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CZ-Mail - October 2020

The monthly electronic newsletter from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

Welcome to CZ-Mail, the monthly electronic newsletter from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). Each issue 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. To subscribe, send a blank email (please be sure that the email is completely blank, with no signature line) to join-env-czmail@listserv.state.ma.us. Also, please feel free to share CZ-Mail with colleagues and friends—and if you have any suggestions for future editions, or would like make a change to your CZ-Mail subscription, please email your request to CZ-Mail@mass.gov. For daily updates from CZM, please follow us on Twitter.

All links on this web page were current and working on the date of publication.

Highlights

$4 Million in Grants Awarded to Communities and Nonprofits for Coastal Resilience - On September 18 at an event in Salem, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Undersecretary Dan Sieger and CZM Director Lisa Berry Engler were joined by legislators and local officials to announce $4 million in grants to support local efforts to reduce impacts from flooding, erosion, and sea level rise. CZM is pleased to support ongoing and new resilience efforts across the coast. The grants, provided through CZM’s Coastal Resilience Grant Program, were awarded to Beverly, Boston, Braintree, Chatham, Chelsea, Duxbury Beach Reservation, Inc., Edgartown, Essex, Essex County Greenbelt Association, Hull, Ipswich, Marion, Marshfield, Mass Audubon, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, New Bedford Port Authority, Oak Bluffs, Orleans, Plymouth, Provincetown, Salem, Save Popponesset Bay, Tisbury, and Wareham. The following communities and organizations are partners on these 29 resilience projects: Aquinnah, Brewster, Chilmark, Duxbury, Eastham, Fairhaven, Greenroots, Harwich, Ipswich River Watershed Association, Salem State University, Salem Sound Coastwatch, Martha’s Vineyard Commission, The Nature Conservancy, Truro, Wellfleet, and West Tisbury. Projects funded include efforts to design, permit, and construct nature-based approaches for storm damage protection and coastal stabilization, evaluate vulnerable facilities and infrastructure, develop long-term shoreline management alternatives and plans for resilience, and engage community members and students on addressing coastal hazards and climate change impacts. For more information, see the EEA Press Release. Also see the links below for news coverage on the event and grant awards. (Articles may only be available for a limited time. Not working? Try copying the web address directly into your browser, rather than clicking on it.)

Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program Awards $11.1 Million in Grants - On September 15, the Baker-Polito Administration announced $11.1 million in grants to cities and towns through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program. This program provides communities with funding and technical support to identify climate hazards, develop strategies to improve resilience, and implement priority actions to adapt to climate change. As part of the Climate Week celebration in the Commonwealth, Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito announced the grants at an event in Fitchburg with EEA Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. CZM continues to support EEA’s administration of the MVP program and provide technical assistance to community planning and implementation projects. For more information, including descriptions of grants awarded to coastal communities, see the EEA Press Release.

CZM Receives Award from Environmental Business Council for Work on Brownfield Remediation Project in Everett - On September 17, the Environmental Business Council of New England (EBC) presented the EBC James D.P. Farrell Award for Brownfields-Remediation Project of the Year to CZM and 12 project partners for their work on the redevelopment of the former Monsanto Chemical Company site on the Mystic River in Everett that is now Encore Boston Harbor. This project, the largest private development in Massachusetts history, saw the removal of 890,000 tons of contaminated soil from the site and now features a living shoreline, a rainwater irrigation system, and several significant clean energy upgrades. The site has been redeveloped with a 27-story hotel, along with convention, gaming, retail, and dining facilities. In addition, the property now includes a public harborwalk and ferry transportation to and from downtown Boston. For details on the award, see the EBC website.

BUAR Director Featured on Connecticut's State Archaeology Radio Program - On September 1, the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources (BUAR) Director and Chief Archaeologist, David Robinson, was a guest of the Connecticut State Archaeologist on Archaeology in Connecticut. Powered by FOSA (Friends of the State Archaeologist - Connecticut), the monthly online radio program on Connecticut's iCRV (internet radio of the Connecticut River Valley) features discussions on archaeology topics from experts in the field. Underwater archaeology was the September topic, and David spoke about shipwrecks, submerged paleocultural landscapes, differences between archaeology done on land and underwater, and various technologies underwater archaeologists use for research. Listen to the hour-long segment on the iCRV webpage.

Arlington Town Engineer Recognized by EPA for Stormwater Efforts - In September, Wayne Chouinard, the Town Engineer for Arlington, received a 2020 Environmental Merit Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for his efforts to reduce nutrient pollution in the Mystic River watershed. Excess phosphorus in the Mystic River has led to degraded habitat, the potential for harmful algal blooms, and other eutrophication-related impairments. In collaboration with other municipal partners and the Mystic River Watershed Association, Wayne led efforts to design and install multiple small-scale infiltration trench retrofits to treat phosphorus in stormwater. Since the initial pilot work, CZM has awarded two Coastal Pollutant Remediation Grants to the town and its partners. These grants have led to the construction of 20 street and green trenches in Arlington in 2020 and the planned construction of approximately 20 more trenches in Arlington and Lexington in 2021. Congratulations Wayne!

COASTSWEEP 2020 - COASTSWEEP is the state’s volunteer beach cleanup sponsored by CZM as part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. CZM’s top priority is to ensure the safety of COASTSWEEP volunteers, and consequently, significant changes have been made to the statewide beach cleanup this year due to COVID-19. For details, including limiting the size of group cleanups to 12 or less, see the COASTSWEEP 2020 - COVID-19 Notice. CZM thanks all of our COASTSWEEP volunteers for their enthusiasm and commitment. Please be sure to put your health and safety first so we can enjoy many years of COASTSWEEP to come!

CZM Offices Remain Closed - Due to COVID-19, all CZM offices remain closed for in-person services. During this time, CZM staff are working remotely and available to assist with coastal management issues. See Contact CZM for details.

Grants/Funding/Proposal Opportunities

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grants - The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is seeking applications for the 2020 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance program and the new Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) pre-disaster mitigation grant program. These grants provide funding for the development of hazard mitigation plans and the implementation of hazard mitigation projects to reduce or eliminate the loss of life and property due to natural hazards. For complete grant details, see the MEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs Overview web page, the web page for the BRIC and FMA programs, and the 2020 Notice of Funding Opportunity. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to view the grant webinar videos, which will provide detailed program requirements, including instructions for submitting the Statement of Interest that is due to MEMA by October 16. For more information, including introductory videos on the BRIC program and application information, see the MEMA website or email questions to mitigation@mass.gov.

Marine Debris Research Funding - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program is seeking proposals to support marine debris research through field, laboratory, and modeling experiments that explore the ecological risk, exposure levels, fate and transport of debris in coastal environments, and/or habitat impacts of marine debris. For more information, see the federal funding opportunity. Proposals are due by February 8, 2021.

North American Wetland Conservation Act Small Grants - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking applications for the North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) Small Grants Program to support public-private partnerships that further the goals of the NAWCA. Projects must involve long-term protection, restoration, enhancement and/or establishment of wetland and upland habitats to benefit migratory birds. For details, see the NAWCA website. Applications are due by October 15.

Reminders - This opportunity, listed in the last CZ-Mail, is still available:

  • Buzzards Bay Municipal Mini-Grant Program - The Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program is seeking proposals for the Buzzards Bay Watershed Municipal Mini-Grant Program, with $125,606 in funding available. Eligible projects must implement recommendations in the Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and can include stormwater remediation designs for discharges affecting marine waters, wetland/open space/habitat acquisition, migratory fish passage restoration, and construction of boat pumpout facilities. A 33 percent match of requested funding is required, and only municipalities within the Buzzards Bay watershed are eligible. For details and required forms, see the COMMBUYS website. Proposals are due by October 8 at 4:00 p.m.

Online Tools and Resources

NOAA Marine Debris Blog - Recent posts in the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Marine Debris Blog include the International Coastal Cleanup, fate of plastics in the oceans, and the new NOAA Marine Debris Program 2020 project awards. All blog topics can be searched by category and date. To receive notifications of new posts, sign up for email updates.

New Resources and Data from NOAA Digital Coast - NOAA’s Digital Coast has posted these new resources:

Products/Publications

Sea Level and Storm Surge Report for Massachusetts North Shore - The Trustees of Reservations has released State of the Coast: Future Climate-Driven Risks—and Their Solutions—on Massachusetts’ North Shore, a report on current coastal conditions, potential upcoming climate change impacts, and strategies for future adaptation in the 13 North Shore communities of Massachusetts. This report is the first of five planned annual reports for the coastal regions of the Commonwealth.

International Coastal Cleanup Report - Ocean Conservancy has released its most recent Cleanup Report, Together, We Are Team Ocean, which provides data and details on the 2019 International Coastal Cleanup. During last year’s cleanup, more than 940,000 volunteers collected nearly 32.5 million pieces of debris weighing over 20 million pounds from the world’s beaches and waterways. Along the Massachusetts coast, 3,501 COASTSWEEP volunteers collected more than 155,000 items.

Newsletters and Other Periodicals

Buzzards Bay Coalition Newsletter - The latest edition of The Bay Buzz from the Buzzards Bay Coalition features stories on the Coalition’s 32nd Annual Meeting, which was held online, an intern that launched land protection efforts on Cuttyhunk Island, and other regional news, volunteer opportunities, and events.

Ebb & Flow - The Late Summer/Early Fall 2020 issue of Ebb & Flow, the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) eNewsletter, reports on restoration efforts in the Assawompset Pond Complex in Southeastern Massachusetts, new DER staff, and other restoration project updates and resource links.

Neponset River Watershed News - The August 2020 update from the Neponset River Watershed Association includes a pieces on volunteer trout sampling, July water quality results, and other Neponset River news, events, and updates.

NOAA HabitatNews - The September 2020 issue of HabitatNews, a newsletter of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Restoration, includes articles on an effort to restore coral reefs in the Florida Keys, the Oil Pollution Act and its impact over the last 30 years, and other marine fisheries habitat news.

Right Whale News - The August 2020 issue of Right Whale News, a quarterly e-newsletter distributed by the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, includes a report on a vessel strike that killed a six-month old Right Whale calf, 2020 observations in Cape Cod Bay, and other right whale news and commentary.

The Skimmer on Marine Ecosystems and Management - The August-September 2020 edition of The Skimmer on Marine Ecosystems and Management, the monthly newsletter on ocean planning and ecosystem-based management from the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, explores the success of the California Marine Life Protection Act, as well as other ocean resources and news.

Jobs/Internship Postings

Hydrographer/Marine Technician - The Coastal Processes and Ecosystems Laboratory (CaPE Lab)—a joint research effort of UMass Boston’s School of the Environment and the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) in Provincetown—is seeking a Hydrographer/Marine Technician to conduct day-to-day operations of nearshore, shallow water acoustic surveys and help with to ongoing scientific studies. This position is based at the CCS Heibert Marine Lab in Provincetown. For more information, see the job posting. The review of applications will begin on October 9.

Open Space Manager - The Town of Ipswich is seeking a part-time Open Space Program Manager to administer the community’s open space acquisition program and initiatives, in coordination with municipal boards and committees and the Planning Department. This position will remain open until filled. For details, see the job posting.

Calendar - Individual Events and Announcements

Please note: Due to COVID-19, social distancing recommendations and requirements are in place. Consequently, many events are conducted virtually. For this edition of CZ-Mail, events are listed by announced date with a link to more information.

Undersea Film Exhibition - October 2-11, sponsored by the San Diego Undersea Film Exhibition and held online.

Smart Oceans 2020 - October 5, 7, and 9, virtual workshops sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Environmental Education Workshops, Research Symposium, and Annual Conference - October 5-16, sponsored by the North American Association for Environmental Education and held online.

The Future of Aquaculture: Innovating with Cutting Edge Tech - October 8, an online panel and networking event sponsored by SeaAhead Bluetech Innovation and the Cambridge Innovation Center.

National Monitoring Conference—Call for Abstracts Deadline Extended—Moved Online - April 19, 2021, sponsored by the North American Lake Management Society and now held online. Abstracts are now due by October 8.

Coastal GeoTools—Call for Abstracts - February 8-11, 2021, hosted by the Association of State Floodplain Managers and held online. Abstracts are due by October 9.

How's My Waterway: A Tool for Exploring Your Water Quality - October 13, webinar presented by EPA.

Global Symposium on Waste Plastic - October 13-15, sponsored by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and held online.

Environmental Education Conference - October 13-16, sponsored by the North American Association for Environmental Education and held online.

The Green Connector: Building Municipal Resiliency through Nature-Based Approaches - October 14, webinar presented by EPA.

RARGOM Annual Science Meeting - October 14-16, presented by the Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine (RARGOM) and held online.

NEERS Fall 2020 Meeting - October 15 and 20-22, virtual meeting of the New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS).

Climate Displacement Forum Series - October 15-November 5, a five-part webinar series from the National Adaptation Forum.

Diggin’ In: Digital Speaker Series - Underwater Archaeology - October 21, webinar presented by the Peabody Institute of Archaeology featuring BUAR Director David Robinson.

CERF 2021 Conference—Call for Sessions and Workshops - November 7-11, 2021, sponsored by the Coastal Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) and held in Richmond, Virginia. Submissions are due by October 21.

massFM First Annual Meeting - October 22, virtual meeting sponsored by the Massachusetts Association for Floodplain Management (massFM).

Net Zero Conference - October 23, presented by the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative and held online.

Mapping Future Flooding Risks for Salem - October 26, webinar presented by Salem Sound Coastwatch.

MIT Water Summit—A World of Water: Reimagining Resilience - November 11-13, sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and held online.

EBC 14th Annual Dredging Conference: Cleaning Up Past Contamination—Rivers, Ports, Harbors, and Lagoons - November 13, sponsored by EBC and held online.

National Watershed & Stormwater Conference—Call for Abstracts - April 13-16, 2021, sponsored by the Center for Watershed Protection and held in St. Petersburg, Florida. Abstracts are due by November 20.

Reminders - The following calendar items posted previously in CZ-Mail are still to come:

  • Boston Harbor Educators Conference - October 3, 5, 7, 8, sponsored by Massachusetts Marine Educators and held online.
  • Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride - October 4, sponsored by the Buzzards Bay Coalition and held virtually.
  • Climate Justice in the Mystic - October 6, webinar presented by the Mystic River Watershed Association.
  • Biological Thresholds in the Context of Climate Adaptation - October 7-8, online workshop sponsored by the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center.
  • National Coastal Conference - October 13-16, sponsored by the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association and held online.
  • MACC Fall Conference - October 17-24, sponsored by the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) and held online. This conference will include the presentation Building Foundation Requirements under the Wetlands Protection Act and Building Code: Similarities, Differences and Which One Governs from CZM, DCR, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
  • EBC Climate Change Webinar: What You Need to Know about FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program - October 20, webinar presented by EBC.
  • The Clean Currents Coalition: A Global Collaborative Solution to the Complex Plastics Problem - October 20, webinar presented by Open Communications for the Ocean (OCTO).
  • 2020 MassRecycle Conference & Trade Show - October 28-29, sponsored by MassRecycle and held online.
  • Coastal & Island Conference - November 16-17, sponsored by the Center for Watershed Protection and held online.

Calendar - Multiple/Ongoing Events

Please note: Due to COVID-19, social distancing recommendations and requirements are in place. Consequently, many events are being conducted virtually. For this edition of CZ-Mail, announced events are listed alphabetically with a link to more information.

Barnstable Land Trust Events - Programs for children and adults across Barnstable.

Boston Environmental History Seminar Series - Monthly webinars from the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Buzzards Bay Events - Events in the Buzzards Bay area compiled by the Buzzards Bay Coalition.

Cape Cod Field Schools - Multi-day field courses offered by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History Programs - A calendar of events at the museum.

Climate Resilience Speaker Series - Monthly webinars presented by Storm Surge Climate Stewards.

Conservation Commission Education - Workshops, webinars, and trainings scheduled across Massachusetts and posted by the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions. See the MACC Complete Education Catalog and Community Calendar.

Ipswich River Watershed Events - Events throughout the watershed compiled by the Ipswich River Watershed Association.

Mass Audubon Cape Cod Walks, Lectures, and Events - Programs for children and adults hosted by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary.

Mass Audubon Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary Programs and Activities - Programs for children and adults in and around Ipswich.

Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Education Center Programs and Events - Programs for children and adults in and around Newburyport.

Mass Audubon North River Wildlife Sanctuary Activities and Events - Programs for children and adults in and around Marshfield.

MIT Climate Action Symposia - Climate change webinars presented this fall by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mystic River Watershed Events - Events throughout the watershed compiled by the Mystic River Watershed Association.

National Marine Sanctuaries Webinars - Periodic webinars hosted by the sanctuary system.

NOAA Coastal Training and Learning Resources - A range of training opportunities from NOAA’s Digital Coast.

NOAA Planet Stewards Educator Events - Webinars, workshops, and book club sessions from the NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project.

North and South Rivers Watershed Association Events - Events listings on the South Shore.

OneNOAA Science Seminars - Webinars and seminars on science and climate issues from several NOAA partners.

Restoration Webinar Series - Webinars hosted by NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Salem Sound COASTWATCH Community Calendar - Events posted in the Salem Sound region.

Sound in the Sea Webinars - Webinars hosted by the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography.

Watershed Wednesdays - Lunchtime webinars presented by the Neponset River Watershed Association.

Other Items of Interest

2021 Marine Debris Calendar - The NOAA Marine Debris Program has released the 2021 Marine Debris Calendar, featuring the winning artwork from the 2021 Marine Debris Program Art Contest. Hundreds of entries from kindergarten through 8th grade students were submitted with the goal of helping to raise awareness about marine debris and encourage people to help combat ocean pollution. The 13 winning entries displayed in the 2021 calendar were selected based on creativity, artistic presentation, and relevance to the theme.

Youth Making Ripples Film Competition - The Youth Making Ripples Film Competition is seeking short ocean documentary film submissions from K-12 students to educate the public on marine conservation. Students can win cash prizes. Finalist films will be featured on the Youth Making Ripples website and shown at events throughout the year. Entries are due by January 15, 2021.

Science Without Borders Art Challenge - The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation has launched the 2021 Science without Borders Challenge—a contest for students and teachers involved and interested in ocean conservation through art. This year’s theme is The Magic of Mangroves and students are encouraged to create a piece of art that illustrates the importance of mangroves. The challenge is open to primary and secondary school students 11-19 years old, with prizes of up to $500 awarded to winning entries. See the contest rules or more details. The deadline for entry is March 1, 2021.

Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest - Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs is now accepting submissions for the 2021 Ocean Awareness Contest. The 2021 theme is Water Rising and students ages 11-18 are invited to learn about the role of water and the need to protect this important resource. Students can work as individuals, a group, class, or club. Participants can earn cash awards and scholarships up to $1,500. Also, students in Massachusetts can win $250 cash scholarships. Submissions are due by June 14, 2021.

Lloyd Center After School Programs - This fall, the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth will offer in-person after school programs that feature STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities for children ages 6-10. Programs will be held primarily outdoors with a focus on habitat exploration, creature discoveries, and investigations of the natural world through games, activities, crafts, and trail walks. For details, see the Lloyd Center website.

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