:
oral presentations, posters, networking, field sessions, workshops, and the list goes on...
Cost:
Early bird $495 until October 12, 2018
Ways to be involved:
presenter, exhibitor, sponsor, attendee, volunteer, advertiser...and more!
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Connecticut Institute for Resilience & Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) - Deadline July 19
NOAA - OCM South Regional Director
Job Boards
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The views expressed in articles referenced here are those of the authors and do not represent or reflect the views of CSO.
If you have a news item or job posting to include in future CSO Newsletters, please send an email to:
gwilliams@coastalstates.org with a subject line: "Newsletter Content". Please include the information to be considered in the body of the email.
Please note: CSO reserves final decision regarding published newsletter content and may not use all information submitted.
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Coastal States Organization | 444 North Capitol St. NW, Suite 638, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-508-3860 | cso@coastalstates.org | www.coastalstates.org
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