CSO Newsletter

The Coastal States Organization represents the nation’s Coastal States, Territories, and Commonwealths on ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resource issues.
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Spotlight on Coastal Management:

New CSO Report: Enhancing the Blue Economy Through Coastal Zone Management

The Blue Economy depends on the vibrant workforce, thriving industry, advanced infrastructure, and unparalleled natural resources of the nation’s coastal zone. Across the nation, the challenges confronting coastal communities are vast and complicated. To ensure our coastal zones continue to enrich and sustain the Blue Economy, robust, adaptive, and efficient coastal management is necessary.


For over 50 years, State and Territory Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Programs, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), have provided the effective management, beneficial use, protection, and development that the coastal zone needs. The State and Territory CZM Programs take the lead to manage coastal resources using their expertise and firsthand experience working on local issues, and NOAA provides guidance, funding, and program support.


CSO's new report, Enhancing the Blue Economy Through Coastal Zone Management, highlights the role State and Territory CZM Programs play in enhancing the Blue Economy by assisting coastal communities to build coastal resilience, promoting tourism and recreation, managing living resources, supporting maritime transportation and commerce, and developing the new blue economy.


Read the report here.

Celebrating 50 Years of Ocean and Coastal Conservation

2022 is a BIG year for ocean and coastal conservation! Not only is it the 50th anniversary for the CZMA, it is also the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, Marine Mammals Protection Act, and National Marine Sanctuaries Act.

Learn more here and follow #OceanAndCoasts50 on social media!

Learn about the CZMA 50th here!
CZMA at 50 Podcast Series

Join CSO's Executive Director, Derek Brockbank, in a five part podcast series to learn about the basis of the act, why it’s important, how it’s changed, and more.

All five episodes of the series are now available! Listen to all of them here or wherever you get your podcasts!

In the States and Regions

East Coast and Caribbean

Exacerbated By Climate Change, Hurricane Fiona Pummels Puerto Rico

One day before President Donald Trump took office in 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a public warning that climate change had caused Puerto Rico's climate to warm by more than one degree Fahrenheit since the mid-20th century. The surrounding ocean waters had warmed by almost two degrees since 1901. As a result of these trends the EPA warned that "rising temperatures are likely to increase storm damages, significantly harm coral reefs, and increase the frequency of unpleasantly hot days." By the time Summer 2017 had come and gone, Hurricane Maria had caused roughly 3,000 fatalities in the American commonwealth as well as an estimated $90 billion in damages. Then-President Trump aroused controversy for neglecting Puerto Rico and focusing more on victims in conservative states like Texas. Five years later, history appears to be repeating itself as the tiny Caribbean island — which has yet to recover from the battering and neglect it received in 2017 — is being pummeled by Hurricane Fiona. Read more


State Awards Towns $1 Million In Coastal Resilience Grants

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management's Coastal Resilience Grant Program has awarded local towns more than $1 million in grants to combat the impact of climate change. The Baker-Polito Administration announced that Chatham, Brewster and Orleans will receive funding to address erosion, salt marsh restoration and shoreside infrastructure improvements. The grants were among $12.6 million awarded statewide to mark Climate Week. Read more

West Coast and Pacific

South Coast Voices Must Be Heard About Offshore Wind Energy Proposals

Oregon’s South Coast residents will begin a dialogue on floating offshore wind energy development in a series of three community conversations throughout Coos County on September 28 and October 5. Residents are mobilizing to advocate for community priorities in the conversation about whether they will consider floating offshore wind energy project proposals in Coos Bay. Floating offshore wind energy has the potential to bring benefits to the Coast—but only if the decision-making and planning processes are community-led and include meaningful Tribal consultation, marine ecosystem preservation, protecting the fishing industry from displacement, and local economic benefits.  Through a series of three Community Conversations on Floating Offshore Wind Energy, community members have opportunities to help define priorities for evaluating potential development projects. “The South Coast has a history of development where natural resources are extracted to benefit large corporations with no long-term benefits for South Coast residents,” said South Coast community organizer Ashley Audycki. “These Community Conversations are just the beginning of building a dialogue that uplifts community priorities and standards that can be used for evaluating potential development projects.” Read more


44 Feet

Forty-four feet isn't all that high. It's halfway up the tall side of the county courthouse. If you stacked Guy Fieri seven-and-a-half times on top of himself, his platinum blond hair would reach 44 feet high. Forty-four feet is also the height above today's sea level where 37 tons of radioactive waste from the former PG&E Humboldt Bay power plant is entombed in a concrete vault at the edge of the bay. A new coalition called, you guessed it, 44 Feet has brought together state agencies, federal and local political interests, scientists, a few folks with no titles at all and, to some extent, the nuclear plant's owner, PG&E. Like nanoplastics and deep-fried butter, most of us do not want to think about radioactive waste stored nearby, but 44 Feet is trying to plan for its future safety, even if that future is 100,000 years away. PG&E's old nuclear power plant sat next to U.S. Highway 101 at King Salmon. It ran a brief and ignominiously leaky life from 1963 to 1976. Still, it produced high-level radioactive waste from the uranium fuel it used to create electricity. The radioactivity has cooled somewhat in the intervening years, but it will remain hot and toxic for more than 100,000 years. The nuclear waste now sits astride Buhne Point, opposite the entrance to Humboldt Bay. It's positioned in an area with three adjacent earthquake faults, encroaching sea level, potential tsunamis and general erosion. In fact, according to the California Coastal Commission, the area "has experienced one of the highest coastal erosion rates documented in the state." It may be safe. But then again, "the bluff where the spent fuel sits used to be 96 feet above sea level in the 1800s, it's now 44 feet above sea level," said Jennifer Marlow, assistant professor in Cal Poly Humboldt's Department of Environmental Science and Management and founder of 44 Feet. Read more

Gulf Coast

‘Monumental’: Louisiana Takes Major Step Toward Unprecedented Coastal Restoration Project

An unprecedented project to fight land loss devastating Louisiana’s coast by diverting sediment and water from the Mississippi River into Barataria Basin took a major step toward definitive approval on Monday with the release of a final environmental assessment by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps released the lengthy report on the $2 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project. It breaks down how the new flow of freshwater and sediment for as much as half the year into the basin will create more than 20 square miles of new land during its first 50 years of operation. It also looks at how it will reduce potential flooding for New Orleans area west bank communities, slightly increase the potential for flooding for communities downstream and significantly affect fisheries, oysters and bottlenose dolphins by increasing freshwater levels in the basin. Read more


Climate Change Impact On Mississippi: What Mississippians Can Expect

Mississippi has 75,000 people living in regions at risk of coastal flooding. An additional 13,000 more could be at risk by 2050 because of the rising sea level, and that doesn’t include residents living inland who’ve already withstood repeated devastating flooding. Those are conclusions in a report released in 2021 by The Climate Reality Project, founded by former Vice President Al Gore, and echoed by the Environmental Protection Agency. At the same time, some of the communities hardest hit by hurricanes, floods and wildfires are not getting government assistance to adapt to climate change or move out of harm’s way, an analysis of federal data on natural disasters and related aid by Columbia Journalism Investigations and its partners. Some have applied for federal funding and been denied – at times more than once – only to be forced to flee from repeated hurricanes, floods and wildfires. Others face institutional and political barriers to seeking aid because a lot of communities in need of help don’t have the infrastructure to apply for grants, assuming they’d even qualify. Read more

Great Lakes

Dept. of Administration: Gov Evers Declares September Coastal Awareness Month

 In recognition of Coastal Awareness Month and the importance of the Great Lakes, the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (WCMP) is proud to announce the release of the 2022 Wisconsin Great Lakes Chronicle. The Chronicle promotes public awareness of Wisconsin Great Lakes issues, provides a vehicle for experts to educate public policy leaders, and creates an historical record of Great Lakes events and perspectives. Governor Tony Evers has proclaimed September as Coastal Awareness Month in Wisconsin in recognition of the important impact that the Great Lakes has on the state. Read more


Environment and Economic Viability Of Coastal Communities At Stake

Public consultation is underway as the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) looks at the environmental impacts of Enbridge Energy’s proposed Line 5 tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. Enbridge is seeking to replace its existing dual pipelines on the lake bottom that were built in 1953. At an online public event earlier this month, USACE heard from supporters and opponents of the project. Supporters, including business and labour groups and their members and representatives, spoke to potential jobs that would be created by construction of the tunnel, and of the need for the oil and natural gas products, especially liquid propane, shipped through the pipeline. They also pointed out that the tunnel is a safer option than the existing pipeline. Opponents of the tunnel project spoke about the environmental impact of the project and how the pipeline’s products contribute to climate change. Some acknowledged a tunnel would be safer than the existing aging pipeline but said both options pose too much of a risk to the Great Lakes. Opponents also noted the bulk of products shipped through Line 5 are destined for Canada, with Michigan assuming the greater risk and Canada and Enbridge realizing the benefits. Read more

Events & Webinars

September 27, 2022


September 28, 2022


September 29, 2022


October 4, 2022


October 5, 2022


October 6-7, 2022


October 12, 2022


October 25-27, 2022


November 17, 2022


December 4-8, 2022


December 12-15, 2022


February 6-9, 2023

Announcements

New Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation Website

The White House in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of the Interior launched the new "Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation" website which provides a dashboard to help communities see extreme weather and other hazards from climate change they are facing, while also providing maps projecting how each community could be impacted in the future. The portal is a first-of-its kind hub to help communities, and federal, state, and local governments to better understand current exposure to climate risks and to strengthen their resilience plans. It pulls together data from a wide range of existing tools including NOAA's Climate.gov, Heat.gov, and sea level rise projections, FEMA's building code adoption tracker, and the Justice40 Initiative screening tool. Learn more here.


National Estuaries Week Photo Contest Winners

It is National Estuaries Week! To celebrate, check out this year's National Estuaries Week Photo Contest Winners here!


ASFPM Call for Abstracts

The call for abstracts for the 2023 ASFPM Annual National Conference is now open. The 2023 Call for Abstracts seeks a broad range of professionals to submit for 30-minute concurrent sessions and/or 2-4 hour workshops that address issues, problems, and solutions associated with managing and communicating flood risk, making communities more resilient, and protecting floodplains and fragile natural resources. Submissions are due October 31, 2022. Learn more and submit your abstract here.


FEMA Announces FY22 BRIC and FMA Notice of Funding Opportunities.

FEMA announced the FY22 Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) programs. The funding level for BRIC has increased to $2.3 billion for FY22, with FMA funding increasing to $800 million. BRIC’s non-financial Direct Technical Assistance program will also increase to at least 40 communities (from 20) for the FY22 cycle. The application period opens September 30, 2022 and closes on January 27, 2023. Learn more here.


Coastal Geotools: Registration and Call for Abstracts 

Registration is now open for Coastal Geotools, which will be February 6 to 9, 2023, in Charleston, South Carolina. Submit your abstract by October 7, 2022 to present your projects to your peers. Register or submit your abstract here.


NOAA releases Restoration Blueprint for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries released a proposed rule and a revised draft management plan for the Restoration Blueprint—a significant update to Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s management plan, boundary, regulations, and marine zones. NOAA will accept public comment on the Restoration Blueprint through October 26, 2022. There will also be multiple advisory council and public information meetings will provide opportunities for engagement and public comment. Learn more here.

Job Openings

In The States

North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve Research and Monitoring Program - Research Coordinator


Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Natural Resources Specialist (Water Resources Biologist)


Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management - Offshore Project Review Specialist


Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation and Recreation, Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - Coastal Training Program Coordinator


Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game - Offshore Wind Specialist


California Coastal Commission - Coastal Resiliency Supervisor


Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection, Coastal Engineering and Geology Program - Environmental Manager


Washington Department of Ecology, Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program - Shoreline Management Act Compliance Lead


Washington Department of Ecology, Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program - Federal Permit Manager for Headquarters


California Coastal Commission - Multiple Coastal Program Positions


In The Agencies

NOAA National Ocean Service - Deputy Assistant Administrator for Navigation Observation and Positioning


USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards & Resources Program - Physical Scientist


USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center - Information Specialist (Marine Science)


USACE Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory - Research Civil Engineer (Hydraulics)


USACE Operations Division, Operations Technical Support Branch, Natural Resource Management Section, Dredged Material Management Program


USACE New Orleans District - Lead Civil Engineer (Hydraulics)


USACE San Francisco District, Water Resources Section - Civil Engineer (Hydraulics)


USACE ORISE Fellow - Analysis of Coastal Wave Impacts on Shoreline Protection Structures


In NGOs, Industry, and Academia

National Wildlife Federation - Coastal Resilience Program Manager


Clean Ocean Action - Debris Free Sea Coordinator


The Nature Conservancy - Coastal Nature Based Solutions Strategist


The Nature Conservancy - Ocean Recovery Specialist


Job Boards


Office for Coastal Management State Programs


Sea Grant Careers Page


SEVENSEAS Media

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: rkeylon@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.
Coastal States Organization | 50 F Street. NW, Suite 570, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-508-3860 | cso@coastalstates.org | www.coastalstates.org
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