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CZ-Mail All links on this web page were current and working on the date of publication.
CZM to Host a New Fellow for Coastal Floodplain Management Through a competitive grant process, CZM has been awarded a new Coastal Services Center (CSC) Coastal Management Fellow for August 2008 to August 2010. The federally funded Fellow will implement a project called StormSmart Coasts—Making Storm-Resilient Communities a Reality in Massachusetts. This project builds on the nationally award-winning StormSmart Coasts program in development by CZM and led by our current CSC Fellow, Wes Shaw, which will include an extensive website of coastal floodplain management tools for communities. The new Fellow will work directly with selected coastal communities to implement StormSmart Coasts floodplain management tools, use this experience to help successfully transfer these tools throughout the remainder of the state, and develop a national model for storm-resilient community implementation. CZM looks forward to hosting our seventh Fellow through this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) program! And stay tuned to CZ-Mail for updates on StormSmart Coasts, including the launch of the website in early 2008. COASTSWEEP-20th Anniversary Tally This year, COASTSWEEP celebrated its 20th anniversary. Part of an international effort organized by the Ocean Conservancy, COASTSWEEP is the statewide annual beach cleanup sponsored by CZM and the Urban Harbors Institute (UHI) of UMass Boston. Throughout the fall, 1,800 COASTSWEEP volunteers cleaned more than 100 miles of coastline, river bank, marsh, seafloor, and lakeshore sites in Massachusetts—collecting almost 18,000 pounds of debris. CZM and UHI would like to thank all of the dedicated volunteers that participated in COASTSWEEP 2007. For more information about this year's efforts, see the COASTSWEEP website. If you are interested in getting involved in future COASTSWEEP cleanups, email coastsweep@umb.edu. Little Namskaket Creek Restoration Project Complete Restoration partners representing CZM's Wetland Restoration Program (WRP), the town of Orleans, the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service have completed a salt marsh restoration on Little Namskaket Creek in Orleans. The project replaced a failing 15-inch culvert with a much larger box culvert to restore tidal flow to a seven-acre degraded salt marsh. Little Namskaket Creek is in the Inner Cape Cod Bay Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). The marsh is characterized by a large stand of common reed (Phragmites australis), a highly invasive non-native plant. Restoration of tidal flow will stem the common reed invasion, restore the vigor of native salt marsh species, and improve habitat for wildlife that depends on salt marsh. For more information on wetland's restoration in Massachusetts, see CZM's WRP website. Herring River Restoration Agreement Signed On November 13, the Cape Cod National Seashore and the towns of Wellfleet and Truro signed a second Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), agreeing to move forward on the Herring River Restoration project. The MOU signals each entity's acceptance of the Herring River Conceptual Restoration Plan (CRP) and willingness to pursue the forthcoming technical design, fundraising, and permitting phases of the restoration project. The new MOU directs the towns and National Seashore to form the Herring River Restoration Committee. CZM staff played a key role in development of the CRP. For additional details, see the Herring River Restoration Plan. Grants/Funding Opportunities Hazard Mitigation Grant Program - In April 2007, Massachusetts was hit with a severe storm that caused coastal flooding and significant inland flooding across much of the Commonwealth. President George Bush declared several Massachusetts counties major disaster areas in the weeks following these storms—making a wide range of federal aid available to the Commonwealth. One component of this aid is the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and administered by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). Grants are available to state agencies, local governments, certain private nonprofit organizations, and Native American tribes to fund cost-effective measures to reduce or prevent future flood damage. Get details on the MEMA website. Communities that have not submitted a pre-application, should do so as soon as possible. Funding for Habitat Management on Private Lands - MassWildlife's Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) is seeking proposals from individual landowners, land trusts, sportsmen's clubs, farmland owners, and other conservation organizations for wildlife habitat management funding. To view the Request for Responses (RFR), visit the Comm-PASS website and search for document number "FEW-LIP-2008-001." Applications are due by December 21. Reminders - This funding opportunity, listed in the last CZ-Mail, is still available:
Alternative Energy and Alternate Use Final Programmatic EIS - The U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) has released the Alternative Energy and Alternate Use Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for authorizing alternative energy and alternate use activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). View the EIS on the MMS website. Dam Removal Guidance - MassDEP has released Dam Removal and the Wetlands Regulations (PDF, 927 KB). This document is intended to assist Conservation Commissions and MassDEP, as the permitting authorities, in the application of the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act to encourage environmental improvements to rivers and streams anticipated to result from dam removal. Cape Cod Bay Report - The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS) has released the State of the Bay 2007 report, which highlights comprehensive water quality research and addresses issues that concern local, state, and federal resource managers. Buzzards Bay Report - The Coalition for Buzzards Bay has released the State of the Bay Report 2007, which examines the current state of Buzzards Bay in three categories-pollution, watershed health, and living resources. In 2007, Buzzards Bay scored 45 out of 100—down 3 points from the 2003 score. Their tally indicates that the bay is functioning at half its ecological capacity. Marine Debris Report - The Ocean Conservancy has released key findings from the U.S. National Marine Debris Monitoring Program, a five-year national study of marine debris. The Program's Final Program Report, Data Analysis, and Summary indicates that marine debris, from both ocean- and land-based activities, has increased across the United States by more than five percent each year. Riverways eNewsletter - The November issue of Riverways NewsNotes, an eNewsletter from the Massachusetts Riverways Program, is now available online. This edition features a story about the importance of river restoration in response to climate change, as well as grant announcements, an event calendar, online resources, and publications. Economic Impacts of Climate Change Report - The University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Environmental Research has released the report, The US Economic Impacts of Climate Change and the Costs of Inaction. The report details the potential impacts of rising global temperatures on a broad array of U.S. industry sectors and regions in the coming decades. Coastal Services Magazine - The November/December 2007 issue of the Coastal Services Magazine, a publication of the NOAA's Coastal Services Center, is now available online. This issue features stories about ship recycling in Oregon, beach access in Texas, and shifting Boston's shipping lanes to protect whales. Reminders - This CZM publication, listed in the last CZ-Mail, is still available:
U.S. Drought Portal - NOAA, in collaboration with other agencies and state governments, has developed the U.S. Drought Portal to provide dynamic and accessible drought-risk information. Check it out at www.drought.gov. Public Comment Alternative Energy on the Outer Continental Shelf - MMS is seeking comments regarding the use of outer continental shelf areas for alternative energy technology (wind, wave, and ocean current). Submit comments by January 7, 2008 at https://ocsconnect.mms.gov/pcs-public/. For more details, see the Federal Register Notice. Port Access Route Study to Reduce Vessel Strikes of Right Whales - The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting a Port Access Route Study on the area east and south of Cape Cod to analyze potential vessel routing measures that might help reduce ship strikes with the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale, while minimizing any adverse effects on vessel operations. For details, contact George Detweiler at George.H.Detweiler@uscg.mil. Submit comments by January 18, 2008 at http://www.regulations.gov. NOAA Marine Mammal Research Regulations - NOAA is seeking comments on permitting regulations for scientific research and enhancement activities involving marine mammals. Submit comments by December 13 at http://www.regulations.gov. For more information, contact Amy Sloan at Amy.Sloan@noaa.gov. Job Postings New England Aquarium Positions - The New England Aquarium is seeking applications for an Associate Director of Seafood Marketing, a Senior Scientist, and a Project Manager for its Sustainable Fisheries Initiative. All postings will remain open until filled. Calendar Coastal Conservation Training - The Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC), in partnership with the Massachusetts Coastal Training Program (CTP), is holding two full-day workshops for Conservation Commissioners, agents, and administrators. The workshops will provide a solid grounding in the unique aspects of protecting coastal wetlands and landforms under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. The workshops are scheduled for December 8 at Stoneham Town Hall, and January 12, 2008 at Cape Cod Community College. For details, see the MACC website. Land-Based Wind Projects Workshop - On December 14 in Hyannis, CTP, Cape and Islands Self-Reliance, and the Cape and Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative will hold the workshop Land-based Wind Projects: Maximizing Benefits, Overcoming Barriers. This workshop will examine how wind power use can reduce energy budgets, offset wastewater treatment costs, and help mitigate climate change. Lessons learned and approaches used by energy committees from the towns of Orleans and Falmouth will be shared as well as a case study examining how wastewater treatment and wind energy generation have been successfully combined. For more information, see the CTP calendar. Climate Change Conference - On January 16-18, 2008 in Washington D.C., the National Council for Science and the Environment will hold the 8th National Conference on Science, Policy, and the Environment to develop and advance science-based solutions to climate change. Join scientists, policy makers, industry leaders, educators, and other solutions-oriented innovators to develop comprehensive strategies for protecting people and the planet against the threat of climate change. For details, see the 2008 conference website. Revisions to Stormwater Regulations Workshops - The MassDEP Circuit Riders are holding a series of free workshops to provide information on: the regulatory changes to the stormwater standards, Low Impact Design (LID) techniques, and stormwater management system design. Three of these Regulatory Revisions to Stormwater Management in Massachusetts Workshops are being held on January 24, 2008 in Lakeville, February 6 in Newburyport, and February 8 in Harwich. For details, contact the Wetlands Circuit Rider Coordinator, Alice Smith, at alice.smith@state.ma.us. Water Resources Conference-Call for Abstracts - On April 8, 2008, the Massachusetts Water Resources Research Center and University of Massachusetts (UMass) Extension will hold the 5th Annual Conference on Water Resources: Integrating Water Resources Management for a Secure Water Future at UMass Amherst. For more on the conference, and to submit abstracts online (by January 25, 2008), see the conference website. Sustainable Development Forum - On January 25, 2008, New Ecology, Inc., the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Department of Urban Studies & Planning, and MIT's Sloan School of Management will hold the 7th Annual Regional Sustainable Development Forum at MIT in Cambridge. This year's conference will focus on the importance of motivating a broad constituency to work together to address the consequences of global climate change. Wastewater Conference - On January 27-30, 2008, the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) will host the 2008 Annual Conference & Exhibit at the Marriott Copley Place Hotel in Boston. The NEWEA conference is the largest wastewater environment conference held in New England. The conference features a large Exhibit Area with 170 vendors. Technical sessions will focus on industrial waste, collections systems, plant operations, wetlands, government affairs, hazardous waste, and watershed management. Reminders - The following calendar items, posted in the last CZ-Mail, are still to come:
New Coast Guard Regulations for Buzzards Bay - The U.S. Coast Guard has revised navigation safety regulations for Buzzards Bay, effective November 28. The special regulations for Buzzards Bay now require:
Switzer Environmental Fellowship - The Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation is seeking applications for Switzer Fellowships, which provide one year of financial academic support and long-term career and professional development for graduate students in New England and California. For details, see the Switzer Foundation website. Applications are due by February 1, 2008. APA Hazards Planning Research Center-Call for Documents - The American Planning Association's (APA) Hazards Planning Research Center is seeking planning documents and related publications that address hazard mitigation. These documents will be used to create a collection of best practices that make the connection between hazard mitigation planning and other local planning activities. For details, see the APA website. Sea Grant/NMFS Joint Fellowships - Woods Hole Sea Grant is seeking applicants for the Population Dynamics and Marine Resource Economics Graduate Fellowship, which is designed to help Sea Grant fulfill its broad educational responsibilities and strengthen the collaboration between Sea Grant and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The Fisheries Fellowship is available to U.S. citizens enrolled in Ph.D. programs in the United States and its territories. Applications are due by January 25, 2008. Marine Policy Fellowships - Wood Hole Sea Grant is accepting applications for the 2009 Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program. This one-year program is open to any student enrolled in a graduate or professional program in a marine or aquatic-related field at a U.S.-accredited institution of higher education. The program, sponsored by the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program, matches highly qualified graduate students with "hosts" in the legislative and executive branches of government located in the Washington, DC area, for a one year paid fellowship. Applications are due by February 29, 2008. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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