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.

President Responds to Ocean Commission, Establishes Committee - President George W. Bush responded to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy's September 2004 report, An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, by releasing an Executive Order intended to authorize coordination of federal agencies to provide better oversight of the nation's ocean affairs. The administration also released the U.S. Ocean Action Plan, establishing a new cabinet-level Ocean Policy Committee to be chaired by the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, James Connaughton. To review the Executive Order, go to the Federal Register and click on "Advanced Search." When the search page opens, check volume "2004 FR, Vol. 69" (and make sure that is the only volume checked) and section "Presidential Documents," type "ocean" in the Search field, and then click "Submit." The Executive Order will be the top document. For the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy's report and its statement on the President's U.S. Ocean Action Plan, click here.

EPA National Coastal Condition Report - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its National Coastal Condition Report II. The report, which summarizes coastal monitoring data collected between 1997-2000 through the National Coastal Assessment (NCA) Program, rated the nation's estuaries between poor and fair and rated estuaries in the Northeast region, which includes the area extending from Virginia to Maine, in poor condition. The data are based on environmental indicators that rely on measuring water, sediment, and aquatic biota quality. The indicators developed for the assessment program are limited in their precision in describing ecological condition and continue to be refined. In 2000, EPA significantly intensified sampling of coastal waters through cooperative partnerships (the Massachusetts partners included the Division of Marine Fisheries, the University of Massachusetts, and CZM). As the NCA Program continues to progress by refining indicators and increasing monitoring efforts, subregional differences in the data may emerge. Further interpretations that incorporate the more recent and ongoing NCA efforts may help to identify where the ecological integrity of the Commonwealth's estuaries is most threatened or impaired. For the 2000 and 2001 Massachusetts NCA summary data, click here.

Nantucket Shelf Management Plan - The Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown has published Toward an Ocean Vision: Part I - Review of Environmental Characteristics of the Nantucket Shelf Region; Part II - Management Options for Resource Protection and Sustainable Uses. The report discusses concepts of ocean resources management planning, focusing on the entire Nantucket Shelf Region, which includes both state and federal waters east and south of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and the Nantucket Sound stretching to the edge of the continental shelf. The Center undertook the study, which references the Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force 2004 Waves of Change report, to develop a strategy for the Nantucket Shelf Region that could serve as a planning model for the country. For more information, an executive summary, and an electronic copy of the report, click here.

NOAA Marine Managed Areas Inventory - Information on Massachusetts marine managed areas (MMA) is now available online through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Managed Area Inventory Database. An MMA is a marine area managed to afford a degree of resource protection, but is not necessarily designated as such with conservation as the primary goal. The national MMA database is designed to provide federal, regional, state, and local, managers, scientists, non-governmental organizations, and the public with MMA site data, including general descriptions and characteristics and detailed information on a site's natural and cultural resources, overseeing legal authorities, and applicable regulations and restrictions. For the Massachusetts inventory, which includes data for 46 federal and state-managed sites, click here and select "State" under the "Pick Topic" dropdown menu. When the page reloads, check the "Massachusetts" box under the state menu and click "Search." The list of Massachusetts MMAs will appear on the right.

Coastal WEB
Secretary Announces Coastal WEB, Smart Growth Grants - On January 11 at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology in New Bedford, Secretary Herzfelder launched her new Coastal Wetlands, Estuaries, and Bays (Coastal WEB) Initiative, which focuses on priority issues central to coastal municipalities--stormwater, land acquisition, coastal hazards, smart growth, and habitat restoration--and provides project funding. At the event, the Secretary announced that $175,000 is being distributed in Fiscal Year 2005 to Coastal WEB projects all along the Commonwealth's coast. She also announced that $153,225 through the newly created Smart Growth Technical Assistance Grant Program will fund projects in southeastern Massachusetts communities. Carver, Fairhaven, Lakeville, New Bedford, Somerset, and Wareham received Smart Growth Grants for the development of bylaws, design guidelines, and smart growth planning and zoning projects. Through the Smart Growth Grant Program, 41 proposals were funded statewide, totaling $650,000. For more information about the event, Coastal WEB, and the Smart Growth Grant recipients, review the press release.

Secretary Awards Coastal NPS Pollution Grants
On January 21, at the Center for Student Coastal Research in Cohasset, Secretary Herzfelder announced three Coastal Nonpoint Source (Coastal NPS) Pollution Grants, totaling nearly $62,000, for South Shore communities. The Center received nearly $17,000 in grant funding for a student-centered water quality project in the Gulf River. The Massachusetts Bays Estuary Association was also awarded a $10,000 grant for Storm Windows--a multi-faceted outreach campaign and survey designed to educate the public about stormwater runoff pollution. Lastly, the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, Incorporated was awarded $35,000 in Coastal NPS funding for Greenscapes, an outreach program created to teach consumers how to maintain healthy landscapes without using excess fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and water. This year, 10 Coastal NPS grants will be awarded, totaling approximately $215,000, and the Secretary will soon announce the additional grant recipients.

Also at the event, the Secretary announced that the Cohasset Center for Student Coastal Research received $11,554 through CZM's Wetlands Restoration Grant Program to train students and volunteers to use established protocols to monitor the ecological improvement of three priority wetlands projects on the South Shore. The Wetlands Restoration Grant Program supports the construction and monitoring of wetland restoration priority projects and will fund seven projects this year, totaling $100,000. The Secretary will soon announce the additional grant recipients. For more information about the event, review the press release.

Buzzards Bay Receives $2.3 Million in Wetlands Funding
In December 2004 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Council recommended that $2.3 million of $7 million allocated to NAWCA for acquisition and restoration of Buzzards Bay wetlands be used to fund three land conservation projects and one wetlands restoration project. The projects include protecting a total of 281 acres of important bird habitat in Fairhaven, Westport, and Mattapoisett through conservation easements and restoring a 45-acre salt marsh on Mattapoisett Neck. The Coalition for Buzzards Bay worked with nearly 25 environmental groups, agencies, towns, CZM, and the Massachusetts Environmental Trust to coordinate the proposal and is currently working to identify additional land conservation opportunities for NAWCA's next funding round in March. The $7 million in NAWCA funds targeted for Buzzards Bay wetlands comes from the 2003 Bouchard Transportation Company oil spill federal settlement.

NOAA Fisheries Reinstates Northeast Right Whale Team
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) has reinstated the Northeast Implementation Team and has appointed CZM's Joe Pelczarski as a member. The North Atlantic Right Whale is critically endangered, and the goal of the Northeast Implementation Team, which includes representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Marine Mammal Commission, Massachusetts Port Authority, North Atlantic Ports Association, state port authorities in the region, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and others, is to promote the recovery of the right whale population. The team will take an active part in developing policy, setting goals and priorities, sharing information, and other tasks that support and improve programs reducing the threat of right whale ship strikes.

Coastal Communities Receive Smart Growth Leadership Awards
Recently Governor Romney cited 10 communities, including the coastal communities of Amesbury, Dennis, East Boston, and Manchester-by-the-Sea, for smart growth leadership. Awardees range from cities and towns that are supporting forward-thinking development projects to those implementing innovative zoning and open space strategies that serve as best-in-class models. In addition to receiving the award, the 2004 Smart Growth Leadership honorees will receive extra points when applying for the Office of Commonwealth Development's (OCD) 2005 Commonwealth Capital Funds and special consideration for MassHousing's Priority Development Funds and EOEA's Smart Growth Grants. OCD, the state agency charged with coordinating the state's housing, transportation, and environmental and energy resources, coordinated the competition. Information about EOEA's Smart Growth Grant Request for Responses is available in this edition of CZ-Mail, in the Request for Responses section.

Project Review
Secretary Requests Second Supplemental Report for Weaver's Cove - In December 2004, Secretary Herzfelder requested a Second Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report (SSDEIR) from Weaver's Cove Energy, LLC. The Secretary again requested information that was not contained in the initial Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) Draft Environmental Impact Report and not addressed in the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report. The Secretary and CZM's chief concerns include dredging impacts on water quality and fisheries habitat, the management and reuse of dredge material, public safety issues, and whether the applicant has adequately considered alternative measures and sites that would reduce these impacts. Once the applicant submits the SSDEIR for Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review there will be a 30-day public comment period. Also, on the federal level, FERC's next step is to prepare a Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report. To review the Weaver's Cove docket, go to FERC's website and search docket "CP04-36."

Cape Wind Comment Period Continues - Comments are being accepted through February 24 on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cape Wind Energy Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), released in November 2004. For details on how to comment, go to the Federal Register and click "Advanced Search." When the search page opens, check volume "2004 FR, Vol. 69" (and make sure that is the only volume checked) and enter "64919" in Search. Hard copies of the DEIS are also available at some Cape Cod and the Islands public libraries. The DEIS also served as the state-required Draft Environmental Impact Report, currently under MEPA review. This comment period also closes on February 24. To submit comments, follow MEPA's online instructions.

CZM Staff & People
Ocean Policy Analyst - CZM has hired Kate Killerlain as its new Ocean Policy Analyst. Kate is working to further the Massachusetts Ocean Management Initiative, including assisting with the implementation of the Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force's 16 recommendations, staffing the Marine Protected Area Working Group, and coordinating interagency staff on the development of a state ocean management planning process. Kate, previously an intern at CZM working on ocean policy development and a legislative aide for a West Coast state representative, received her master's degree in marine affairs from the University of Washington.

North Shore Regional Coordinator - Kathryn Glenn, formerly CZM's Acting North Shore Regional Coordinator, has been named CZM's North Shore Regional Coordinator. Kathryn provides technical assistance to North Shore communities, facilitates the North Shore Conservation and Health Agent networks, and works with local, state, and non-profit organizations on regional initiatives that protect and enhance the North Shore coastline.

GIS/Data Manager - CZM's Dan Sampson has been named CZM's Geographic Information System (GIS)/Data Manager. Dan previously served as a CZM coastal geologist working on Federal Emergency Management Agency mapping projects. As GIS/Data Manager, Dan assists staff with a range of complex data tools, leads development of spatial data products, coordinates GIS and remote sensing efforts, and collaborates with MassGIS to enhance the online version of the Massachusetts Ocean Resource Information System.

Request For Responses
CZM Seeks Contractor to Characterize Ocean-Based Human Uses of State Waters - As a first step in establishing a baseline of ocean-based human use information to inform ocean planning and management, CZM has released a Request for Responses (RFR) for qualified contractors to develop a descriptive characterization of human uses of state waters and a statewide GIS database illustrating these uses. This project will focus on acquiring data sets such as the location and extent of navigation channels or point locations of infrastructure and activities (e.g., industrial activities in Boston Harbor), among other items. Qualified candidates should have experience compiling and analyzing human-use data from quantitative and qualitative sources, acquiring spatial and non-spatial data, and developing GIS-based maps. Proposals must be submitted by February 25. CZM is hosting a bidder's conference on February 4 from 3-4 p.m. at its office at 251 Causeway Street, 8th floor, Boston. Please register to attend by February 3 by calling the CZM information line at (617) 626-1200. For the RFR, go to the COMM-PASS website, click "Search for solicitations," and search for document number "ENV05 CZM09." Development of a human use characterization was recommended by the Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force in the "Management Tools" section of Waves of Change: The Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force Report and Recommendations. The full Waves of Change report is available here.

CZM Seeks Contractor to Evaluate Stormwater Systems - CZM is seeking proposals from qualified contractors to evaluate stormwater best management practices (BMP) funded through the Coastal Pollution Remediation (CPR) Grant Program. The contractor will conduct site inspections of 26 stormwater treatment system installations funded through CPR since 2000 and make recommendations for improved operation and maintenance of each system. Where possible, the contractor will also evaluate relevant water quality, beach closure, or shellfish bed information in determining whether the selected BMP has achieved the intended pollution remediation goals. Proposals are due by February 11. To review the RFR, go to the COMM-PASS website, click "Search for solicitations," and search for document number "ENV05 CZM07" (the full text of the RFR can be found under the specifications tab). Questions may be directed to Steve McKenna at stephen.mckenna@state.ma.us.

CZM Posts Coastal Hazards Characterization RFR - CZM has posted an RFR for a qualified contractor to develop a South Shore Coastal Hazards Characterization Atlas illustrating shoreline variables that would inform reviewers about projects that may be vulnerable to coastal hazards. The completed atlas will provide information to South Shore decision makers for review of projects on ocean-facing shorelines from Hull through Plymouth to the Cape Cod Canal. As funding permits, coastal hazard characterization mapping will be expanded to additional regions along the Massachusetts coastline. Applicants should have a working knowledge of glacial geology and related coastal processes, familiarity with the project area shoreline and Massachusetts coastal hazards policies, and experience mapping littoral cells and delineating and evaluating the functions of coastal landforms as set forth in coastal wetlands regulations. Proposals are due February 11. To review the RFR with details on proposal requirements, go to the COMM-PASS website, click "Search for solicitations," and search for document number "ENV 05 CZM 08."

EOEA Smart Growth Toolkit RFR - To promote smart growth techniques in Commonwealth development practices, EOEA has posted an RFR, funded through OCD, for a qualified contractor to develop a smart growth CD-Rom "how-to" manual to be used by local officials, developers, land trusts, watershed associations, and others. The CD-Rom will feature information about smart growth techniques and benefits; an outline of state smart growth efforts, including awards and grants; case studies; model bylaws; outreach materials; and more. The final product will be completed by the end of June and will be presented at smart growth seminars throughout the state. The deadline to submit proposals is February 18. To review the RFR with details on proposal requirements, go to the COMM-PASS website, click "Search for solicitations," and search for document number "ENV05 POL16."

Funding Opportunities
Massachusetts Land Owner Incentive Grants - The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) has received $2 million from the USFWS to administer the Massachusetts Landowner Incentive Program (LIP), a grant program that supports active habitat management by private landowners. The program reimburses up to 75 percent of the cost of managing land to improve habitat for declining wildlife species. For this first grant round, the LIP will focus on maintaining grasslands and creating areas of young tree and shrub growth that enhance wildlife habitat. Private landowners such as land trusts, non-profit groups, and individuals are eligible to apply. See the MassWildlife website for more information about qualifications and the grant application. Applications must be submitted by March 15.

FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Funding Round - The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is accepting applications for the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program through February 21. Communities that have completed and submitted All Hazard Mitigation Plans to MEMA and FEMA are eligible to apply. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation will provide technical assistance on the benefit-cost requirements of the application. For technical assistance contact DCR's Richard Zingarelli at Richard.Zingarelli@state.ma.us or at (617) 626-1406, or Christopher Penney at Christopher.Penney@state.ma.us or at (617) 626-1352. If you have questions about the funding program, please contact MEMA's Bob Nadeau at robert.nadeau@state.ma.us or at (508) 697-3600.

Community-Based Marine and Anadromous Fish Restoration Funding - The FishAmerica Foundation and the NOAA Restoration Center are taking applications for up to $600,000 for grassroots projects that restore marine, estuarine, and riparian habitats. Eligible projects must demonstrate significant benefits to marine, estuarine, or anadromous fisheries resources, particularly sportfish, and must involve community participation. Applicants are also encouraged to incorporate NOAA staff participation in their proposals. Applications are due by February 25. For more information, funding guidelines, and an application go to FishAmerica's website and click on "Catch this."

Essex National Heritage Commission Partnership Grants - The Essex National Heritage Commission is accepting applications for its 2005 Partnership Grant Program through April 1. Details about the grant program, guidelines, and an application are available on the Commission's website, under "Preserving Our Heritage." Funds are available in five categories, including after-school and out-of-school heritage education, heritage interpretation, heritage preservation and resource stewardship, archives and historical records, and trails and greenways. For additional information, contact allisonb@essexheritage.org.

Large Whale Gear Challenge Pre-Proposal Deadline Extended - The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has extended its pre-proposal deadline to February 15 for whale-friendly gear development projects, which are funded through the National Whale Conservation Fund (NWCF). Full proposals for invited applicants are due March 15. This team-based competition is designed to promote development of innovative fishing gear or gear modifications that can be used to decrease large whale entanglements. Five teams will receive $10,000 to design, build, and test gear prototypes and a $50,000 award will go to the team that designs and tests gear that is commercially viable. For more information, go to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation website. For more information about existing fishing gear and regulations, go to the NOAA Fisheries Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan website.

Reminders - The following funding opportunities listed in the December 2004 edition of CZ-Mail are still available:

• National Whale Conservation - The NWCF is funding projects that relate to great whales and/or address anthropogenic threats and is accepting pre-proposal packets by March 1. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. For more information, click here.
• Right Whale Recovery - NWCF is also accepting pre-proposal applications until March 1 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 and April 15. For information, click here or here.

Public Comment
Brightman Street Bridge Proposed Operation Change - The U.S. Coast Guard is accepting comments through February 14 on a proposed rule to adjust drawbridge operation of the Brightman Street Bridge (between Fall River and Somerset) to relieve vehicle traffic delays. The proposed rule would allow the bridge to remain closed to pleasure craft passage between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays, from June 1 through August 31. For more information and details on how to submit comments, go to the Federal Register and click "Advanced Search." When the search page opens, check volume "2004 FR, Vol. 69" (and make sure that is the only volume checked) and enter "75013-75015" in Search.

Job Postings
Massachusetts Bays Stormwater Specialist - The Massachusetts Bays Program (MBP) is seeking a stormwater specialist to assist communities with the implementation of EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II stormwater requirements, including outreach and education tasks, implementation of various technical strategies, and assistance with financing and funding challenges. The stormwater specialist will provide technical assistance to MBP regional staff and technical support, including assisting local municipalities with meeting regulatory requirements and MBP Metro Boston communities (from Swampscott and Lynn to Hull). The deadline to apply is February 8. For more information, go to the Commonwealth Employment Opportunities website.

Boston Harbor Association Postings - The Boston Harbor Association has two immediate openings--a 2005 Auction Coordinator and Harbor Education Specialist--that are full-time through May. For its upcoming auction, the Association seeks an individual experienced in fundraising or special events to coordinate donations and corporate sponsorships. The Association's Harbor Education Specialist (experience in environmental education is preferred) will coordinate Harbor Bound trips, a spring workshop, boat cruises, the spring newsletter, and website updates. If interested, contact Vivien Li at vli@tbha.org or at (617) 482-1722.

Ipswich Open Space Program Manager - The Town of Ipswich is seeking an Open Space Program Manager to oversee its Open Space Bond Program, which funds acquisition of land for open space, recreation, and water supply and watershed protection purposes. Working with the Ipswich Board of Selectmen and Open Space Committee, the Open Space Program Manager will implement a plan for protecting targeted parcels of land, develop partnerships with potential project partners, and seek grant funding for land protection projects. The position is for 30 hours per week and a bachelor's degree is required (master's preferred). The deadline to apply is February 15. Materials should be sent to the Ipswich Town Manager at 25 Green Street, Ipswich, MA 01938. For more information, contact Ipswich Director of Planning Glenn Gibbs at glenng@town.ipswich.ma.us or at (978) 356-6607.

Peabody Planner - The City of Peabody Office of Community Development & Planning is seeking a planner to lead numerous initiatives, including updating comprehensive zoning bylaws, implementing a master plan, managing capital improvement projects, and staffing one or more local commissions. Candidates should be knowledgeable in comprehensive planning, zoning, and site plan interpretation. Two years of related professional experience and a bachelor's degree in planning, landscape architecture, or a related field are required (master's preferred). Professional landscape architecture experience is also highly desired. Those interested should apply to the City of Peabody Director of Personnel at 24 Lowell Street, Peabody, MA 01960.

Essex County Forum Program Director - The Essex County Forum, an Essex County Community Foundation program advancing natural resources stewardship and sustainable growth initiatives, is seeking a part-time program director (25 hours per week) to work with a motivated group of volunteers and supporters to implement the organization's mission and strategic plan. The program director will raise funds, help to implement the Forum's strategic plan, and organize and promote Forum initiatives, including workshops and the Essex County Smart Growth e-newsletter. Candidates must possess grant writing, fundraising, and non-profit experience. Familiarity with Essex County communities and smart growth issues is preferred. The deadline to apply is February 7. Materials should be sent to Lorraine Astle, Vice President, Essex County Community Foundation at 15 Cherry Street, Danvers, MA 01923 or faxed to (978) 777-9454. For questions, contact Tracie Hines at t.hines@eccf.org.

Cape Cod National Seashore Fellowship - The Cape Cod National Seashore is accepting research proposals through March 1 on a broad range of natural and social science projects to be developed through the Joshua A. Nickerson Conservation Fellowship. For the RFR, with more information and an application, click here.

Products/Publications
New Online ACEC Boundary Viewer Mapping Tool - A new Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) GIS-based boundary viewer mapping tool is available. The tool uses either a U.S. Geological Survey or orthophoto base map to determine the location of ACEC boundaries or to display ACECs with open spaces, town boundaries, roads, and lakes and ponds. For general guidelines for using MassGIS mapping tools, including the ACEC boundary viewer, click here. For more information about the ACEC program, click here.

Coastal Stormwater Remediation Management Plan - CZM has posted a model stormwater management plan online to provide coastal managers with information about stormwater impacts on coastal resources and water quality and the management issues associated with stormwater pollution abatement. CZM developed the plan with the Town of Ipswich's Coastal Pollution Control Committee as a tool to assist local officials with preventing and controlling stormwater pollution in preparation for EPA NPDES Phase II permitting requirements. The plan details the methods the Town's Coastal Pollution Control Committee used to assess stormwater impacts and to develop stormwater management recommendations.

Town-Specific Core Habitat Maps - MassWildlife's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program has released new town-specific core habitat maps and reports to help town officials, conservation commissions, land trusts, and other conservation managers learn more about the species and habitats in need of protection in their communities. The reports provide a summary of the rare species, natural communities, and freshwater habitats identified in 336 of the Commonwealth's 351 cities and towns. Click here to order copies of the maps for a fee.

EPA Water Quality Trading Handbook - Water quality trading, which is an approach to achieving regulatory compliance by purchasing water quality credits, may be a lower cost method for meeting water quality goals. To familiarize managers with the requisites and potential benefits of specific trading scenarios, EPA has published a Water Quality Trading Assessment Handbook. The handbook provides an analytical framework to assess water quality conditions, a process necessary for determining whether water quality trading could be an effective watershed management tool. For more information about water quality trading, click here.

Hitchhikers Guide to Exotic Species - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant Program has produced the Hitchhikers Guide to Exotic Species. The guide contains color photographs and information on several introduced species that can be found along the New England coast, as well as some native species for comparison purposes, and is printed on waterproof paper. To request a copy, please contact hitchhikers@mit.edu. To download an electronic copy, click here.

Ocean Forum Papers - Presentations, papers, and speaker biographies from the World Ocean Forum held in New York in November 2004 are available.

Websites
NASA Oceanography Ocean Literacy Website - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Oceanography Program sponsors an Ocean Literacy website to support development of an ocean literate public. The site is designed for students and others to explore and better understand the ocean through links to educational resources; national, regional, and state oceanography programs; selected ocean literacy papers; and other information.

Interactive Map Tracks State Progress with EPA BEACHES Act - EPA has posted an online fact sheet, titled, Nationwide Bacteria Standards Protect Swimmers at Beaches, with an interactive map that tracks state progress in complying with the Beaches, Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000. The map and fact sheet provide information on the federal Clean Beaches Plan, bacterial standards, and Clean Beach Plan federal actions.

Calendar
Secretary Herzfelder to Present Coastal NPS Grants & Gulf of Maine Visionary Award - Secretary Herzfelder will be announcing Coastal Nonpoint Source (Coastal NPS) Pollution Grants and presenting Salem Sound Coast Watch with a Gulf of Maine Visionary Award at Winter Island in Salem on Thursday, February 3, at 2 p.m. For information about Salem Sound Coast Watch receiving the award, see the Highlights 2004 edition of CZ-Mail and scroll down to the Gulf of Maine section. For more information about the Gulf fo Maine Visionary Award, click here.

Stellwagen Bank Lecture Series - The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary are offering a 13-week course, titled, Ocean Treasure: The Natural and Cultural Resources of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, on Tuesday evenings from 6-9 p.m. from February 1 through May 14 at the museum in Brewster. The course is designed for grade 5-12 educators, nature enthusiasts, scientists, and others and will feature 17 specialists presenting cutting-edge research. Those interested may attend the entire course, or individual lectures. For more information about the lectures, presenters, costs, and registration, click here.

Great Marsh Speaker Series - The Trustees of Reservations is hosting a three-part speaker series on the Great Marsh, the largest continuous stretch of salt marsh in New England, on February 3 and 17 and March 3 from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at The Great House, The Crane Estate in Ipswich. The presenters are Kathy Leahy, Director of North Shore Advocacy for Mass Audubon; Brian Harrington, biologist with Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences and technical advisor to the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network; and Duncan Fitzgerald, Associate Professor, Boston University Department of Earth Sciences. Click here for details about the presentations. For tickets ($4 for Trustees members or $5 for non-members), contact The Crane Estate at (978) 356-4351.

Clean Beaches Workshop - As part of the Clean New England Beaches Initiative, EPA Region 1 is partnering with the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission to offer two sessions of the workshop Reducing and Preventing Beach Closures in New England Communities: Strategies for Detection, Correction, and Financing. The workshop will be held on February 7 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island, and on February 11 at the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information and to register, click here.

Reminders: The following calendar items, posted in the December 2004 CZ-Mail, are still to come:

• Solutions to Coastal Disasters 2005 - This conference will be held from May 8-11 in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Coastal Zone '05 - Titled Balancing on the Edge, this conference will be held July 17-21 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and 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, see click here.

Other Items of Interest
Student/Volunteer Coastal Research Opportunity - Dr. Brian Leung and Mr. David Delaney, invasion biologists at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, are looking to provide a hands-on opportunity for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut teachers and student researchers in May and June and for New Hampshire and Maine volunteers in July and August to assist in monitoring two invasive species--the European green shore crab (Carcinus maenas) and the Asian shore crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus). These invasive crab species have caused the loss of biodiversity and the economic collapse of shellfish industries in their path and researchers are monitoring their spread to determine how fast they are moving and their locations in order to develop mitigation strategies. The goals of the student/volunteer research opportunity are to enrich student curriculum learning and broaden the project's study area. By participating, students and volunteers will experience working as a team to research and record standardized data and answer scientific questions--and their work will be used in research currently being conducted by graduate students, university professors, scientists, and resource managers. For more information about the monitoring project and the research opportunity, please contact David Delaney at david.delaney@elf.mcgill.ca or at (514) 398-6175. Click here for more information about the research.