The Coastal States Organization represents the nation’s Coastal States, Territories & Commonwealths on ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resource issues.
|
|
Digital Coast
Digital Coast Photo Contest
NOAA has announced the second annual coastal management photo contest. What picture do you see whenyou think “coastal management”? Whether the subject is protecting the coast, beautiful wetlands,public access to beaches, or visiting the national estuarine research reserves, NOAA wants to see your photos that answer the question, “What is Coastal Management?”
Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and feature din our social media campaign during the month of May.
Read more.
Tips and Stories for Coastal Managers, Delivered to Your Inbox!
Have the latest technical topics, professional tips, and stories from your peers emailed to you each month.
Subscribe
to NOAA Office for Coastal Management's recently redesigned
Digital Coast Connections newsletter
.
Stay in the know about new data, tools, and resources from NOAA's Digital Coast, as well as announcements from the research reserves, the Coastal Zone Management Program, and the Coral Reef Conservation Program.
Email the office
for more information.
|
|
FEMA Releases Affordability Framework for the National Flood Insurance Program
FEMA released an affordability framework today, as required by the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 (HFIAA). The framework titled, “An Affordability Framework for the National Flood Insurance Program,” provides the first ever data driven analysis of policyholder and potential policyholder incomes by flood risk and home ownership status. The framework suggests that both policyholders and non-policyholders with the lowest median incomes live in the highest hazard areas. The framework proposes several options for developing an affordability program for flood insurance and offers models of the costs of each option.
Read more.
|
|
National Flood Insurance Is Underwater Because of Outdated Science
The National Flood Insurance Program, which covers some 5.2 million property holders in the U.S., was slated to get a badly needed overhaul today. The Senate’s task—which includes hammering out reforms that address the changing math of flood risk—has already been pushed back three times since November. Yet lawmakers still have not compromised on how to fix a broken system, so a reauthorization of the NFIP will almost certainly be punted again, to July 31.
Read more.
|
|
In the States and Regions
|
|
West Coast and Pacific Islands
|
Commission Adopts Islandwide Change to SMA Boundary
Lanai has adopted a new islandwide special management area boundary — the first islandwide change in Hawaii since special management area boundaries were adopted in the 1970s, the county announced Monday.
The Lanai Planning Commission made the historic move on Feb. 21. Chairwoman Kelli Gima signed the decision and order that made the new boundary official on March 21.
The special management area was created as part of federal and state coastal zone management laws, with the purpose of preserving and protecting resources within the coastal zone.
Read more.
Dredging planned for Swinomish Channel
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposes dredging up to 400,000 cubic yards of sediment from the channel — which separates Fidalgo Island from the mainland of Skagit County — every four to six years through 2033.
The last time the channel was dredged was in 2014, Dallas Edwards of the corps’ Seattle District said.
Ecology is responsible for issuing permits for those types of projects under the federal Clean Water Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act.
Read more.
|
|
Wolf Administration Announces Use of Mariner East 2 Fine
The Wolf Administration today announced the creation of a new grant program funded by the historic penalty collected from Sunoco Pipeline, LLP related to construction of the Mariner East 2 (MEII) pipeline. Grants will be awarded for projects that reduce or minimize pollution and protect clean water in the 85 municipalities along the length of the pipeline corridor.
“It is important that we utilize this funding in an impactful way that will support long-term water quality improvement projects in these communities,” said Governor Wolf.
In February, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) collected the $12.6 million penalty for permit violations related to the construction of the project. The penalty, one of the largest collected in a single settlement, was deposited into the Clean Water Fund and the Dams and Encroachments Fund, in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Streams Law and the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act. These grants will be directed to the municipalities to eliminate pollution and protect the public from unsafe dams, water obstructions, and encroachments.
Read more.
|
|
Commissioner George P. Bush Announces Texas General Land Office will Award up to $1.8 Million in Grant Funding for Coastal Projects
Commissioner George P. Bush announced Texas General Land Office (GLO) will be awarding up to $1.8 million in grant funding for coastal projects. Additionally, the GLO will hold three workshops to provide information on the grant program and allow potential applicants to discuss specific project ideas with staff. Due to significant changes in the application process and funding categories, the GLO is highly recommending that potential applicants attend a workshop to learn more.
Read more.
|
|
GA DNR Enhances the Henry Vassa Cate Inshore Artificial Reef
The Coastal Resources Division (CRD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR) has recently completed an enhancement of the Henry Vassa Cate inshore artificial reef located in St. Simons Sound one mile south southwest of the Jekyll Island Pier in Glynn County. The project is the first to be completed with funds from the 2017 Enhanced Fishing License Revenue bill passed by the Georgia Legislature.
Read more.
|
|
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation - Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW)
Registration is now open for CHOW 2018 happening June 5 -7 in Washington, D.C. More information on the events happening and registration can be found
here!
5th National Working Waterfronts and Waterways Symposium
Registration is now open for the 5th National Working Waterfronts and Waterways Symposium, held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 14-17, 2018. The symposium provides a forum for stakeholders from across the U.S. to connect and showcase innovative, successful, and timely solutions to waterfront and waterway issues. Working waterfronts include lands and infrastructure that are used for water-dependent activities, such as ports, marinas, recreational harbors, fishing docks, and hundreds of other places across the country where people use and access the water.
Michigan Sea Grant will host the 2018 symposium at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, with field trips that highlight working waterfronts in nearby riverfront and coastal towns. Learn and share challenges and solutions during plenary sessions, concurrent presentations, strategic planning meetings, and ample networking time. Registration details and other information about the conference can be found at:
www.nationalworkingwaterfronts.com
Worth Exploring! Using Nature to Address Flooding
Nature offers a powerful set of tools for addressing hazards like flooding and erosion. Nature-based solutions use natural systems, mimic natural processes, or work in tandem with traditional approaches to address these specific hazards. Communities across the country- along rivers or coasts, large or small, rural or urban - can incorporate nature-based solutions in local planning, zoning, regulations, and built projects to help reduce their exposure to flood and erosion impacts.
Training
Environmental Communications Planning
This course is designed to give environmental professionals the necessary tools to write a successful and comprehensive Communications Plan. These plans can be used internally, to manage change or initiatives within an organization, or externally to communicate a message to stakeholders and/or the public. For more information,
click here.
Restoration Ecology
Using Mitigation and Sustainable Design Techniques to Reduce Stormwater Impacts and Increase Storm Resiliency. For more information,
click here
.
|
|
April 23 - 25, 2017
April 25 - 27, 2018
April 26 - 28, 2018
May 9, 2018
May 14-17, 2018, in Grand Rapids, Michigan
June 11- 14, 2018
June 17 - 21, 2018
August 6 - 9, 2018
September 17 -19, 2018
October 30 - Nov 2 , 2018
December 8 - 13, 2018
|
|
The views expressed in articles referenced here are those of the authors and do not represent or reflect the views of CSO.
If you have a news item or job posting to include in future CSO Newsletters, please send an email to:
gwilliams@coastalstates.org with a subject line: "Newsletter Content". Please include the information to be considered in the body of the email.
Please note: CSO reserves final decision regarding published newsletter content and may not use all information submitted.
|
|
Coastal States Organization | 444 North Capitol St. NW, Suite 638, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-508-3860 | cso@coastalstates.org | www.coastalstates.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
