CZ-Mail
December 2002

Welcome to CZ-Mail, the monthly email update from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). This update provides information on major CZM initiatives, available tools and publications, upcoming workshops and events, grants, contracting opportunities, job openings, coastal legislation, and other news of interest to people working on coastal issues. More information about CZM's programs, publications, and other coastal topics can be found online at http://www.mass.gov/czm/. If you have suggestions on how to make CZ-Mail more useful, would like to add your name to the mailing list, or would like to have your name removed, please email your request to CZ-Mail@state.ma.us.Note to current CZ-Mail subscribers: Due to technical problems, please sign up again for CZ-Mail.

Job Postings
Research Administrator/Program Manager for CICEET - The Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET) at the University of New Hampshire is seeking a Research Administrator/Program Manager to oversee research, multiple program management, and technology transfer for the program. Applications are due by December 15, 2002. For more information, see the CICEET website at http://www.ciceet.unh.edu/ and click on "Employment Opportunities."

Products/Publications
EOEA's Fiscal Impact Tool Is Upgraded - EOEA has re-released its Fiscal Impact Tool (FIT) software, which helps communities calculate the fiscal impacts of future development projects on their budget. The software has been refined to improve the efficiency of the analysis and the accuracy of the results, and new features now allow the user to run a dynamic analysis to forecast capital costs in future fiscal years. For more on FIT, see http://commpres.env.state.ma.us/content/tfitaugust02.asp.

Ecological Effects of Fishing in Marine Ecosystems of the United States - As part of a series of scientific reports, the Pew Oceans Commission recently released this publication, which discusses the impacts of fishing on coral reefs, kelp forests, estuaries, and other marine ecosystems. For a copy, see http://pewoceans.org/oceanfacts/2002/10/25/fact_29889.asp.

Other CZM Publications - CZM maintains a list of available publications at http://www.mass.gov/czm/publications.htm. Products recently highlighted in CZ-Mail include:

• CZM's new shoreline change maps, accompanying data, and all supporting technical documents are on the CZM website and a browser developed by the Massachusetts Geographic Information System (MassGIS). The 1:10,000 scale shoreline change maps and accompanying data tables show the relative positions of four or five historic shorelines and depict the long-term change rate at 40-meter (approximately 131-feet) intervals along the shore. See http://www.mass.gov/czm/hazards/shoreline_change/shorelinechangeproject.htm.

• The premier edition of CZM's new Coastlines magazine, which features articles on hurricanes and also includes information on invasive species, energy issues in the coastal zone, public access to the coast, and other coastal topics, is available online and in hard copy. To add your name to the Coastlines mailing list or request a copy of the Summer 2002 edition, email CZM at czm@state.ma.us. Also see the CZM Web at http://www.mass.gov/czm/coastlines/index.htm for Coastlines online.

• Personal Watercraft (PWC) Management Guide: A Comprehensive Reference Handbook provides scientifically valid environmental, safety, and management data to support the responsible development of public policy regarding PWC management. For an electronic copy, see http://www.mass.gov/czm/pwcmgntguide.htm. To order a hard copy, please email your request to czm@state.ma.us.

• The Volunteer's Handbook for Monitoring New England Salt Marshes helps local volunteer groups collect and record data on salt marsh health in a consistent and scientifically sound manner. This 100+ page handbook includes chapters on salt marsh monitoring, New England salt marshes, study design, and monitoring plants, invertebrates, fishes and crabs, birds, salinity, and tidal hydrology. For an electronic copy, see http://www.mass.gov/czm/volunteermarshmonitoring.htm. To order a hard copy, please email your request to czm@state.ma.us.

• The Massachusetts Clean Marina Guide is available on the CZM website at: http://www.mass.gov/czm/marinas/guide/macleanmarinaguide.htm. The guide is designed as a reference for owners and operators of marine boating facilities and provides information on cost-effective strategies and practices to impacts on the coastal environment. For a hard copy, please email your request to czm@state.ma.us.

Web Sites
Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Cape Wind Farm Web Site - The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), an independent economic development organization that promotes renewable energy in the Commonwealth, is soliciting input on the issues associated with the nation's first offshore wind farm on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound. Raab Associates, Ltd. is maintaining a website for MTC to inform the public about this process. To find out more about this five-month information gathering effort, see http://wind.raabassociates.org/.

Coastal Management Techniques Web Site - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Services Center maintains a website devoted to techniques in coastal zone management. The site includes a database of methods to address coastal issues, discussion forums to share information among coastal managers, and links to other resources and contacts. See http://www.csc.noaa.gov/techniques/.

Marine Protected Areas of the United States - NOAA's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) website is available at: http://www.mpa.gov/. It provides a range of information on MPAs and the national initiative to protect U.S. ocean and coastal resources through Executive Order 13158.

Smart Growth Policy Database - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a Web-based database that highlights policies and programs implemented by states and localities nationwide to promote better patterns of growth and development. To access the database, see http://cfpub.epa.gov/sgpdb/sgdb.cfm.

In the News
Here are links to newspaper articles from the last month on coastal issues:

• Woods Hole Sea Grant scientists recording sounds from 150 fish species (Cape Cod Times, 11/7/02)
• Panel to seek delay on fishing limits (Boston Globe, 11/8/02) (Boston Globe articles are available for a limited time only.)
• Environmental group looks to strengthen whale protection rules (Boston Globe, 11/21/02) (Boston Globe articles are available for a limited time only.)
• Wind, cold increase turtle strandings to 87 (Cape Cod Times, 11/26/02)

A publication of the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA17OZ1125. This publication is funded (in part) by a grant/cooperative agreement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA or any of its sub-agencies.