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CZ-Mail All links on this web page were current and working on the date of publication.
A Commitment to Learning from Katrina and Rita The national and local news continues to focus on the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as the seemingly constant trail of hurricanes moving along the coast. While these impacts may seem distant from Massachusetts, we are vulnerable not only to major hurricanes, but to other storms as well (see Coastlines 2002). Massachusetts coastal communities are, without question, at risk to significant property damage as well as possible loss of life from these storms. We have been fortunate to have been spared from major storms in recent years, but during this time, coastal development has increased significantly, leaving few undeveloped areas along the coast and replacing small cottages with much larger homes, often with pools, decks, stairways, and other structures that are not only vulnerable to destruction, but affect the natural system that protects the shoreline from storms. Also over time, many beaches, dunes, and other natural landforms have been eroded and sea levels have risen, further reducing the coast's natural capacity to buffer the effects of storms. Governor Romney has directed all state agencies to review our ability to plan for and manage impacts from coastal storms, as well as our response capabilities. In the upcoming months, progress on both of these fronts will be reported on in CZ-mail. We all have a lot to learn from Katrina and Rita. We also have two more months of hurricane season. To help prepare, see the CZM Hurricane Preparedness Kit and the MIT Sea Grant website. Also, see CZM's 2002 Coastlines magazine for more information on Massachusetts hurricanes and their potential impacts, articles on how to build and rebuild to withstand a storm, and information on a wide range of tools available for reducing risks in hurricane-prone areas. Burrington Appointed DCR Commissioner Governor Mitt Romney has appointed environmental advocate and attorney Stephen Burrington as commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the state agency that manages public parklands and recreational facilities. Burrington has extensive environmental experience in the private and public sectors. Since 2003, he has served as undersecretary within the Office for Commonwealth Development (OCD), which works to promote sustainable development across state environmental, transportation, housing, and energy agencies. Prior to his work in state government, Burrington was Vice President and General Counsel for the Conservation Law Foundation. For more information, see DCR's website. Smart Growth Conference On September 16 more than 700 interested people gathered in Worcester for Governor Romney's Smart Growth Conference. More than a dozen sessions were held on Smart Growth topics including Open Space Residential Design, Low Impact Development, Transit Oriented Development, and Mixed-Use Zoning. The highlight of the conference was the release of the Smart Growth Toolkit, which puts information on 12 different Smart Growth techniques into the hands of local officials, developers, and others in a position to implement the recommended practices. The Toolkit, which includes brochures, PowerPoint shows, and model bylaws, has been mailed to the Conservation Commission, Planning Board, and the Chief Elected Official of each Commonwealth Community. EOEA Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Hearing On October 26, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) will hold a hearing to allow interested parties to provide their comments as part of the Fiscal Year 2007 budget recommendation process. Written comment is encouraged prior to the hearing, but can also be submitted at the hearing or by mail. All comments are due by November 18. Address comments to: Stephen R. Pritchard, Secretary Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900 Boston, MA 02114 ATTENTION: FY 07 Budget The hearing will be held at 100 Cambridge Street, in Conference Room B. If attending, please be sure to bring a picture I.D. for security purposes. Grants/Funding Opportunities Reminders - The following funding opportunities listed in the last CZ-Mail is still available:
Increasing Destructiveness of Tropical Cyclones Over the Past 30 Years - This paper, published in the journal Nature, reports that the potential destructiveness of hurricanes is highly correlated with tropical sea surface temperature and global warming. It also claims that future warming may lead to an upward trend in tropical cyclone destructive potential and, taking into account an increasing coastal population, a substantial increase in hurricane-related losses in the 21st Century. Protecting and Restoring Wetlands and Riparian Areas - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a technical guidance and reference document to implement nonpoint source pollution management programs. It contains information on the best available, economically achievable means of reducing nonpoint source pollution through the protection and restoration of wetlands and riparian areas, as well as the implementation of vegetated treatment systems. Gulf of Maine Times - The fall 2005 edition of the Gulf of Maine Times is now available online. The newsletter includes articles about key coastal and marine environmental issues within region, and includes the flyer "Salt Marshes of the Gulf of Maine." Municipal Open Space Guide - The Essex County Forum - Smart Growth for Livable Communities has just released a free guidebook for helping local officials and the public to inventory important open spaces in their community entitled Preserving the Future: A Guide for Creating a Municipal Open Space Inventory. Coastal Technology Reports - The Cooperative Institute for Coastal & Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET) sponsors the development and application of a wide range of coastal technologies nationwide. The first project progress reports for are now available on the CICEET website. Reconstruction After Hurricane Katrina - In an effort to inform the public about key issues the Hurricane Katrina disaster presents to the nation, in terms of policy, recovery, and economics, the Association of State Floodplain Managers has written "Hurricane Katrina: Reconstruction through Mitigation." New England Journal of Environmental Education - The inaugural online edition of the New England Journal of Environmental Education. Still Available - These CZM/EOEA products and publications, listed in the last CZ-Mail, are still available:
Smart Growth Toolkit - EOEA has completed a Smart Growth Toolkit. Available online and as a CD, the Toolkit presents new methods to guide and promote sustainable and environmentally sound development and growth. For more information about the Smart Growth Toolkit and how it can assist coastal communities contact CZM-EOEA Smart Growth Coordinator, Andrea Cooper. 319 Success Stories Website - EPA has launched a new Section 319 Nonpoint Source Success Stories Website that features successful projects receiving grant funds from the Clean Water Act §319 Nonpoint Source Program. All highlighted projects have documented water quality improvements, achieved water quality standards, and resulted in removal of the affected waterbody from state section 303(d) lists of impaired waters. Hurricanes in the Northeast: What to Expect and How to Prepare - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed an informative website about hurricanes in the northeast that provides online hazard maps, hurricane preparation information, MIT related research, and details about past storms. Coastal Projects Under CZM Review Coast Guard Licensing for LNG Project Moves Forward - On August 19, the U.S. Coast Guard determined that Excelerate Energy LLC, the proponents for the Northeast Gateway Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project, had submitted sufficient information to allow the project's Deepwater Port Act licensing process to proceed. This determination begins an approximately 330-day review period, during which environmental documentation for the project will be developed and published for public review. The Northeast Gateway project is a proposal for a LNG docking facility in Massachusetts Bay and undersea pipeline connection to the existing Hubline. For more information about the Deepwater Port Act and the Northeast Gateway Project, see the U.S. Coast Guard website. Two Other LNG Proposals Under Review - Suez, the proponent for the Deepwater Port project Neptune, also proposed for Massachusetts Bay, submitted additional information in response to requests from the U.S. Coast Guard and other federal agencies responsible for the review of the Neptune license application. Finally, on September 16, a Virginia company, AES, Inc., has proposed an LNG facility for Outer Brewster's Island, in Boston Harbor. Public Comment Public Comment on Outer Continental Shelf Energy Development - The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service is seeking initial public comment on the development of its 2007-2012 five-year leasing plan for energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and accompanying environmental impact statement (see http://www.mms.gov/5-year/2007-2012main.htm). Recent energy legislation passed by Congress calls for a comprehensive inventory and analysis of the oil and natural gas resources for all areas of the OCS. Comments are due by October 11, 2005 and may be submitted by mail to: 5-Year Program Manager, Minerals Management Service (MS-4010), 381 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170. Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations for Areas of Quincy - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is requesting technical information or comments on the proposed Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) and proposed BFE modifications for areas of Quincy. The BFEs are the basis for the floodplain management measures that a community must adopt to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. The proposed BFEs are available for inspection at Quincy City Hall. For additional information, contact FEMA's Doug Bellomo at (202) 646-2903. Job Postings Grants Program Coordinator - CZM is seeking a Grants Program Coordinator for the Coastal Pollution Remediation and the Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Grants Programs. The Coordinator will work with municipalities, non-profits, and other organizations to craft pollution assessment and remediation projects, in addition to leading the proposal review process, developing scopes of work for funded projects, and administering all aspects of each program. The Coordinator will also work with staff of the Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Program to provide technical support and assistance on state and local low impact development and stormwater management initiatives. The application deadline is October 13. Flood Hazard Mapping Coordinator - The Massachusetts Flood Hazard Management Program is seeking applications for the primary state-level liaison regarding flood hazard mapping activities in the Commonwealth. The selected candidate will be responsible for coordinating the mapping activities of FEMA's Map Modernization Program with communities, state and federal agencies, and mapping contractors. The application deadline is October 6. Calendar Underwater Archaeology in Massachusetts - October is Massachusetts Archaeology Month and the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources (BUAR), the Newburyport Maritime Society, and Public Archaeology Laboratory, Inc. are sponsoring Voices of the Deep: Underwater Archaeology in Massachusetts and Beyond, a two-day event at the Custom House Maritime Museum, 25 Water Street in Newburyport. On October 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., a family day of educational activities is planned including a simulated shipwreck excavation, equipment demonstrations, and exhibits of the technology used by marine archaeologists. On October 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the program will feature presentations by professional marine archaeologists and a special viewing of the NOAA/Science Channel's high definition film on the wreck of the steamer Portland (1898). For more information, contact Lisa Hutchings at lhutchings@themarinesociety.org, or call 978-462-8681. Snail Roundup Day - On October 15, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., a Snail Roundup Day will be held at Johnson's Pond in Groveland. The Chinese Mystery Snail is a large, freshwater snail that has become very common in this pond. The Massachusetts Aquatic Invasive Species Working Group is working with local groups to control and potentially eradicate the species from the pond and surrounding waterbodies. At this free event, volunteers will learn about the snails and other non-native species, while helping to reduce the population by collecting and disposing of these invasive snails. Refreshments will be provided. For more information and to reserve your spot, contact Susan Park. Please respond by October 10. National Land Conservation Conference - On October 14-17, join more than 1,600 conservation leaders in Madison, Wisconsin, at the world's premier gathering of land trust professionals, volunteers, board members, public agency staff, attorneys, and land conservation advocates for the 18th National Land Conservation Conference - Rally 2005. Hurricanes in Southern New England - On October 13, the Waterways Technical Group of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers is holding the first dinner meeting of the 2005-06 Waterways Group Lecture Series—"The Realities of Hurricanes in Southern New England" by David R. Vallee of the National Weather Service. To register, contact Sterling Wall. Reminders - The following calendar items, posted in the last CZ-Mail, are still to come:
Hurricane Names - Believe it or not, there are only four names remaining on the 2005 list for Atlantic hurricanes. So what happens when we get to Wilma, the 21st name on the list (there are no names chosen for Q, U, X, Y, or Z)? We would go to the beginning of the Greek alphabet: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and so on. Since 1953, when the hurricane naming convention began, the use of Greek letters has never been necessary. For more information, including the history of naming hurricanes, visit the National Hurricane Center's website. Drawbridge Operation Regulations: Fort Point Channel - The Coast Guard has temporarily changed the drawbridge operation regulations that govern the operation of the Northern Avenue Bridge, across Fort Point Channel in Boston. A one-hour advance notice will be required for bridge openings from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., through October 31, and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., November 1 through November 14. This temporary deviation is necessary to allow for bridge maintenance. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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