CSO is working with NSGLC on legal issues related to previously private coastal property and managed retreat. One of their summer legal interns has been researching property transfer mechanisms that could be used in managed retreat e.g. voluntary buyouts, eminent domain, transfer of development rights, etc.

He will be presenting his work at a webinar on Tuesday July 18 at 3:00 PM ET along with NSGLC's two other interns. You can find the full description of the webinar here, and register in advance using this link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

NOAA launched their single biggest funding competition using BIL and/or IRA funding, with the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge. This competition will provide $575 million over 2 tracks of funds: Track One: Regional Collaborative Building and Strategy Development, and Track Two: Implementation of Resilience and Adaptation Actions. The deadline for LOIs is Monday August 21, 2023.

CZM Competitive Funding using BIL year 2 and IRA funds will provide ~$60 million to CZM programs, for acquisition and restoration. The process and eligibility is similar to last year, with LOIs due on Monday August 14, 2023.

Sea Grant is administering the Climate Ready Workforce opportunity to establish programs aimed at at placing people across the country into good jobs that advance climate resilience. LOIs are due November 30, 2023.

We expect an application for CZM non-competitive funds from IRA to be coming out soon; we also expect NOFOs from NOAA Fisheries on Habitat and Fish Passage to come out soon.

Other funding opportunities include: Federal Highway Administration PROTECT Grants to state agencies (not just state-DOTs) to build resilience for surface transportation; LOIs are due Friday August 18, 2023.

Appropriations update: The House Appropriations Committee is beginning to introduce and mark-up bills, including Commerce, Justice, and Science (introduced today 7/13, with markup on 7/14) and Interior & Environment (introduced yesterday 7/12, with markup later today, 7/13). We don’t know specific line item amounts, but expect to significant cuts given overall budget numbers, including a proposed 40% decrease to NOAA’s overall budget, (an FY24 budget at $3.7 Billion, down from $6.2 billion enacted in FY23). Of course, we don’t expect the House bill to reflect what a final budget will look like, but it’s indicative of just how far away the House is from the Administration (and likely the Senate) on budgeting. See appropriations updates on our appropriations tracker.

Legislative update: We have seen a couple CZM relevant bills introduced:

• H.R. 3980: “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Act of 2023”, a NOAA organic act that would establish NOAA as an independent agency. This bill comes of the Science committee, but is unlikely to have approval in the Natural Resource Committee, which doesn’t want to see NOAA moved out of Commerce.
• H.R. 3976: Rep. Kilmer’s Tribal amendments to the CZMA; reintroduced from last Congress, CSO will continue to monitor, but this is unlikely to pass without a bigger CZMA (or other coastal/ocean bill) moving.

We also continue to work on a NERRS/CELCP re-authorization and the BEACH Act re-authorization, neither of which have been introduced, but both have bi-partisan lead co-sponsors, so may actually move when/if they get introduced. See all the bills we track on our legislation tracker.

See here for the July monthly regulatory update. More information on rulemaking developments is available on the Regulatory Resources page.

NOAA Tribal Consultation Handbook Updated

NOAA has issued a revised Consultation Handbook and Indigenous Knowledge guidance to implement the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships (Jan. 26, 2021). The Handbook sets NOAA staff procedures for conducting government-to-government consultations, and fulfilling NOAA's tribal consultation obligations, and inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge into the line offices' environmental science, policy and decision making process. The policy and procedures took effect on June 28, 2023.

Spring 2023 Regulatory Agenda Released

On June 13, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget released the 2023 Spring Unified Agenda, a compilation of information about ongoing and planned federal agency rulemaking released every Fall and Spring. A summary of listings relevant to coastal management programs is available here.

ESA Proposed Rules Issued

On June 22, 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service issued a set of three proposed rules revising Endangered Species Act regulations.

1. Rules for listing and delisting endangered and threatened species [comment docket]
2. Requirements for interagency consultation [comment docket]
3. “Blanket rule” default protections for threatened species [comment docket]

More information is available at the agencies’ rulemaking homepage. Comments for all three proposed rules are due by Monday August 21, 2023.

Debt Ceiling Agreement Incorporates NEPA Amendments

On June 3, 2023, President Biden signed into law the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, ending negotiations on raising the federal debt ceiling. The compromise bill included several modifications to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures, including allowing project sponsors to develop Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) in-house, imposing a default 2-year time limit on EIS development and 1-year on Environmental Assessments, providing a cause of action for project sponsors to challenge agency delay in completing NEPA requirements, and codifying CEQ’s definition of “major federal actions” subject to NEPA review.

FEMA Issues RFI for Community Disaster Resilience Zones

On May 26, 2023, FEMA issued a request for information regarding implementation of new Community Disaster Resilience Zones (CDRZs) using the National Risk Index. Under the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022, FEMA is directed to designate census-tract-level CDRZs and authorized to provide higher federal cost shares (up to 90%), financial and technical assistance, and project certification for communities within CDRZs. The RFI presents a series of technical questions. Comments can be submitted via Regulations.gov through Tuesday, July 25, 2023.

CEQ Issues RFI for Ocean Justice Strategy

On June 8, 2023, the Ocean Policy Committee, through the Council on Environmental Quality, issued a high-level request for information toward developing a new Ocean Justice Strategy. The new strategy will “propose equitable and just practices to advance safety, health, and prosperity for communities residing near the ocean, the coasts, and the Great Lakes and for the whole country, now and for future generations.” The RFI requests input on a definition for Ocean Justice (i.e., the scope of the strategy), barriers and opportunities, knowledge gaps, and partners. Comments can be submitted via Regulations.gov through Monday, July 24, 2023.

RFI Deadline Extended for Standard Ocean Mapping Protocol

On June 8, 2023, NOAA extended the deadline for public comment on the draft Standard Ocean Mapping Protocol (SOMP). The SOMP is intended to provide consistency in data acquisition, stewardship and data management for seafloor mapping, pursuant to the National Strategy for Ocean Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. EEZ and Implementation Plan. Comments can be submitted by email to iwgocm.staff@noaa.gov by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, July 28, 2023.

[NEW] Ocean Acidification Mini-Grant Opportunity

NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program has announced a FY24 Education mini-grant opportunity to provide assistance for the development of ocean and coast educational tools in underserved and/or Indigenous communities. Letters of intent are due by Friday, September 15, 2023. 

[NEW] Request for Proposals on Including Indigenous Ways of Knowing in Decision-Making for Ocean and Coastal Management

The Lenfest Ocean Program has released an RFP for projects that elevate Indigenous Peoples in sharing their traditions, culture, knowledge, and wisdom to improve evidence-based decision-making for the management, conservation, and restoration of coastal marine species, habitats, and ecosystems. The RFP is intended to support identification, analysis, and/or communication of Indigenous Knowledge and wisdom (where it is culturally appropriate); and engagement approaches that facilitate the inclusion of this knowledge into ocean and coastal management decisions. The deadline to apply is Monday October 16, 2023.



[NEW] FEMA Mapping Council Vacancies Open

FEMA has reopened applications for three vacancies the Technical Mapping Advisory Council (TMAC), which provides recommendations and standards for FEMA’s flood mapping and risk data activities. Appointments are for three years. Eligible applicants have expertise in surveying, cartography, remote sensing, geospatial information systems, or the technical aspects of preparing and using FEMA flood maps. Applications may be submitted by email to FEMA-TMAC@fema.dhs.gov through Aug. 28, 2023.

[NEW] Free Translation of Climate Science Information and Research Documents Available

Climate Cardinals is an international youth-led nonprofit that has grown to 9,000 volunteers in 40+ countries & translated 750,000 words of climate information into 100+ languages. They are open to any translation requests from organizations producing verifiable and scientifically-valid climate information and research. They are interested in documents shorter than 25 pages. Our past partners include the UNEP, Yale, Italian Government, and UNICEF. The have capacity for translation in ALL languages, but only have the capacity for translation and review in the following languages: English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Croatian, Bosnian, and Polish. For questions about this project, please reach out to their general email: Info@climatecardinals.org, with an email directed to Hikaru Hayakawa, Partnerships Director, or Andrew Gao, AI Director. Submit documents here.

USACE Requests Pilot Program Proposals for Economically Disadvantaged Communities

USACE has invited proposals for a new pilot program under the Continuing Authorities Program to be completed in economically disadvantaged communities at 100% federal cost. Funding levels depend on project type; for most project types the cap is $10M. CAP projects can include erosion control, storm damage reduction, and aquatic ecosystem restoration projects. Proposals may be submitted to wrda20cap165a@usace.army.mil until Monday, August 21, 2023. More information, including a letter of intent template, is available in the program guidance.

USACE Section 7001 Portal Is Open

Section 7001 refers to the process through which non-federal interests request new federal water resources projects to the Corps of Engineers for authorization in the next biennial Water Resources Development Act. This includes all water resources projects like beach nourishment, dams, levees, and other flood mitigation projects. The portal closes Monday, August 28, 2023.

EPA – Vessel Sewage No-Discharge Zone Application Guidance Issued

On June 12, 2023, EPA published final Guidance for Vessel Sewage No-Discharge Zone Applications (Clean Water Act Section 312(f)) to assist state officials with the preparation of applications for vessel sewage no-discharge zones. The guidance updates and supersedes 1994 program guidance. The new guidance does not affect existing no-discharge zones and is not related to the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, for which EPA and USCG are still developing regulations.

NOAA Launches Self-Guided Risk Communication Training

The new self-guided training, Preparing for Effective Risk Communication, provides the steps to develop a risk communication strategy focused on, and designed to meet the needs of, a specific audience. The training includes information on how to listen more effectively, share information appropriately, and build relationships for improved conversations about hazards. Tips are also provided for those moments when you are put on the spot with a difficult question.

OCM Launches Federal Consistency Learning Module

The Office for Coastal Management has released a new learning module in the CZMA 101 series: Federal Consistency Basics. This module provides an introduction to the Coastal Zone Management Act federal consistency provision. It is designed to help the user build a basic understanding of core federal consistency concepts and what happens in the workflow of implementing federal consistency. The new module includes: definitions, examples, and considerations for core concepts, flowcharts for subpart C: Consistency for Federal Agency Activities (subparts D and E coming in the fall), and links to guidance and quick references.

USACE Developing Coastal Engineering Index

The Corps' Engineer Research and Development Center is developing the Coastal Engineering Resilience Index. The index computes using a custom GIS toolbox that uses lidar data from the USACE National Coastal Mapping Program to extract parameters that describe the beach and dune system — measurements like the dune’s height and the beach’s slope and width. Using the data from USACE and NOAA models to extract wave and storm surge information, CERI then computes the index along the beach to estimate maximum shoreline recession and beach overtopping for specified storm events. The index has been computed for pilot sites located on the northern Gulf of Mexico and North Carolina’s Outer Banks, as well as the USACE New York District’s area of responsibility in New Jersey and on Long Island. There are plans to compute CERI for most of the remaining U.S. sandy shorelines later this year. Read more here.

NOAA Announces $2.6 Billion in IRA Funding

The U.S. Department of Commerce unveiled a $2.6 billion framework to invest in coastal resilience through President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). As part of the President’s Investing in America Agenda this initiative will support communities and people on the frontlines of climate change, dedicating nearly $400 million specifically for Tribal priorities and benefiting coastal and Great Lakes communities nationwide with an emphasis on environmental justice. Additional investments from the IRA will improve weather and climate data and services, support the Biden-Harris Administration’s America the Beautiful conservation initiative and strengthen NOAA’s fleet of research airplanes and ships that are used to study and collect data about the ocean and atmosphere. Read more here.

Justice40 Accelerator Applications Open for Community-Based Organizations

The Justice40 Accelerator will support community-based and community-led groups/organizations working at the frontlines of environmental crises and advancing community-driven climate solutions. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, fiscally sponsored projects, and cooperatives based in the U.S., including sovereign lands located within the U.S. and its territories, are eligible to apply. The application closes on Monday July 31, 2023. Learn more here.

EPA Announces New Funding for Underserved Communities

EPA announced the availability of $30 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for restoration projects that advance environmental justice in underserved and overburdened communities across the Great Lakes. EPA has published a request for applications for the newly created Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Program that will fund implementation of environmental protection and restoration projects that will further the goals of GLRI in communities with environmental justice concerns. Applications are being accepted through Friday August 11, 2023.