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 Report - "State Flood Resilience and Adaptation Planning: Challenges and Opportunities
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As flood disasters have become increasingly frequent and intense, states across the nation are scrambling to better protect their communities for the next time waters rise. State Flood Resilience and Adaption Planning: Challenges and Opportunities is first-of-its-kind research on the challenges hindering states from successfully adopting meaningful and effective resilience plans and suggests steps that can be taken to address them. The report includes a deeper look at approaches in five states that are currently working on resilience plans: North Carolina, Colorado, Iowa, Florida, and Washington.
CSO is a member of SRP which is a network of organizations — convened by the American Flood Coalition and The Pew Charitable Trusts — united by a commitment to support state leaders as they craft resilience strategies. SRP provides research and best practices related to key topics, expertise across a range of sectors, and opportunities for knowledge sharing between states.
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Celebrating 50 Years of Ocean and Coastal Conservation |
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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 about the CZMA 50th here!
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In the States and Regions |
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On the Outer Banks, Structures Rise and Fall as Climate Change Looms
Near the narrow northern tip of Hatteras Island, two structures — one rising, one falling — showcase the challenges of living on a fragile barrier island system that’s facing growing uncertainties from a changing climate. The first is a nearly $145-million, roughly 2-mile-long bridge scheduled to open in the coming weeks that will swing N.C. 12 out over Pamlico Sound and replace a troublesome stretch of roadway, commonly known as the Rodanthe “S curves.” The N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT) has struggled for years to keep the road, which long-term erosion has pushed hard up against the often angry Atlantic, open even during relatively minor high tide events. The second was a teetering oceanfront home in Rodanthe, already under threat from rising seas and a disappearing oceanfront, that came crashing down into the Atlantic on Feb. 9. The collapse led to a 15-mile-long debris field that prompted the Cape Hatteras National Seashore to issue warnings to visitors and launch a volunteer beach cleanup effort over Valentine’s Day weekend. Read more
With Sea Level Rise to Come, Mayor Wu Is Turning Her Attention to East Boston’s Waterfront. Here’s What to Know.
As Boston braces for the anticipated impacts of climate change, with rising sea levels in its historic harbor, Mayor Michelle Wu is bringing to the forefront a focus on neighborhood resiliency, namely, how East Boston will prepare for the rising tide. Wu’s administration announced its intention to take on a municipal harbor planning process for the coastal community, while also amending a similar plan for the city’s Downtown waterfront. Since state officials approved the Downtown Waterfront District Municipal Harbor Plan in April 2018, the city has conducted further planning, analysis, and outreach in the 42-acre area the plan encompasses, Wu wrote in a letter to the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management on Wednesday. In 2020, the city published a report that studied possible coastal resilience tactics for downtown Boston and the North End. “As a result of the climate analysis we have done and the subsequent public engagement we have started, it has become clear that further refinement of this harbor plan needs to occur,” Wu wrote in her letter. Read more
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Oregon Shores Hosts Online Wind Energy Panel
In an effort to help the public learn more about the potential impacts of offshore wind farming on the Oregon coast, the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition hosted an online panel of specialists to discuss the future of such a project. BOEM is working with the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development and the public to analyze the waters off Oregon’s coast for the best locations with the least impact for companies to establish farms of floating wind turbines. The full approval process could take up to 10 years before construction begins. Read more
California Prepares for $10.5M Port Renovations for Offshore Wind Development
The California Energy Commission (CEC) on Wednesday approved $10.5 million in funding to renovate the Port of Humboldt Bay in Northern California to prepare it for offshore wind development. The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is considering regions off the coast of Humboldt Bay and Morro Bay that could be suitable for floating offshore wind development. The two areas could collectively generate as much as 4.6 GW of energy. Read more
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Risk Rating 2.0 Increases Flood Insurance Rates for 70% of Louisiana Policyholders
Flood insurance policies renewing on or after April 1, 2022 will be subject to the new Risk Rating 2.0 methodology and will likely spell higher rates for a majority of homeowners in the River Parishes. During a town hall earlier this month, St. Charles Parish President Matt Jewell said this isn’t the first time residents have fought against skyrocketing rates. When the community protested the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act 10 years ago, many turned in keys to their homes to symbolize how higher rates would make the region unaffordable. The same questions loom overhead with the rollout of Risk Rating 2.0: Will families be able to afford flood insurance, or will they be forced to leave? Read more
Fort Pickens Road is Notorious for Washing Out in Storms. Is There Finally a Solution?
Gulf Islands National Seashore officials are taking feedback from the public on how to help the frequently washed-out roads on Fort Pickens and Pensacola Beach to become more resilient long-term. Both Fort Pickens Road and Highway 399 — the roadway that runs between Pensacola Beach and Navarre — are notorious for being washed out and covered in sand during high winds or flooded with water during storms. Gulf Islands National Seashore Superintendent Darrell Echols said this week that Fort Pickens Road was closed seven times in 2021 due to damage or washout to the road, one of those times being during Hurricane Ida when 8-foot-thick sand covered the roadway for more than a mile. The sand took 10 days to clear with heavy loaders, he said. Read more
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Sandusky Begins Work On Wetlands Project
Sandusky has begun construction on a long-awaited wetlands project on the west side of the Cedar Point Causeway, providing a new home for wildlife, like birds and fish. Several years of planning went into the Cedar Point Causeway Wetlands, a 30-acre project, and construction is expected to take place over five years with tinkering and monitoring taking another 10 years, said Aaron Klein, Sandusky's public works director. Funding the construction and renovation of wetlands has been a major initiative of H2Ohio, the DeWine administration’s clean water program, and many wetlands are being built on the shore of Lake Erie or in streams that feed into the lake. The state’s wetlands program is being carried out by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Read more
Report: Climate Change Threatens These 29 Michigan Chemical Sites
Climate change is likely to bring more catastrophes to Michigan, and a new federal report warns that 29 sites that use hazardous chemicals are in the pathway of worsening floods driven by a changing planet. The sites include a plastics manufacturer in Wyandotte, a sewage treatment plant in Jackson, an ice-cream maker in Ludington and a petroleum fuel terminal in St. Clair, according to a recent federal report that reviewed climate risks throughout the nation. Read more
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March 17, 2022
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March 29, 2022
March 30, 2022
March 30-31, 2022
March 31, 2022
April 6-7, 2022
April 13, 2022
April 13-14, 2022
April 27, 2022
April 25-28, 2022
May 15-19, 2022
June 7-9, 2022
July 19-21, 2022
October 25-27, 2022
December 4-8, 2022
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FEMA Releases Loss Avoidance Study: Hurricane Ida 2021: Jefferson Parish Louisiana
FEMA makes significant natural hazard mitigation investments to strengthen the nation’s resilience. This study demonstrates the importance of hazard mitigation investments in breaking the cycle of disaster damage while decreasing the financial burden on individuals and communities. This study highlights the effectiveness of projects funded under FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs by quantifying the losses avoided due to hazard mitigation investments. The projects evaluated by this loss avoidance study update are residential elevation projects. Learn more and read the report here.
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance 2021 Year in Review is now available.
The report provides an overview of activities and accomplishments and highlights success stories. The report is aligned with the agency’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Strategic Framework for Fiscal Year 2022-23. Learn more and read the report here.
ASFPM On-Demand Training Courses
The Association of State Floodplain Managers is now offering e-learning opportunities in a convenient on-demand setting. All courses are approved for continuing education credits (CECs) for Certified Floodplain Managers nationwide. New courses are being added all the time. Current courses included "The Law's the Limit: Climate Change & Sea Level Rise Adaptation and Local Government" and "Risk Rating 2.0: What Floodplain Managers Need to Know." Learn more here.
2022 RAE Coastal & Estuarine Summit: Now Accepting Presentation Proposals
Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) proudly presents the 2022 Coastal and Estuarine Summit with support from Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL). This event will bring together the coastal restoration and management communities to explore issues, solutions, and lessons learned in their work. The fate of New Orleans and other south Louisiana communities depends on successful coastal management and restoration, as does the health of the Gulf of Mexico, making this the perfect location for the 2022 RAE Summit. RAE is requesting for proposals for sessions that will provide both practical and inspirational help and guidance to our community in meeting the challenges and seizing the opportunities for coastal restoration in the years to come. Proposals are due April 8, 2022. Learn more and submit proposals here.
2022 NEP Coastal Watersheds Grant Request for Proposals Now Available
Restore America’s Estuaries has announced the availability of the 2022 National Estuary Program Coastal Watersheds Grant (NEP CWG) Request for Proposals. NEP CWG is a nationally competitive grants program designed to support projects that address urgent and challenging issues threatening the well-being of coastal and estuarine areas within determined estuaries of national significance. New this year, organizations may request a full or partial waiver from the non-federal match requirement. Learn more and apply here. Informational webinars will occur on March 24 and March 30.
New Hampshire Critical Flood Risk Infrastructure Grant Applications
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program and Watershed Assistance Section are accepting Critical Flood Risk Infrastructure Grant applications for flood resilience and stormwater management projects located within New Hampshire’s Coastal Watershed. Coastal watershed communities and their stormwater infrastructure are highly susceptible to damage from severe flood risks, including relative sea-level rise (RSLR), coastal storms, RSLR-induced groundwater rise, extreme precipitation, and freshwater flooding. Applications are due April 15, 2022, learn more and apply here.
Department of Transportation Notice of Funding Opportunity
The U.S. Department of Transportation has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. RAISE grants can be used for a wide variety of infrastructure projects. Applicants are encouraged to consider how their projects can address climate change, ensure racial equity, and remove barriers to opportunity. The application deadline is April 14, 2022. Four webinars on the grant program will be offered in February, more information on these webinars is available here. The NOFO is available here.
The Great Lakes Commission released a request for proposals for the 2022 Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program grant program. For more than 30 years, the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program has provided grants to reduce nutrients and sediments from entering the Great Lakes. This year’s program will continue to help local partners take action to reduce nutrient loads from agricultural watersheds, reduce untreated stormwater runoff, and restore shoreline and streambanks in the Great Lakes basin. Through the program, nonfederal units of government, tribes, and incorporated nonprofit organizations are eligible to receive grants for up to $200,000, supporting work over a period of up to three years. Applicants are invited to submit proposals for activities associated with one of three project types: 1) agricultural nonpoint; 2) stormwater; and 3) Great Lakes shoreline or streambanks. The due date for applications is April 22, 2022. Learn more and apply here.
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In The States
Oregon Land Conservation and Development Department, Ocean and Coastal Services Division - North Coast Regional Representative
In The Agencies
In NGOs, Industry, and Academia
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: 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.
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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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