CSO Newsletter

The Coastal States Organization represents the nation’s Coastal States, Territories, and Commonwealths on ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resource issues.
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Spotlight on Coastal Management:

Enhancing Public Access on Lake St. Clair

Every year, thousands of visitors flock to Lake St. Clair Metropark in Michigan—featuring a scenic waterway that connects Lake Huron and Lake Erie—to boat, swim, in-line skate, bird-watch, and enjoy other outdoor adventures.


New amenities that include a universally accessible floating dock and kayak launch will attract many more visitors, providing barrier-free and safe access to paddle sports on the Lake St. Clair and Clinton River Water Trails and the Black Creek Marsh. The St. Clair Metropark project also features added natural infrastructure, benches, native vegetation, and educational signage, plus walkways and parking that reflect Americans with Disabilities Act specifications. 


artners include Huron-Clinton Metroparks, NOAA, and the Michigan Coastal Management Program, which is part of the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.


Learn more about the project here.

Podcast: Building Resilience: How Better Sediment Management Can Help Coastal Communities


The American Shoreline Podcast had CSO's Derek Brockbank and the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association's Nicole Elko on to discuss the new report "Sediment Placement Regulaitons of the U.S. Coastal States and Territories: Toward Regional Sediment Management Implementation." Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Podcast: Historic Investment In Coastal Resilience: The 2023 National Coastal Resilience Fund


The American Shoreline Podcast had NOAA Office for Coastal Management's Joelle Gore and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Jessica Grannis on to discuss how the NCRF, with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, aims to enhance protections for coastal communities from coastal hazards and improving habitats for fish and wildlife. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

In the States and Regions

West Coast and Pacific

Restoration of Award-Winning Kaanapali Beach Canceled

The only U.S. beach that ranked #1 recently on the world’s best list will apparently not be restored. At least so went Friday’s decision by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Board. The plan had been to bring enough sand from off-shore onto Kaanapali Beach to hopefully provide at least 15 more years before significant erosion would again become apparent. The decision comes after four decades of continuous erosion plus a recent high tide event on Maui that also caused a collapse in the famed walkway. The area of concern is near the Kaanapali Alii Resort, the Hyatt Regency Maui, Sheraton Maui Resort, Kaanapali Beach Hotel, restaurants, shopping, and the legendary Black Rock. As recently as late last year, it appeared that DLNR was on board the long-planned Kaanapali Beach restoration project which might have provided the extra time needed for these businesses to continue before more extensive changes are necessitated in the future. Kaanapali now finds itself in a situation where many high-end properties have been built on beaches that are fast eroding, with no planned or likely possible solution. There isn’t an easy solution that forestalls the inevitable. It was clear to many from the outset to think that the remediation could be both successful and not harmful was a fantasy. Studies have indicated that such “nourishment” projects don’t provide long term benefit and have a detrimental impact on wildlife. Read more


Scientists Uncover Startling Concentrations of Pure DDT Along Seafloor Off L.A. Coast

First it was the eerie images of barrels leaking on the seafloor not far from Catalina Island. Then the shocking realization that the nation’s largest manufacturer of DDT had once used the ocean as a huge dumping ground — and that as many as half a million barrels of its acid waste had been poured straight into the water. Now, scientists have discovered that much of the DDT — which had been dumped largely in the 1940s and ’50s — never broke down. The chemical remains in its most potent form in startlingly high concentrations, spread across a wide swath of seafloor larger than the city of San Francisco. “We still see original DDT on the seafloor from 50, 60, 70 years ago, which tells us that it’s not breaking down the way that [we] once thought it should,” said UC Santa Barbara scientist David Valentine, who shared these preliminary findings Thursday during a research update with more than 90 people working on the issue. “And what we’re seeing now is that there is DDT that has ended up all over the place, not just within this tight little circle on a map that we referred to as Dumpsite Two.” These revelations confirm some of the science community’s deepest concerns — and further complicate efforts to understand DDT’s toxic and insidious legacy in California. Read More

Gulf Coast

Interior Disburses Over $353 Million to Gulf States to Support Coastal Restoration and Conservation

The Department of the Interior announced the distribution of over $353 million in fiscal year 2022 energy revenues to the four offshore Gulf oil and gas producing states – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, and their coastal political subdivisions (CPS), such as counties and parishes. The funds, disbursed annually based on offshore oil and gas production revenue, support coastal conservation and restoration projects, hurricane protection programs, onshore infrastructure projects, and activities to implement marine and coastal resilience management plans. The Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) of 2006 created a revenue-sharing model for oil- and gas-producing Gulf states to receive a portion of the revenue generated from offshore oil and gas leasing in the Gulf of Mexico. The Act also directs a percentage of revenue to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Read more


Louisiana Granted Final Funds for Unprecedented Coastal Restoration Project

Louisiana was granted the final necessary funds Wednesday to build the unprecedented Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, with construction expected to start later this year on the nearly $3 billion project aimed at helping slow the land loss devastating the coast. The last set of funding will come from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which is granting $660 million from a 2013 settlement of federal criminal charges involving the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. That means construction of the diversion has climbed to $2.92 billion. Read more

Great Lakes

Lakewood Examining Lake Erie Accessibility with Feasibility Study

Nearly a decade after completing its popular Solstice Steps in Lakewood Park, the city returns to its master plan directive offering multiple points of access to Lake Erie. “One of the wonderful things in Lakewood is our beautiful Lake Erie,” Lakewood Mayor Meghan George said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of access to the lake. We do have the Solstice Steps, the walking path down at Lakewood Park, but it’s important now to provide our residents additional access. “Water sports and recreational activities have increased over the years. We also see the county is working on more access to the lake. This is an opportune time for us to be looking at how we can enhance our access.” Assisting Lakewood with a feasibility study is SmithGroup, which is being paid $185,000 for the initial discovery phase. The mayor noted the city recently received a $77,230 Ohio Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Assistance Grant to help cover the study cost. Read more


Lake Ontario Water Levels Above Long-Term Average for March

As of March 24, all of the Great Lakes remained above their March long-term average levels, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District. Specifically, on Lake Ontario, water levels were eight inches above the long-term monthly average for March and four inches above levels in February. Levels on the lake were also six inches belove the average water levels a year ago. Read more

East Coast and Caribbean

After Decades, Project To Fix A Georgia Salt Marsh Shows Early Results

On the southern end of the Georgia coast, old scars left in the marshes by the logging industry are starting to heal, thanks to new federal funds. Officials announced the completion of the first stage of the project Friday. Back in the 1930s, logging companies and the Army Corps of Engineers made straight cuts through the tidal salt marshes to make it easier to transport timber from Georgia’s rich forests via the rivers and the Intracoastal Waterway. Almost immediately, problems arose. To locals, the disruption of the natural flow of water was clear. Sediment built up in the wrong places. The water flowed too fast in some areas, and not enough in others. The balance of fresh and salt water in the local creeks was off, confusing fish, crabs and other wildlife. Yet even though nearby residents have been pushing for a fix for decades, the project couldn’t get traction. One challenge: federal money for projects often requires a local funding match. And that can be hard to come by. Read more


New York Will Demolish and Elevate A Waterfront Park To Fight floods, angering some neighbors

Wagner Park, a cherished waterfront greenspace in Battery Park City, boasts unobstructed views of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor. Built nearly 30 years ago, the park has served as an escape for residents of the fast-paced, densely packed neighborhood in Lower Manhattan. But in a few weeks, the park will be demolished. As part of a major $221 million climate resilience plan, the Battery Park City Authority will tear down Wagner Park, reconstruct it with new flood-prevention features and raise it by 10 feet. The change will protect the neighborhood from flooding, storm surge and rising sea levels. The construction by the state-chartered corporation follows years of angry protests and litigation from local residents who have argued that destroying the park is unnecessary and have called for a less dramatic plan to fight flooding. The raised Wagner Park will include a buried flood wall along with elevated berms and pop-up walls — infrastructure that’s been identified as critical in an era of climate change. The park will also feature a 63,000-gallon subterranean cistern for retaining, storing and reusing storm water, as well as planted gardens designed to withstand sea level rise and extreme weather. Read more

Events & Webinars

April 3-6, 2023


April 6, 2023


April 12, 2023


April 20, 2023


May 4, 2023


May 7-11, 2023


May 18, 2023


May 31-June 3, 2023


June 1, 2023


June 6-9, 2023


June 26-29, 2023


October 16-19, 2023


October 23-25, 2023


November 12-16, 2023

Announcements

NOAA Hydrographic Services Panel Seeks Nominations

NOAA is seeking nominations for members to serve on the Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) Federal Advisory Committee. The panel advises NOAA on standards and priorities for the agency’s hydrographic services, including ensuring comprehensive geographic coverage. NOAA seeks experts from state and local government, academia, and industry in fields including navigation, port administration, and coastal resource management, including coastal preparedness and emergency response. Nominations are due by email on April 28, 2023. Learn more and submit nominations here.


FEMA Released New Hazard Mitigation Assitance Guide

FEMA released updated and consolidated guidance to help grant applicants successfully navigate FEMA mitigation grant programs enhancing climate resiliency. Following a multi-year effort, FEMA updated the “Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program and Policy Guide” to reduce complexities and increase stakeholder accessibility to resilience grant programs. This is the first update since 2015. State, local, tribal and territorial governments can use the guide to help them go through the Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant lifecycle process. FEMA’s mitigation grant programs provide funding for actions that address risks to and reduce disaster suffering from events like wildfires, drought, extreme heat, hurricanes, earthquakes and flooding. FEMA will be holding a webinar to provide more information on the updated guide on April 13, 2023. Register for the webinar here. Learn more and read the guide here.


EPA Announced Availability of $100 Million through Inflation Reduction Act for Environmental Justice Grants

The EPA announced the availability of approximately $100 million for projects that advance environmental justice in underserved and overburdened communities across the country. EPA has published two Requests for Applications for this funding through the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program and the Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) Program. Applications for both are due April 10, 2023. Learn more about these programs here.


2023 National Coastal Resilience Fund RFP Now Open

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Defense, Occidental, Shell, and TransRe is now soliciting Pre-Proposals for the 2023 National Coastal Resilience Fund. NFWF will award up to $140 million in grants to create and restore natural systems in order to increase protection for communities from coastal hazards, such as storms, sea- and lake-level changes, inundation, and coastal erosion, while improving habitats for fish and wildlife species. NFWF prioritizes projects that are community led or incorporate direct community engagement and benefit underserved communities facing disproportionate harm from climate impacts. Pre-proposals must be submitted through NFWF’s Easygrants system no later than Wednesday, April 12, 2023. The Request for Proposals is available here.


BOEM Announces Proposed Rule to Increase Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources

In order to better protect shipwrecks and other cultural resources on the seabed from harm due to offshore energy activities, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is proposing regulatory changes to its marine archaeology reporting requirements for activities proposed on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). A notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment was published in the Federal Register for a 60-day comment period ending on April 17, 2023. Learn more and find instructions to comment here.



Request for Proposals: Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program

The Great Lakes Commission today issued a request for proposals for the 2023 Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program (GLSNRP) grant program.

The Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program has provided grants to reduce nutrients and sediments entering the Great Lakes for more than 30 years. This year’s program will continue to help local partners take action to reduce nutrient loads from agricultural watersheds and eroding shorelines and streambanks in the Great Lakes basin. Applications are due April 21, 2023. Learn more and apply here.


FEMA Announces NOFO for Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF Program

FEMA has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Program. Applications are due April 28, 2023. Learn more here.


National Estuary Program Coastal Watersheds Grant Program

Restore America’s Estuaries, in partnership with the U.S. EPA, released the 2023 funding round of the National Estuary Program (NEP) Coastal Watersheds Grant. Approximately $1 million in grants will be made available. The NEP Coastal Watersheds Grant Program is a nationally competitive grants program designed to support projects that address urgent and challenging issues threatening the well-being of coastal and estuarine areas within determined estuaries of national significance. RAE will select grantees through a two-step process: 1) letters of intent (LOI); and 2) full proposals by invitation only. Both steps are competitive and a request for full proposal does not guarantee funding. LOIs are due on Friday, May 5, 2023. Learn more here.


Coastal Program Announces 2023 New Hampshire Coastal Resilience Grant Request for Applications

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Coastal Program is soliciting 2023 Coastal Resilience Grant (CRG) applications for coastal resilience projects. The CRG funding opportunity supports projects that build capacity, advance planning, and develop designs to increase coastal resilience, with specific focus on community and/or habitat resilience. Applications are due May 26, 2023. Learn more here.

Job Openings

In The States

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, Water Division, Watershed Management Bureau - Coastal Data Analyst


Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Coastal Programs Section - Restoration Project Coordinator


Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Coastal Programs Section - Restoration Scientist


Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Coastal Programs Section - Planner


Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Management - Natural Resources Engineer


Washington Department of Ecology, Shorelands & Environmental Assistance - Regional Shoreline Planner


Washington Department of Ecology, Shorelands & Environmental Assistance - Senior Floodplain Management Planner


Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Office of Coastal Zone Management - Coastal Resilience Grant Specialist


California Coastal Commission - Multiple Coastal Program Positions


In The Agencies

NOAA Office for Coastal Management - Program Analyst (Great Lakes Regional Lead)


USACE Savannah District, Engineering Division, Hydrology and Hydraulics - Civil Engineer (Hydraulics)


USACE Norfolk District - Civil Engineer (Hydraulics/Hydrologic)


USACE Wilmington Water Resources Section, Engineering Branch - Civil Engineer (Hydraulics)


USACE Jacksonville District, Engineering Division, Coastal Design Section - Civil Engineer


EPA ORISE Fellow - Using Sea-Level-Rise to Understand the Threat in hte Chesapeake Bay Watershed


In NGOs, Industry, and Academia

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,and Medicine, Ocean Studies Board - Research Associate


The Nature Conservancy - Coral Restoration Project Director

Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System - GIS Innovation Develop


Ocean Conservancy - Indigenous Stewardship Fellow



Ocean Conservancy - Climate Science Coordinator


Ocean Conservancy - Senior Policy Analyst, Renewable Energy


Job Boards


Office for Coastal Management State Programs


Sea Grant Careers Page


SEVENSEAS Media

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: rkeylon@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 | 50 F Street. NW, Suite 570, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-508-3860 | cso@coastalstates.org | www.coastalstates.org
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