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CZ-Mail October 2009 Welcome to CZ-Mail, the monthly email newsletter 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. Additional information about CZM's programs, publications, and other coastal topics can be found on the CZM website. Please feel free to share CZ-Mail with colleagues and friends—and if you have suggestions for CZ-Mail, would like your name added to the mailing list, or would like your name removed, please email your request to CZ-Mail@state.ma.us. All links on this web page were current and working on the date of publication.
Draft Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan—Hearings, Public Review, and Comment The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) released the draft Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan in July for public review and comment. EEA held five public hearings on the draft plan—September 14 in Boston, September 15 in New Bedford, September 16 in Barnstable, September 17 in Gloucester, and September 23 in Tisbury (Vineyard Haven). Approximately 300 people attended these hearings and provided comments for the record. In addition, the Ocean Advisory Commission met on September 8 and the Science Advisory Council met on September 28 to discuss the draft plan. Over the fall, EEA and the agencies will be reviewing comments received and working on appropriate changes to the draft plan. The Oceans Act sets a deadline of December 31, 2009, for final promulgation of a plan that balances protection of marine resources with uses such as renewable energy development. Public comments on the draft plan must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 23. To provide online comments, see the ocean plan Public Input Portal comments page. Submit written comments to: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Re: Draft Ocean Management Plan 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800 Boston, MA 02114 See the Draft Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan website for links to the two-volume draft plan and all maps and figures. To receive periodic ocean plan updates, send an email to join-env-oceanplan@listserv.state.ma.us. National Ocean Policy Task Force Releases Interim Report In June, President Obama issued a memorandum calling for a new national policy for oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes. An Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force was created and was charged with developing recommendations within 90 days, including a framework for policy coordination and an implementation strategy that identifies and prioritizes the objectives of the national policy. The Task Force was also charged with developing a recommended framework for coastal and marine spatial planning within 180 days. In its efforts to develop the interim report, the Task Force—led by the Council on Environmental Quality—sought the input of federal, state, tribal, and regional representatives, scientists, legal and policy experts, and the public. On September 24, CZM Director Deerin Babb-Brott provided testimony as part of an expert panel during the Ocean Policy Task Force Public Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island. Also in September, CZM Assistant Director, Bruce Carlisle, and Ocean Services Manager, John Weber, provided presentations to the Task Force, offering insight and perspectives from the Commonwealth's experience in developing the draft ocean plan. Comments on the Task Force Interim Report should be submitted through the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force website by October 17. Climate Change Advisory Committee Work Continues The state's Climate Change Adaptation Advisory Committee (CCAAC) continues its work on developing recommendations to the legislature on potential strategies to better prepare for the impacts of a changing climate. Each of the five subcommittees (Coastal Zone and Ocean, Natural Resources and Habitat, Local Economy, Human Health and Welfare, and Key Infrastructure) has prepared draft reports to the full CCAAC Committee which will meet to review and discuss these reports on October 20. Stay tuned to CZ-Mail for future details. COASTSWEEP 2009 Kicks Off at Nantasket Beach On September 19, EEA Undersecretary for Environment Philip Griffiths and CZM's COASTSWEEP Coordinator Robin Lacey welcomed 175 dedicated volunteers to kick off the 2009 COASTSWEEP at the Nantasket Beach in Hull. The Department of Conservation and Recreation provided a welcoming atmosphere as their beach crew greeted volunteers and events staff played a perfect mix of tunes. COASTSWEEP is organized by CZM and the UMass Boston Urban Harbors Institute and is part of the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup. Ocean Conservancy staff, Bank of America employees, school groups, and more than 50 Boy Scouts were on hand to launch the 2009 event. COASTSWEEP is the annual shoreline cleanup in Massachusetts and more than 100 cleanups are scheduled along the Commonwealth's coast throughout September and October. For COASTSWEEP details or to get involved with a cleanup near you, see the COASTSWEEP website. Gulf of Maine Habitat Restoration Grants The 2009 Gulf of Maine Council-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Habitat Restoration Grants Program has awarded more than $237,000 for four habitat restoration projects in Massachusetts. Restoration projects target degraded coastal and estuarine habitats including salt marshes, native diadromous fish runs, and eelgrass and shellfish beds found in the Gulf of Maine region. Selected projects included two dam removal feasibility studies in Middleton, a tidal restoration in Hingham, and a tidal flow enhancement feasibility study in Wellfleet. For more information, see the Gulf of Maine Habitat Restoration Web Portal. Grants/Funding Opportunities Stormwater Plan for New Bedford Harbor Waterfront - CZM's Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program is seeking proposals from qualified contractors to create a stormwater plan for all surfaces including publically owned piers and wharfs, buildings, adjacent public ways, and private properties within a selected portion of the New Bedford Harbor Waterfront. To view the Request for Responses (RFR), see the Comm-PASS website and search for document number "ENV 09 CZM 13." Proposals are due by October 20. Coastal Pollutant Remediation Grant Program - CZM will soon release an RFR soliciting proposals for the Coastal Pollutant Remediation (CPR) grant program to fund projects that address local nonpoint source pollution issues. Prior to the RFR release, CZM will hold informational meetings to discuss program eligibility, project preferences, timelines, and other details. For more information, including dates and locations for these meetings, stay tuned to the CPR web page. Reminder - These opportunities listed in the last CZ-Mail are still available:
FEMA Moves to Digital Delivery of Flood Maps - On October 1, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) changed the method it distributes flood maps and reports from paper to digital (online). FEMA will now provide a single paper flood map and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) to each mapped community when respective maps are updated. All other maps and FIS reports will continue to be available electronically. Free digital map products and data can be accessed by an easy-to-use website where users can create custom maps and perform advanced flood risk analyses. Read more about the digital transition on the FEMA website. Climate Adaptation Books - Island Press has published two new books that discuss climate change planning and adaptation. Planning for Coastal Resilience by Timothy Beatley argues that in the face of climate change, coastal planning must go beyond reactive strategies and include the concept of resilience-the ability to withstand or quickly recover from a natural or human-induced disaster by building smaller, decentralized networks for energy, water, and transportation. In The Rising Sea, Orrin Pilkey and Rob Young assert rising sea levels are inevitable and many coastal cities will have to adapt quickly. With more than half of the U.S. population living in coastal regions, and entire islands and nations facing the prospect of slipping under the sea, this is a significant issue. Coastal Services Magazine - The September/October 2009 issue of Coastal Services, a NOAA Coastal Services Center magazine, features articles about communicating climate change in Oregon, preparation for offshore wind farms in New Jersey, and water conservation efforts in Louisiana. Coastal Connections - The October/November 2009 issue of NOAA's Coastal Connections focuses on climate change adaptation planning. Atlantic CoastWatch Newsletter - The July/August 2009 issue of Atlantic CoastWatch, the bimonthly newsletter from the Sustainable Development Institute that provides news and information about the Atlantic coasts of Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean, is now available. This edition includes articles on lobster wars in Maine, coastal projects funded with stimulus dollars, green marinas, and other Atlantic coast news. Right Whale News - The August 2009 issue of Right Whale News (PDF, 106 KB) is a quarterly newsletter on conservation and recovery of the North Atlantic right whale and its habitats. The August 2009 issue features articles on a Navy warfare training range, 30 years of research at the New England Aquarium, a proposed liquefied natural gas facility in Maine, and other right whale news. Marine Protected Area Newsletter - The September-October 2009 issue of MPA News features articles on the deep ocean marine protected areas (MPA), fishing restrictions in MPAs, and other MPA news and notes. Websites Habitattitude - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA, SeaGrant, and the pet industry have developed Habitattitude, a program to raise awareness of invasive species and educate pet owners about the hazards of releasing unwanted fish and plants into the environment. Water Quality Standards Academy - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Water Quality Standards Academy has developed the new online module Basic Course Supplemental Topics: Monitoring and Assessment. The new module covers the role of monitoring and assessment in the implementation of clean water programs. Aquatic Ecosystem Simulation Model - EPA's Office of Science and Technology has released an enhanced version of the aquatic ecosystem simulation model AQUATOX—a PC-based ecosystem model that predicts the fate of nutrients and organic chemicals in water bodies, as well as their direct and indirect effects on the resident organisms. TMDL Program Results Analysis Website - EPA's Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program has developed a new TMDL Program Results Analysis website to provide results to technically specialized audiences, including TMDL developers, state water programs, academia, other federal agency programs, and EPA water quality staff. A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that load among the various sources of that pollutant. Coastal Projects under CZM Review South Boston Municipal Harbor Plan Amendment Approved - On September 10, the city of Boston's South Boston Municipal Harbor Plan Amendment was approved by EEA. The amendment contained substitutions and offsets for a 12 acre area along the Fort Point Channel in South Boston. CZM provided the city with harbor planning technical assistance throughout the process. The public benefits associated with the plan include enhanced public access, expansive new open spaces, and features such as transient boating facilities, public art, and other civic/cultural amenities that will help draw people to the Fort Point Channel area and implement the city's Watersheet Activation Plan. See the full MHP decision (PDF, 588 KB) Public Comment Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force Interim Report - On September 17, the White House Council on Environmental Quality's Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force released its Interim Report, which begins a 30-day public review and comment period. The Task Force is developing of a recommendation for a national policy that ensures protection, maintenance, and restoration of oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes. For more information, see the Task Force website. Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations - FEMA is seeking comments on the proposed Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) for the following coastal communities: Beverly, Braintree, Cohasset, Gloucester, Ipswich, Manchester, Marblehead, Nahant, Nantucket, Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley, Swampscott, Salisbury, and Weymouth. The BFEs are the basis for the floodplain management measures that a community must adopt to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. The preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for the proposed BFEs are available at each community's town hall. Submit comments by December 7 to Kevin Long at kevin.long@dhs.gov. Oil Spill Response Plans for Nontank Vessels - The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking comments on the proposal to require oil spill response plans for nontank vessels. (Nontank vessels are defined as self-propelled vessels of 400 gross tons or greater that operate on the navigable waters of the United States, carry oil of any kind as fuel for main propulsion, and are not tank vessels.) For more information and to submit comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for docket number USCG-2008-1070. Comments are due by November 30. Reminders - The following comment opportunities posted in the last CZ-Mail are still available:
Ocean Sciences Meeting—Call for Abstracts - On February 22-26, the 2010 Ocean Sciences Meeting will be held in Portland Oregon and will focus on the development of predictive tools that are based on models and field observations. Abstracts are due by October 15. Bioneers by the Bay - On October 22-25, the fifth annual Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change conference will be held in New Bedford. Bioneers by the Bay is an annual gathering of environmental, industry, and social justice practitioners who have demonstrated visionary and practical models for restoring the Earth and its inhabitants. National Marine Life Center's Marine Animal Hospital Event - On October 23, the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History will host a free program on the National Marine Life Center's new marine animal hospital with Don Lewis, who serves as the Center's Chief Operating Officer. Lewis will speak about the new marine animal hospital as it prepares to accept stranded sea turtles. The hospital will also ultimately be the only regional facility to receive seals, porpoises, dolphins, and small whales. Now under construction, the 15,000-square-foot hospital will provide immediate and critical medical help for stranded marine animals on Cape Cod, one of the most active stranding hot spots in the world. For details, see the museum's website. Coastal Society Conference—Call for Papers - On June 13-16, 2010, the Coastal Society will hold its 22nd International Conference Shifting Shorelines: Adapting to the Future in Wilmington, North Carolina. Submissions for papers, panels, and posters that complement the conference's theme of adapting to the changing landscape of ocean and coastal resource management are due by October 23. MACC Fall Conference - On October 24, the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) will hold its eastern Massachusetts 2009 Fall Conference in Wellesley. Enforcement-Yes You Can: Effective Strategies for Handling Wetland Violations will explore strategies, procedures, case studies, and other tools needed when facing enforcement dilemmas. Adapting to the Risks of Climate Change Course - On October 29-30, the Consensus Building Institute will present a free hands-on professional development course in Cambridge. Adapting to the Risks Posed by Climate Change: A Consensus-Building Approach will explore the development of responses to climate change in the near term to minimize risks and costs in the future. Stormwater Regulation Seminar - On November 6, Law Seminars International will present a seminar entitled Stormwater Regulation in New England at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Boston. The regulation of stormwater runoff plays a central role in local and regional land use planning and project permitting, which has led to increasingly complex regulatory programs, such as TMDLs and the creation of local stormwater utility districts. This seminar will explore these issues and more. Natural Resource Damages Conference - On November 12-13, the fifth annual Conference on Natural Resource Damages will be held in Newark New Jersey. This conference will address complex strategic, tactical, and substantive issues for both natural resource trustees and potentially responsible parties. Reminders - The following calendar items posted in the last CZ-Mail are still to come:
Frank Scalli Annual Summer Internship - The Boston Sea Rovers are accepting applications for the 2010 Frank Scalli Annual Summer Internship. Qualified graduating high school seniors and college freshman interested in pursuing underwater careers are encouraged to apply. Applications are due by October 31. Stellwagen Advisory Council - The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for several seats on its Sanctuary Advisory Council. To receive an application kit, contact Elizabeth.Stokes@noaa.gov. Applications are due by December 18. Marine Policy Fellowships - The NOAA Sea Grant College Program is accepting applications for the 2011 Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program. This one-year program provides a unique educational experience to students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The program matches highly qualified graduate students with hosts in the legislative and executive branches, or appropriate associations/institutions located in the area of Washington, DC, for a one year paid fellowship. Applications are due by February 19, 2010. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Boston, MA 02114