• Resource Conservation Challenge Grant Program - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) New England Office is seeking initial proposals for Resource Conservation Challenge Grants. Up to $130,000 is available for grants that promote solid waste management and pollution prevention. Full proposals are due July 19.
• Self Help Grants - EOEA Secretary Stephen R. Pritchard has announced the 2007 Self-Help and Urban Self-Help grant round. Grants of up to $500,000 may be available for the purchase of open space or parkland, development of recreation sites, or the renovation of parks. Applications are due by August 1.

Products/Publications
The Spring 2006 Coastlines Magazine Is Here! - CZM has released the Spring 2006 edition of Coastlines, a periodic magazine providing in-depth coverage of ocean-related issues. This latest edition focuses on Smart Growth-better development and land use practices that make sense from an environmental, cultural, and economic perspective. Coastlines has been sent to CZM's mailing list and is also available on CZM's Coastlines Spring 2006 web page. For a printed copy, or to be added to the Coastlines mailing list, please email your request to czm@state.ma.us. Additional information about Smart Growth is available on CZM's Coastal Smart Growth Website.

Get Your Free Coast Guide Now! - Featured in the Boston Globe on June 25, the Massachusetts Coast Guide to Boston and the North Shore features nearly 400 public access sites (from Salisbury to Hingham), ranging from expansive beaches with parking and concession stands to more out-of-the-way areas with scenic vistas. Developed by CZM, this publication contains 22 maps, descriptions of access spots, photos of a variety of sites, transportation information, and more. To get your free copy now, e-mail your address to czm@state.ma.us. You can preview select portions of Coast Guide online

CZM Stormwater BMP Operation and Maintenance Report - CZM recently contracted with the Horsley Witten Group to conduct field inspections of stormwater best management practices (BMPs) funded by CZM's Coastal Pollutant Remediation (CPR) Grant Program. Horsley Witten evaluated the maintenance history and condition of each installed BMP, and made an overall assessment of its functionality. A summary report is now available that details the findings of these inspections, including a set of recommendations for improving maintenance, construction, and design of stormwater BMPs. Future applicants to the CPR program are encouraged to incorporate these recommendations into potential stormwater remediation projects.

DEP eNewsletter - The Summer 2006 eNewsletter from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (DEP), which highlights DEP accomplishments, new regulations, upcoming public hearings, and the latest environmental enforcement actions, is now available. Subscribe to future issues.

Cape Cod Bathymetric Data Now Available - The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released the bathymetric data set Geological Interpretation of Bathymetric and Backscatter Imagery of the Sea Floor Off Eastern Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This data is available online or on DVD.

DEP Guidance For Protecting Wildlife Habitat - DEP has published Massachusetts Wildlife Habitat Protection Guidance for Inland Wetlands—designed to provide conservation commissions, landowners, and developers with information about the functions and values of Riverfront Areas and other wetland resource areas for wildlife habitat.

Greenscapes Newsletter - The June 2006 Greenscapes e-newsletter is now available online. This issue provides details about watering restrictions, an organic lawn and turf course, dealing with Poison Ivy, and how to get a personal Greenscapes Consultation. The Greenscapes program is a regional outreach effort sponsored by the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, the Massachusetts Bays Program, and several South Shore municipalities. To subscribe to this newsletter, send a blank email to greenscapes-subscribe@lists.nsrwa.org.

New Environmental Literacy Report Offers Lessons for NPS Outreach - People typically think they know more about the environment than they really do, finds a report recently released by The National Environmental Education & Training Foundation (NEETF), a private nonprofit organization chartered by Congress in 1990 to advance environmental education. The 152-page report, Environmental Literacy in America, examines the results of more than a decade's worth of environmental literacy research. The report finds that many people are aware of environmental topics that are relatively simple to understand. However, far fewer people truly comprehend more complex environmental subjects. For example, few Americans understand the meaning, dynamics, and impact of "nonpoint source pollution." In fact, the report indicates that 86 percent of the U.S. public is not even familiar with the term.

New Study Identifies Gaps in Environmental Data - The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment has published the report Filling the Gaps: Priority Data Needs and Key Management Challenges for National Reporting on Ecosystem Condition, which identifies areas where adequate environmental data are lacking and recommends that attention be given to filling the gaps. The report concluded that the current system for collecting and reporting environmental data is fragmented because government agencies and other organization collect data according to their own mandates, missions, interests and resources.

Pilot Study Indicates Land Use and Public Health Pathogen Link - Scientists from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science released preliminary results from a study that is examining the relationship between land use, environmental factors, and levels of public health pathogens and fecal-pollution indicator organisms in water and oysters. Early findings indicate that levels of fecal pathogens were higher at the headwaters of tidal creek systems and that most of these organisms were of animal origin. However, the presence of Norovirus, a human-specific pathogen, suggested some human influence in the tidal creek systems. These findings will assist environmental managers in understanding factors that control the levels of bacteria and other pathogens in estuaries and may lead to better management options. For more information, contact Jan.Gooch@noaa.gov.

Designing to Enhance Community Appearance and Protect Natural Resources - Michigan Technological University has released Design Guidelines to Enhance Community Appearance and Protect Natural Resources—a guidebook for citizens, decision-makers, and youth that compares traditional development to a more visually appealing approach that also protects natural and cultural resources. Unplanned or poorly planned development can have significant impacts on natural and cultural resources. Communities seek economic growth without losing scenic landscapes, historic downtowns, and places of unique cultural character. The guidebook features line drawings and color photos that visually address twenty of the most common development issues.

Green Infrastructure: Smart Conservation for the 21st Century - This report, available from the Conservation Fund, details green infrastructure—an interconnected network of green space that conserves natural ecosystem values and functions and provides associated benefits to human populations. Green infrastructure is the ecological framework needed for environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Using Local Watershed Plans to Protect Wetlands - This article, now available from the Center for Watershed Protection, describes a proposed framework for integrating wetland management in the context of local watershed planning efforts. It also outlines the rationale for managing wetlands at the watershed scale, the basics of the watershed planning process, and 11 recommended watershed planning elements that relate to wetlands.

Still Available: These CZM publication, listed in the last CZ-Mail, is still available:

• 2006 Boaters' Guide to Tides and Pumpout Facilities - The 2006 Boaters' Guide to Tides and Pumpout Facilities is now available. The wallet-sized pamphlet, printed on waterproof paper, contains information on the locations of pumpout facilities along the Massachusetts coastline and a June-September tide chart. For a free copy, email your request and mailing address to czm@state.ma.us.

• MMS Seeks Comments on Cape Wind - The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) has announced that it will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Cape Wind Offshore Energy Project—the proposal to construct an 130 turbine offshore wind park in Nantucket Sound. MMS is seeking comments prior to drafting the EIS. Review the proposal, submit comments, and get additional information at http://www.mms.gov/offshore/RenewableEnergy/Projects.htm. Comments are due by July 14.

• Live Shipwreck Broadcast - Join NOAA scientists and archaeologists from the National Undersea Research Center at the University of Connecticut and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary on July 15 as they explore the shipwreck of the coal schooners Frank A. Palmer and Louise B. Crary via a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). 30-minute live broadcasts from the shipwreck will take place at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center and on the internet.
• Oceans Conference - Sponsored by the Marine Technology Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the North America Oceans Conference and Exhibition will be held in Boston from September 18-21.
• National Beaches Conference - On October 11-13 EPA in collaboration with the Great Lakes Beach Association will hold the National Beaches Conference, in Niagara Falls, New York. It will provide a national framework for discussion of beach water quality issues, exchange of information, and coordination of efforts in research and decision making.
• Atmospheric Deposition Program Annual Meeting - On October 24-26, the National Atmospheric Deposition Program will hold the 29th Annual Technical meeting in Norfolk, Virginia. This year's theme is the Effects of Deposition in Coastal and Urban Environments.
• 2006 Watershed Institute - The Center for Watershed Protection has designed the 2006 Watershed Institute to equip watershed professionals (public works manager, urban planner, stream association member, or water quality professional) with the tools needed to develop comprehensive watershed plans. This intensive, interactive four-day program is being held October 23-26 near Columbus, Ohio.
• Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration Conference - On December 9-13 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Restore American Estuaries is holding the 3rd National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration-Forging the National Imperative.
• Summer Field Schools for Adults - Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is offering a wide variety of field courses for adults that focus on the unique coastal environment and wildlife of Cape Cod. Field Schools emphasize active outdoor "in-the-field" experiences and are taught by professional naturalists and scientists.
• UNH Stormwater Center 2006 Workshops - The CICEET-sponsored Stormwater Center at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) has announced its 2006 schedule of stormwater technology demonstration workshops. These workshops will take place at the Center's unique field facility, where researchers evaluate the effectiveness of different stormwater treatment systems in a side-by-side setting, under strictly controlled conditions. It is the only test bed of its kind in the nation. The 2006 workshops will consist of a tour of the facility, followed by a working lunch and discussion. Workshops are open to municipal officials, engineers, land planners, landscape architects, and natural resource managers.
• 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.