CZ-Mail
December 2004

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.

Comments on the DEIS are currently being accepted through February 24, 2005. Also, public hearings are scheduled for December 6 at 6:00 p.m. in Martha's Vineyard; December 7 at 7:00 p.m. in West Yarmouth; December 8 at 6:00 p.m. in Nantucket; and December 16 at 7 p.m. in Cambridge. For the notice with public meeting location addresses and details on how to comment, go to the Federal Register and type "64919" in Quick Search. Hard copies of the DEIS are available at some public libraries on Cape Cod and the Islands and online on the USACE website. For a draft summary of the project, click here, select "Topics & Issues," "Cape Cod Wind Farm," and then "DEIS Summary Brochure." The DEIS also serves as the draft environmental impact report, currently under Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review. MEPA is accepting comments through January 10, 2005. To submit comments, follow the instructions posted on MEPA's website.

Ocean Management
Secretary to Discuss Coastal WEB at Corporate Wetlands Restoration Seminar - Secretary of Environmental Affairs Ellen Roy Herzfelder is attending a Corporate Wetlands Restoration Seminar on December 10 at the University of Massachusetts Boston to discuss the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) Coastal Wetlands, Estuaries, and Bays (WEB) Initiative. The goal of Coastal WEB is to restore, preserve, and protect estuaries in Massachusetts. The free seminar, sponsored by the Massachusetts Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, provides an opportunity for private companies and firms to learn more about the partnership and restoration opportunities in Massachusetts. For more information and to attend, contact Pauline Westhaver at pauline.westhaver@umb.edu.

Wetlands Restoration Grants for Priority Projects
CZM's Wetlands Restoration Program has issued an RFR for its 2005 Wetland Restoration Grants for Priority Projects program. This year's grant program will focus on two components of wetland restoration projects--execution of restoration construction and construction-related activities, and pre- or post-construction monitoring of wetland restoration. Examples of construction-related activities include removal of undersized or failed culverts, installation of coffer dams, and grading and manipulation of marsh topography. Pre- or post-construction monitoring projects should focus on the acquisition and compilation of plant, nekton, avifauna, soils, and/or water chemistry parameter data, which will be used to evaluate the effectiveness and success of restoration construction. Projects focusing on restoration identification, assessment, feasibility, design, or permitting are not eligible for the 2005 grant round. Total grant funding is anticipated at $100,000, though more funds may become available. A 25 percent non-state match (federal or local) of the total award is required. For details on funding requirements, project eligibility, and how to apply please review the RFR by searching for solicitation number "ENV05 CZM05" on the Commonwealth's Comm-PASS website. The application deadline is December 16.

To receive email updates on CZM's wetlands restoration program and grant offerings, send an email to wetlands.restoration@state.ma.us and request to be added to the WRP distribution list.

Share the Joy of the Coast
While sitting inside by the fireplace this winter, boaters, swimmers, surfers, and others coastal-at-heart may be dreaming of their next seaside adventure. Help them plan ahead with CZM's Massachusetts Coast Guide to Boston & the North Shore. For $6.00 including shipping, the full-color, spiral-bound guide is a great holiday, housewarming, or hostess gift, or at 7" x 10", a treasured stocking stuffer. The 80-page guide includes 22 maps covering the coastline from Salisbury to Hingham and highlights more than 400 coastal recreation and public access sites with brief site descriptions and facility and parking information. For creative suggestions on how to give Coast Guide and to order, click here.

MORIS at State GIS Day
In November, CZM presented the developing Massachusetts Ocean Resource Information System (MORIS), a comprehensive database that will provide access to a broad range of coastal management data, at the state's 6th annual GIS Day. The demonstration centered on aquaculture siting, one of the several uses MORIS will serve when completed. GIS day, which was hosted by EOEA's Office of Geographic and Environmental Information, was held to present to the public how spatial data management is playing a role in government at all levels. For additional details about the event, click here.

COASTSWEEP Sweeps Massachusetts Beaches
COASTSWEEP, the statewide annual beach cleanup in its 17th year, was held in September and October. As part of the International Coastal Cleanup organized by the Ocean Conservancy, thousands of volunteers removed trash from hundreds of miles of Massachusetts coast. In total, 1,822 volunteers participated in 89 cleanups. More information about the 2004 COASTSWEEP effort and the marine debris collected will be posted on the COASTSWEEP 2004 Reflections page. If you are interested in getting involved in next year's efforts, email coastsweep@umb.edu.

MarineFisheries Launches HubLine Program Website
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MarineFisheries) has created a new web page for the HubLine Mitigation and Restoration Program. In 2002-2003, the Algonquin Gas Transmission Company constructed the almost 30-mile long HubLine natural gas pipeline under Massachusetts Bay, and due to potential impacts to the environment from pipeline construction activities outside of the recommended work window, agreed to create a $5 million fund for assessing and providing appropriate mitigation and restoration for any impacts to aquatic resources and associated habitats. Through an agreement with EOEA and the Department of Environmental Protection, MarineFisheries was designated the lead agency to receive funds and implement the mitigation and restoration project. The new HubLine Program web page, located on the MarineFisheries website under Spotlight, details program progress.

Gulf of Maine Massachusetts Visionary Award Recipients
The Massachusetts recipients of the 2004 Gulf of Maine Visionary Awards are Salem Sound Coastwatch (SSC), a non-profit coastal watershed association working to protect and enhance the environmental quality of the Salem Sound Watershed, and Don Bade, president of the Parker River Clean Water Association. The visionary awards are given to organizations and individuals that show exceptional dedication to preserving and maintaining the quality of the Gulf of Maine. SSC has been a leader in protecting coastal habitats, commercial and recreational marine resources, and water quality for more than 10 years. Don Bade is both an advocate for his local watershed and a regional leader in environmental stewardship. He has organized and led numerous community-based, consensus-building projects.

NOAA Magazine Focuses on Coastal Management and LNG Proposals
The cover story of the November/December issue of Coastal Services magazine, published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Services Center, focuses on the potential environmental impacts, safety concerns, and other issues surrounding liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility proposals. The article, titled "Liquefied Natural Gas: Rising Demand Heats Up Coastal Management Role," also highlights two proposed Massachusetts projects, including Weaver's Cove. CZM's Assistant Director Deerin Babb-Brott is quoted in the article--he discusses CZM's role in assessing safety and sheds light on the mechanisms by which CZM works under to examine consistency with federal regulations governing such projects.

Project Review
Weaver's Cove LNG Project Update and How to Comment - The Weaver's Cove Energy LNG Project has prepared a supplemental draft environmental impact report (SDEIR), as required by EOEA Secretary Herzfelder in her October 1 certificate of the draft environmental impact report. The Secretary required that an SDEIR be prepared to provide additional information about the project's effects on public safety, water quality, and fisheries habitat and its proposed management and reuse of dredge material. The MEPA public comment period for the SDEIR ends December 10. To review the Weaver's Cove docket and for information about the SDEIR, go to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission website and search docket "CP04-36." For instructions on how to submit comments to MEPA, click here.

Technical Assistance
South Shore Coastal Hazards Identification RFR - EOEA and CZM are preparing an RFR to characterize shoreline variables needed for the review of projects vulnerable to coastal hazards and deliver a corresponding atlas. The atlas will summarize the key shoreline variables in the study area extending from Hull through Plymouth to the Cape Cod Canal. The guide will provide information to South Shore decision makers in their review of coastal projects. The atlas will also be used to illustrate coastal process data sets. As funding permits, EOEA and CZM plan to expand the study area and characterize additional regions. Please check the state's Procurement Access & Solicitation System website, CommPass, and future editions of CZ-Mail for more information.

CZM's Pressure Washwater Treatment Demonstration Projects - It is that time of year when many boaters haul their boats from the water and pressure wash the hulls to get rid of any biological growth that may have formed during the season. CZM is holding pressure washwater treatment system demonstrations on December 8 at 11:00 a.m. at Cape Ann Marina in Gloucester and on December 10 at 11:00 a.m. at Arey's Pond Boatyard in Orleans. The treatment systems, funded by CZM grants, remove pollutants from pressure washwater. If you are interested in attending the treatment system demonstrations, please contact Robin Lacey at robin.lacey@state.ma.us for details. For more information about marinas and pressure washwater, click here.

Funding Opportunities
Wetlands Restoration Grants - CZM's Wetlands Restoration Program has issued an RFR for its 2005 Wetland Restoration Grants for Priority Projects program. For details, see the "Wetlands Restoration Grants for Priority Projects" item above.

Reminders - The following funding opportunities listed in the last CZ-Mail are still open:

• Drinking Water Supply Protection Grants - EOEA is accepting applications through December 7 for the Drinking Water Supply Protection Grant program. The RFR can be accessed on CommPass by searching solicitation number "ENV 05 POL 01." Applications are due December 7.
• CICEET Funding Opportunities - The NOAA/University of New Hampshire Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET) is soliciting proposals for the Technology Transfer and the Proof of Concept programs. Applications are due January 13 and 20, 2005, respectively. For the request for proposals, click here and see Latest News.
• New England Grassroots Environment Fund - The New England Grassroots Environment Fund provides grants of up to $2,500 to fuel civic engagement, local activism, and social change. Proposals are due by January 15, 2005 for a March 2005 decision.
• National Whale Conservation - The National Whale Conservation Fund (NWCF) has established funding for projects that relate to great whales and/or address anthropogenic threats and is accepting pre-proposal packets by March 1, 2005. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal.
• Right Whale Recovery - NWCF is accepting pre-proposal applications until March 1, 2005 for Atlantic Coast States Cooperative Planning for Right Whale Recovery Program funding, which is available to coastal government agencies implementing existing conservation and whale recovery programs. For more information, click here..
• Nancy Foster Scholarship Program - Applications for the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program must be received between February 11, 2005 and April 15, 2005. For information, click here or here.

Public Comment
Cape Wind - The DEIS for the proposed Cape Wind Project has been released and comments are currently being accepted through February 24, 2005. See "Corps Releases Cape Wind's Environmental Impact Report" above for public hearing and comment information.

Weaver's Cove LNG - MEPA is accepting public comments on the Weaver's Cove Energy LNG Project SDEIR through December 10. See Project Review above for more information.

Fall River LNG Exclusion Zone Petition - The Coast Guard seeks comment on a petition from the city of Fall River requesting that regulations be promulgated to establish exclusion zones for marine spills of LNG. Comments are being accepted through February 1, 2005. To review the docket, click here, and search docket "19615." For details on how to comment, go to the Federal Register, and enter "63979" in Quick Search. Please note the original published notice included an incorrect docket number. The correct, full docket number to reference in comments is USCG-2004-19615.

Integrated Ocean Observing System Standards - NOAA is requesting comments on the proposed data management and communications standards for the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System. The standards provide guidance on the observation system's data functions and integrating buoy observation data. The deadline for public comments is December 10. For more information, click here. For details on how to comment, go to the Federal Register, and enter "65152" in Quick Search.

NPDES Permits for Groundwater Remediation - The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Ecosystem Protection is accepting comments on the availability of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits for discharges from groundwater remediation and surface water discharge activities in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Native American Lands within Massachusetts through December 17. For the notice with more information and details on how to comment, go to the Federal Register, and enter "63531-63532" in Quick Search.

Reminders - The following public comment period listed in the last CZ-Mail is still open:

• Ballast Water Treatment System Approval Program - The Coast Guard seeks comments establishing a new program to approve onboard ballast water treatment systems to assure compliance with federal discharge standards. Comments must be received by December 3. For the notice, go to the Federal Register, and enter "47454" in Quick Search.

Products/Publications
MassAudubon Article on Wind Energy - MassAudubon has posted an article, written by Director of Advocacy Jack Clarke, discussing its position on wind energy. The article also links to other wind energy articles and Cape Wind project information.

Wind Energy and Birds - A recent issue of Audubon Naturalist Society News features an article that discusses wind energy in general and various perspectives on hazards to birds in "How Green Will the Wind Blow?"

Coast Guide - For $6.00 including shipping, the full-color, spiral-bound Massachusetts Coast Guide to Boston & the North Shore makes a great holiday or hostess gift. To order, click here.

Maine Shoreline Access Guide - Maine Sea Grant has produced Public Shoreline Access in Maine: A Citizen's Guide to Ocean and Coastal Law. The report discusses shoreline access challenges in Maine.

Gulf of Maine Habitat and Environment Reports - NOAA and the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment have released the Gulf of Maine Habitat Restoration Strategy, which outlines the purpose and scope of regional habitat restoration in the Gulf of Maine, identifies habitat restoration needs (including addressing riverine and estuarine system flow in Ipswich), and discusses the council's recommendations for enhancing restoration.

The council has also released Tides of Change Across the Gulf, An Environmental Report on the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy. The report discusses land use, contaminants and pathogens, fisheries and aquaculture, and other issues.

Energy and Smart Growth Paper - The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities has released a paper, titled, Energy and Smart Growth: It's about How and Where We Build, discussing expanding the smart growth movement to include greater attention on energy issues. The paper provides a brief background on current energy trends and programs relevant to smart growth and presents a framework for understanding the connections between energy and land use.

Websites
Social Science for MPAs Website - The NOAA Coastal Services Center, in conjunction with the National MPA Center, has developed a new website offering marine protected area (MPA) and similar programs an overview of research techniques and tools for examining the human dimension of coastal resource management. Topics include surveys, non-market valuation, and social assessment. A collection of case studies is also available. To check out the site, click here.

CICEET Launches a New Stormwater Center - CICEET has a launched the Center for Stormwater Technology Evaluation and Verification, located at the University of New Hampshire. The center conducts field testing of stormwater treatment technologies and offers workshops for those developing and implementing stormwater management plans.

USGS Aquatic Invasives National Alert System Website - The U.S. Geological Survey has posted a National Alert System for nonindigenous aquatic species online. The site is a central repository and searchable database for accounts of nonindigenous aquatic species and includes scientific reports, data sets, regional contact lists, and general information about aquatic invasives.

National Weather Service Testing Coastal and Marine Forecast Website - NOAA's National Weather Service has posted the Coastal and Marine Forecast Website, an experimental product of the National Forecast Database. Through a series of user friendly graphic maps, users can access a host of marine, coastal, and riverine weekly forecast data, including temperature, wave height, wind speed, and river flow. Public comments are encouraged.

Calendar
Fort Point Northern Avenue Drawbridge Closed for December - By order of the Coast Guard, the Northern Avenue Bridge across Boston's Fort Point Channel may remain closed at all times from December 1 to December 31 to facilitate repairs.

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

• Solutions to Coastal Disasters 2005 - The Solutions to Coastal Disasters 2005 conference will be held from May 8-11, 2005 in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Coastal Zone '05 - Coastal Zone '05 will be held July 17-21, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Titled Balancing on the Edge, the conference will focus on balancing the issues of land and sea.
• Massachusetts Coastal Training Program - The 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, click here.

Other Items of Interest
Great Marsh Named Site of Regional Importance - The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network has designated the Bay State's Great Marsh as a Site of Regional Importance. The Great Marsh was nominated by the Great Marsh Coalition as part of its efforts to increase local and regional awareness of the importance of New England's largest continuous stretch of salt marsh and its location as a stop on the East Coast flyway. Each year shorebird counts in the Great Marsh exceed 20,000.

Preliminary Census Numbers for Shorebirds - The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has compiled preliminary numbers for the 2004 shorebird nesting season using data gathered from biologists, beach managers, private conservation groups, and local municipalities. Common Tern pairs were up 2 percent from 2003 to 16,418 pairs. Roseate Terns declined by 12 percent to 1,523 pairs. After a two-year decline, the Least Tern increased by 6 percent to 2,639 pairs. The Arctic Tern was present with six pairs. Nesting pairs of Piping Plovers, classified as threatened on both the federal and state endangered species lists, declined to 490 pairs from 511 nesting pairs last year. For more information about shorebirds in Massachusetts, click here.

Assessing Road Damage Caused by a Hurricane - Ever wonder about coastal roadway damage caused by a hurricane? The University of South Alabama's Coastal Transportation Engineering Research and Education Center has recently made a preliminary assessment of the coastal roadway damage caused by Hurricane Ivan in September. The goal of the assessment is to capture damage data in order to aid in future analysis and design of hurricane-resistant roads and bridges. Click here for the preliminary report.

A publication of the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA03NOS4190087. 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.