CZ-Mail
July 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.

CZM's New Shoreline Change Maps
Working with the U.S. Geological Survey, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant Program, and Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, CZM recently completed an update of the Historic Shoreline Change Project. The original shoreline change project was completed in 1989, using mapping data from the mid-1800s through 1982. The update uses the most recent available shoreline from 1994 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aerial photographs. 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. To correctly interpret the shoreline change data, long- and short-term data must be analyzed and evaluated in light of current shoreline conditions, recent changes in shoreline uses, and the affects of human-induced alterations to natural shoreline movements. CZM is printing maps and data tables for each coastal community, covering the shoreline within its boundaries. This summer, CZM is hosting workshops to distribute the maps to the communities and discuss correct interpretation methods. The Buzzards Bay workshop is scheduled for July 17 (see Calendar section below), the Cape Cod workshop is tentatively scheduled for July 25, and the North Shore workshop will be held in August. Details on the workshops will be posted on CZM's website at www.mass.gov/czm/calendar.htm. Once distributed, the maps should be available in all coastal town or city halls, probably with the Conservation Commission or Planning Departments. Copies can also be viewed at the CZM Regional Offices (see www.mass.gov/czm/regions.htm for locations). CZM will also have the shoreline change maps, accompanying data, and all supporting technical documents on its website at www.mass.gov/czm. (Stay tuned to CZ-Mail for more information on when the maps will be posted on the web.)

NOAA Alerts Mariners of Right Whales Southeast of Cape Cod
On June 11, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service alerted fishermen and mariners about a large aggregation of right whales in an area southeast of Cape Cod known as the Great South Channel Critical Habitat Area. NOAA aerial survey flights repeatedly sighted more than 50 northern right whales and other large whales. NOAA has asked fisherman to voluntarily remove fixed gear in the area and asked mariners to keep a sharp lookout for the whales. For more information, see www.nefsc.nmfs.gov/press_release/advisory02.14.html.

$250,000 Awarded for Habitat Restoration Projects
In June, the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment and the National Marine Fisheries Service awarded $250,000 for 13 habitat restoration projects in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. These projects aim to restore habitats that benefit living marine resources, including anadromous fish species. The 2001-2002 projects include: Sebasticook River Channel Restoration submitted by the Town of Newport, Maine; Quivett Creek Salt Marsh and Fish Run restoration submitted by the Town of Dennis, Massachusetts; and Wiswall Dam Removal submitted by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan Review
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMR) is undergoing a 5-year review of its management plan, which sets priorities, contains regulations, presents existing programs and projects, and guides development of future sanctuary activities. To facilitate public participation in the review, SBNMS will open a public comment period from July 1-October 18. Written comments should be mailed to: MPR, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, 175 Edward Foster Road, Scituate, MA 02066. You may also send comments through a website hotlink (sbnmsplan@noaa.gov), or participate in several public meetings to be held in September. Please see the SBNMS website http://stellwagen.nos.noaa.gov for dates, times, and locations of these meetings, as well as a copy of the State of the Sanctuary report, which provides general background information on the Sanctuary and its programs. If you wish to be placed on the SBNMS mailing list or require further information, email sbnmsplan@noaa.gov.

Grant Opportunities
Self-Help, Urban Self-Help Grants Available - The Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA), through the Division of Conservation Services (DCS), is conducting the annual grant round for the Self-Help, Urban Self-Help, and federal Land and Water Conservation Fund programs. The programs provide financial assistance to cities and towns for the purchase of conservation land, the purchase of park land, or the renovation or development of public outdoor recreation facilities. The filing deadline for the Fiscal Year 2003 grant round is September 6, 2002. For more on these programs, see the DCS website at http://www.mass.gov/envir/dcs/default.htm.

Habitat Restoration Grants - The American Sportfishing Association's FishAmerica Foundation, in partnership with NOAA Fisheries, is seeking proposals for citizen-driven habitat restoration projects. The grants encourage local efforts to meaningfully restore marine, estuarine, and riparian habitats, including salt marshes, seagrass beds, and freshwater habitats important to anadromous fish species. Grants of $5,000 to $30,000 will be awarded. Proposals are due July 24. See www.fishamerica.org/content/conservation/fishamerica/faf_grant.cfm for a complete posting.

New Coastal ACEC Grant Program - The Request for Proposals for the new Coastal Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) Grant Program is scheduled to be released in early July. These grants will provide funding to groups working in the 14 designated coastal ACECs to encourage and support stewardship activities at the local, regional, or ecosystem level. Grants can be used to implement planning, outreach, and monitoring projects, such as creating a barrier beach management plan, assessing local bylaws and regulations, making brochures and interpretive signs, or initiating a volunteer water quality monitoring program. CZM is administering the grants in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Management's (DEM) ACEC program. The maximum grant award will be $10,000. The Request for Responses, which will describe eligible applicants, selection criteria, and project types, will be posted on the CZM website later this month at www.mass.gov/czm/jobsandgrants.htm.

Coastal Pollutant Remediation Grants Available - Funding is available under CZM's Coastal Pollution Remediation (CPR) Grant Program to eligible municipalities to clean existing stormwater discharges from municipal roadways, identify sources of stormwater pollution and design remediation solutions, and mitigate discharges from vessels. Proposals are due by July 21, 2002. For the complete Request for Proposals, see www.comm-pass.com.

Job Postings
Coastal Structures Inventory Project Manager - The Coastal Structures Inventory Project will develop an inventory of structures on the coast of Cape Cod to improve the state and local governments' ability to make rapid and accurate storm-related permitting decisions. The system will build on an existing data management system, the Massachusetts Ocean Resource Information System (MORIS), and will include tools for viewing photographs and information about coastal structures. The job posting for the project manager position is now available on the CZM website at: www.mass.gov/czm/jobsandgrants.htm. The position will close on July 3.

North and South Rivers Watershed Association Executive Director - The North and South Rivers Watershed Association seeks an Executive Director with experience in managing staff, volunteers, and independent contractors; creating and managing budgets; project and events management; fundraising and membership development; grant writing and management; and community and governmental agency relations. For a full posting see http://eco37.mbl.edu/nsrwa/job%20opportunities.html.

Calendar
Shoreline Change Map Workshop in New Bedford - CZM is hosting a workshop to distribute the new Shoreline Change Maps for Buzzards Bay, to be held on July 17 at the School for Marine and Science Technology (SMAST), New Bedford, second floor conference room, from 1-3 p.m. CZM staff will distribute hard copies of the maps, along with fact sheets and data tables, to the communities of Wareham, Marion, Mattapoisett, Fairhaven, New Bedford, Dartmouth, and Westport. Staff will also give a 30 to 45 minute presentation explaining the project and how to use the new maps. The target audience for the workshop is conservation and planning agents or commission representatives, regional consultants, and any other groups or individuals involved with coastal planning or siting in the coastal zone. For more information, email CZM's Bob Gass at robert.gass@state.ma.us.

Coastal Zone Management Through Time: Call for CZ03 Abstracts - The Coastal Zone conference series is the premier international gathering of ocean and coastal management professionals. The largest of its kind, this biennial symposium attracts over 1,200 participants from around the world. CZ03 will be held next year in Baltimore, July 13-17. Abstracts for potential panel participants are being accepted now and are due by September 16. For more on the conference and abstract submission, see www.csc.noaa.gov/cz2003/.

Ocean Commission Hearing in Boston - The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy is undertaking an 18-month study to make recommendations to the President and Congress for a national ocean policy for the United States. The Commission's Northeast Regional Meeting will be held in Boston, July 23-24 at Faneuil Hall. For more on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, see its website at: www.oceancommission.gov/.

Hold the Date for the Marine Invasive Species Conference in November - November 14-15, the Massachusetts Bays Program (MBP) will hold a conference on the growing concern of marine invasive species in the Northeastern United States. Information and registration forms will be available later this summer on the MBP website at www.mass.gov/massbays/.

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

Buzzards Bay Project Releases Final Atlas of Salt Marsh Tidal Restrictions - In June, the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Project (BBP) released its updated and revised Atlas of Salt Marsh Tidal Restrictions in Buzzards Bay. The atlas identifies 257 potential coastal wetland restoration projects along the 300-mile Buzzards Bay coastline. Tidal restrictions at these sites result from highway, road, and railroad construction that completely cuts the marsh off from the sea, or provides for only inadequate tidal exchange through a small culvert. Without the regular flow of salt water, the whole ecology of the marsh can change, replacing a healthy salt marsh with freshwater or brackish plants, displacing wildlife, and potentially exacerbating problems associated with nitrogen loading and coastal eutrophication, such as nuisance algal growth, foul odors, and fish kills. For excerpts of the atlas, or to request a CD or hard copy, see the BBP website at www.buzzardsbay.org/smatlasmain.htm.

Still Available - These products and publications, listed in the last CZ-Mail, are still available:

• A Technical Report Evaluating Innovative Stormwater Treatment Technologies, which evaluates two StormTreat(tm) System (STS) installations, is available in PDF at www.mass.gov/czm/masection319npsproject9502.pdf. Detailed data are given in the report, along with numerous recommendations to improve design, installation, and maintenance of these systems, as well as to perform future evaluations of their effectiveness.
• CZM is distributing 10,000 free bilge socks that remove oil, diesel, and other petroleum products from bilge water, preventing their discharge into the marine environment. For a bilge sock, email your request and contact information to robin.lacey@state.ma.us.
• 2002 Boater Guide to Tides and Pumpout Facilities, a wallet-sized pamphlet printed on waterproof paper, contains pumpout information and a tide chart for Massachusetts. For a copy, email your request and mailing address toczm@state.ma.us>. For an electronic copy of the 2002 pumpout list, go to www.mass.gov/czm/potoc.htm.
• CZM's Coastlines newsletter is being transformed into a semi-annual magazine, and the first edition will be released this summer. To add your name to the Coastlines mailing list, email CZM atczm@state.ma.us>. Also see the CZM website sometime this month for the new Coastlines magazine online.
• "Coastal zone management: it's the wave of the future" is the slogan featured on a window decal produced by CZM. If you'd like one, email your request and mailing address toczm@state.ma.us>.

Project Review Highlights
CZM is in the process of reviewing several proposals that highlight interesting aspects of its project review and federal consistency review functions. For example:

Proposed Wave Energy System - Representatives of the Energetech Wave Energy System met with federal, state, and local regulators to describe a proto-type wave energy plant that they would like to build in the New England area. Based in Australia, the company has also proposed development of a wave energy power generator. At this time, the only commercial wave energy plant in operation is in Scotland, where it supplies power to 400 homes. Others, however, are in the planning and permitting processes. The proponents are proposing to evaluate the suitability of available wave energy on the New England coast for operation of a 100-1,000 kW oscillating water column generator. Citing the need for a good wave climate, on- or near-shore location, bold shore line to allow sufficient depth for the system to operate, and a close-by electrical interconnect, Energetech is exploring six sites on the New England coast, including Outer Brewster Island in Boston Harbor, Eastern Point in Gloucester, and Thatcher Island in Rockport. An artists rendering of the proposed system is available on the company's web site: www.energetech.com.au/. The proponents requested comments and permitting assistance from agency representatives. As the project is still in a very conceptual stage, the assistance offered was very general. It was, however, pointed out that two of the three Massachusetts sites are in a state-designated Ocean Sanctuary and the third is in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, which may affect the permittability of the proposed project. Energetech hopes to start construction on the project late in 2003.

Federal Consistency Review on the Web - The CZM website includes information on the project review and the federal consistency review processes in Massachusetts, including CZM Program Policies, a sample consistency certification, and the Coastal Zone Management Program Federal Consistency Review Regulations. A Massachusetts Coastal Permitting Agency Directory is also included. See www.mass.gov/czm/fcr.htm.

MEPA Review on the Web - For more information on state environmental review under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act, including a listing of all projects currently in review, see the MEPA Unit website at www.mass.gov/envir/mepa/index.htm.

Legislative Update
State FY03 Budget in Conference - The Senate concluded its budget deliberations in June. Although the original Senate proposal cut over $13 million from the operating accounts of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) and its agencies, nearly $5.3 million was restored to environmental accounts through amendments. The final Senate version therefore represents a $7.6 million reduction in EOEA funding from the Governor's FY03 Budget Recommendation. The FY03 budget is now with Conference Committee, which includes the following members: Representatives Rogers, Flavin, and Lepper and Senators Montigny, Berry, and Knapik.

Environmental Bond Update - On June 25, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed the Environmental Bond Bill, H. 5177, which totals nearly $600 million. The original bill, filed by Governor Swift in June 2001, included $750 million in authorizations for EOEA. The bill passed earlier this year by the Senate, S. 2319, added additional funding for specific projects that bring EOEA authorizations to over $945 million. The Environmental Bond Bill will now go to Conference Committee for the House and Senate versions to be reconciled before it can be sent to the Governor to be signed into law. The bill must reach the Governor's desk before the Legislature's formal session ends July 31, 2002.

Federal Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Bill - In early June, the Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection bill (S. 2608) was introduced in the U.S. Senate. This bill would amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA) by authorizing acquisition of coastal areas to protect them from development. The bill would authorize a $60 million Coastal and Estuarine Land Program (CELP) through NOAA. CELP would promote coordinated land acquisition and protection efforts among nongovernmental entities and federal, state, and local governments to protect important coastal and estuarine resources. Grants would be available to coastal states with approved coastal management programs or National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR) through a competitive grant process. Grant awards would be based on need for protection; ability to effectively manage and protect land in perpetuity for conservation purposes; and ability to leverage match.

For More News on Federal Legislation - The Coastal States Organization (CSO) publishes a weekly report of legislative, policy, and program developments at the federal level. For online versions of this report, see www.sso.org/cso/wklydev.htm.

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

• Sperm whale washes ashore in Massachusetts (Boston Globe, 6/11/02) - www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/162/metro/A_tale_of_a_whale+.shtml. (Boston Globe articles are available for a limited time only.)
• Budget cuts may close clam beds (Boston Globe, 6/13/02) - www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/164/north/Budget_cuts_may_close_clam_beds+.shtml. (Boston Globe articles are available for a limited time only.)
• Mariners asked to be on the lookout for a herd of 50 right whales off the Cape Cod Coast (The Washington Post, 6/17/02) - www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61443-2002Jun16.html.
• Sea logbooks tell regulators fish stories (Boston Globe, 6/26/02) - www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/177/metro/Sea_logbooks_tell_regulators_fish_stories+.shtml (Boston Globe articles are available for a limited time only.)

Other Items of Interest
NOAA Photo Library - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) maintains a web-based library of thousands of photos and images of weather and space, coastal scenes, and marine species. The collection is easy to search and has a remarkable breadth of materials. All images are available free and in high-resolution for public use, as long as credit is given to NOAA. To check out the NOAA Photo Library, see www.photolib.noaa.gov/.

Gulf of Maine Expedition Update - Check out www.gomexpedition.org/ for updates on the progress of the kayakers journeying around the entire Gulf of Maine, from Provincetown to Cape Sable, Nova Scotia.

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.