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.

The next Task Force meeting will be held at Fort Taber in New Bedford on December 19 from 10:00 am-1:00 pm. The Preliminary Recommendations will be available on the Ocean Management Initiative website on December 9. Written public comment on the Preliminary Recommendations will be accepted until January 15, 2004 at the following e-mail address oceanmgtinitiative@state.ma.us.

Dredged Material Management in New Bedford/Fairhaven Harbor
CZM has published the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the New Bedford and Fairhaven Dredged Material Management Plan. The FEIR, which is based on an extensive analysis of alternatives and the physical, chemical, and biological conditions in the harbor, identifies confined aquatic disposal (CAD) north of Pope's Island as the preferred alternative. The proposed CAD sites contain 2.3 million cubic yards of capacity for material unsuitable for unconfined ocean disposal (contaminated harbor sediments). Confined aquatic disposal entails excavating cells in the harbor bottom, disposing or reusing this excavated material off-site, re-filling the cells with contaminated sediment, and placing a cap of clean sediment over the cells. This disposal capacity will enable New Bedford and Fairhaven to address existing dredging needs and plan effectively for future improvements to harbor infrastructure. The FEIR is available online on the CZM website.

Invasive Sea Squirts Found on Georges Bank
In early November, researchers aboard NOAA's Delaware II found a potentially invasive species of sea squirt colonizing a 6.5 square-mile area of Georges Bank. The species is most likely Didemnum vexillum, a siphon-feeding animal that forms dense mats on hard sea-bottom surfaces, smothering the organisms it covers. For details on this discovery, including links to photos of the area, see the NOAA News web page.

New Bedford to Receive Federal Portsfields Funding
New Bedford is among three port cities selected as part of the "Portsfields Initiative," an interagency effort led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that works with port communities to revitalize waterfront areas, improve marine transportation, and restore and protect coastal resources. New Bedford's proposal will implement projects from its state-approved Municipal Harbor Plan, including dredging, pier and bulkhead repair and expansion, and remediation of waterfront brownfields. Because of the City's tremendous work-to-date, New Bedford was recognized as an exceptional candidate to serve as a pilot area for developing streamlined federal permitting in ports that are brownfields. Congratulations, New Bedford!

Funding Opportunities
Reminders - The following grants listed in the last CZ-Mail are still open:

• CZM will release the Request for Responses for the Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Grants Program (formerly CPR Plus) in December. For details on the program and a link to the RFR (once it is available) see the program website. For additional information, email Julie Keane, Coastal NPS Grants Coordinator at julie.keane@state.ma.us.
  
• The NOAA/UNH Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), located at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) announced its funding opportunities for FY 2004. CICEET is inviting 1) preliminary proposals for the annual Environmental Technology Development Program (deadline November 17); 2) proposals to conduct short-duration, low-cost, "Proof of Concept" projects (deadline December 1), and 3) proposals for Technology Transfer projects (deadline January 13). Details for each solicitation are posted on the CICEET website.

Products/Publications
Losing Ground: At What Cost? - On November 10, the Massachusetts Audubon Society released this report, which shows a trend toward building larger homes on larger lots, with 40 acres of natural and agricultural land in Massachusetts now developed each day. For more information and a PDF copy of the report, the news page of the Mass Audubon website.

Gulf of Maine Expedition's Final Report - In the summer of 2002, a group of kayakers departed from Provincetown on a 5-month journey through the Gulf of Maine to raise awareness about and chronicle baseline conditions in this important environmental region, extending from Cape Cod into the Bay of Fundy. A PDF copy of the final report from the expedition is available on the Maine Sea Grant website under "Publications."

Gulfwatch Fact Sheet - The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment's Gulfwatch program has released a fact sheet on program findings over the last 10 years. Click here for a PDF copy of the fact sheet.

Reminders - The following publications listed in the September CZ-Mail are still available:

• The 2003 edition of Coastlines, the CZM magazine, is now available electronically and features articles on the shipping industry. For a printed copy, or to add your name to the Coastlines mailing list, email your request to czm@state.ma.us.
• Environmental Permitting in Massachusetts is a web-based CZM publication that gives permitting guidance for project proponents, consultants, and regulators.

Websites
Census of Marine Life - A worldwide effort is underway to "assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life in the oceans-past, present, and future." Known as the Census of Marine Life, this 10-year project involves researchers from 45 nations, focusing on seven regions, including the Gulf of Maine. For more on the complete project, see the Census of Marine Life website. In addition, the Gulf of Maine Area Program web page describes that program in detail and includes an online taxonomy with illustrations and information on many of the species found in the region.

Job Postings
Environmental Writer/Outreach Coordinator - Later this month, CZM will post a job announcement for an Environmental Writer/Outreach Coordinator. CZM seeks a qualified communications professional to plan, execute, and oversee publications, events, and general outreach for the office. Specific duties include writing, editing, and overseeing the production of publications including CZ-Mail and the Coastlines periodic magazine; developing content for the CZM website, editing web materials, and posting materials to the web; planning for, staffing, coordinating, and developing materials for events and CZM-sponsored workshops; editing and other quality control for outreach products; and developing a distribution plan and overseeing the distribution of CZM materials. If you are interested, email Anne Donovan at anne.donovan@state.ma.us, who will send you the posting when it is available, or check for the posting on the CZM jobs page.

Calendar
A Lowell Lecture on Ancient Shipwrecks - Robert Ballard, renowned underwater explorer, is presenting "Ancient Shipwrecks in the Black Sea" as part of the Lowell Lecture Series, sponsored by the New England Aquarium. The lecture will be on December 9 at 6:00 pm in the Aquarium's Simon's Imax Theater. For details, see the Aquarium's Lowell Lectures Series page.

Massachusetts Bays Symposium - The Massachusetts Bays Program (MBP) is currently planning for the Massachusetts Bays Symposium to be held on May 6 and 7, 2004. It has been nearly a decade since the last of these symposia were held, and the 2004 conference will look back on a decade of progress while strengthening scientific partnerships to further the work of protecting and enhancing the health of the Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays. To complement the symposium, the MBP is developing a "State of the Bays" report on: the conditions of the Bays, efforts underway to protect and restore these resources, and goals to guide future work. For more information please email the Massachusetts Bays Program at massbays@state.ma.us.

Reminders: The following calendar items posted in the last CZ-Mail are still to come:

• CZM will hold a FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map Workshop on December 4 from 1:30 to 4:30 at the Dartmouth Town Hall to review important steps and procedures for determining the boundaries of flood zones for specific sites using the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps. To register and get directions, email CZM's Dave Janik at david.janik@state.ma.us.
• The Massachusetts Coastal Training Program maintains a calendar of workshops and other training events for coastal decision makers and others interested in managing the coastal zone. For more information, see http://www.coastaltraining.org/events/index.htm.

Other Items of Interest
Mary Toomey and Bill Hubbard Receive Visionary Awards - The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment's 2003 Visionary Award recipients for Massachusetts are: Mary Toomey, founder of Weymouth Back River Watershed Association, and Bill Hubbard, Chief of the Evaluation Branch, New England District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mary was recognized as a dedicated grass-roots environmental activist, who: played an instrumental role in the creation of the Weymouth Back River Area of Critical Environmental Concern; helped identify a hazardous waste site on Weymouth Neck that is now being cleaned up and restored by Conoco-Philips Inc.; and lobbied extensively for 15 years for a state park at the former Cashman Inc. site on the Weymouth Back River-an effort that led to the opening of the Abigail Adams State Park this summer. Bill received the award for the expertise, patience, and good humor he brings to the application of federal environmental law and policy. His deep appreciation and unequalled talent for building and maintaining organizational relationships in the interest of preserving and enhancing the coastal environment is evident in his roles as Chair of the Northeast Regional Implementation Team of Coastal America, Chair of the Coastal America Foundation for the Massachusetts Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, and Northeast Federal Agency Regional Contact for the National Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership. Visionary Awards are given to individuals and organizations that show exceptional dedication to preserving and maintaining the environmental quality of the Gulf of Maine, which stretches from the southern waters of Massachusetts to Cape Sable, Nova Scotia.

Secretary Seeks Nominations for Excellence in Environmental Education Awards - Ellen Roy Herzfelder, Secretary of Environmental Affairs, and the Secretary's Advisory Group on Environmental Education (SAGEE) are seeking nominations to honor individual schools, teachers, and students across the Commonwealth who have distinguished themselves in environmental education efforts. Through a formal award ceremony, Secretary Roy Herzfelder will honor individuals and programs that provide for an educational experience while promoting environmental awareness, conservation, and environmental stewardship. Winners may receive a cash award or certificates of recognition and an award ceremony will be held during Earth Week, April 2004. Nominations are due by January 30. For more information and applications for nominations, see http://www.mass.gov/envir/ee.

Nominations Sought for Water Resources Commission - The Massachusetts Water Resources Commission is responsible for developing water resource policies, prioritizing water resource planning and management functions within the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, and carrying out certain laws and regulations. The Commission, which is chaired by the Secretary of Environmental Affairs and is made up of 11 members, has vacancies for two public member seats. Details on these vacancies, including nomination instructions, are available online. For more on the Water Resources Commission, see the Water Resources Commission website.

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.