CSO Newsletter
The Coastal States Organization represents the nation’s Coastal States, Territories & Commonwealths on ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resource issues.
Spotlight on Coastal Management
Sustaining strategic partnerships at Illinois International Port District
Along the Calumet River and Lake Michigan, Illinois International Port District’s Port of Chicago is at the intersection of shipping, rail, and road, poised to foster economic development locally and regionally. The Port moves more cargo than any other on the Great Lakes; through shipping alone, it moves 19 million tons annually. Under new leadership, the Port District is embarking on several initiatives to revitalize and strengthen the Port, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Coastal Management Program is a key partner in this transformation. A $75,000 IDNR § 306 coastal grant is enabling the Port District to undertake a market analysis, which fills a critical information gap in its master planning efforts. The market analysis will inform future port investments such as opportunities for land development (both commercial and recreational) and expansion of maritime industries.

The program also spearheaded several partnerships focused on the port’s revitalization. One brings together funders and other like-minded entities to align and leverage their support, which has collectively totaled more than $2.5 million in grants and in-kind work. As a part of this effort, IDNR and Chicago Community Trust are providing a joint $100,000 seed grant to build port capacity in grant management, planning, and stakeholder facilitation and engagement. This additional capacity would enable the port to develop new revenue streams and better leverage recent funding from new state and regional sources. Another IDNR-led partnership engages the Prairie Research Institute’s Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency on environmentally conscious working waterfront practices.

@IllinoisDNR #blueeconomy #coastalmanagement #oceanecon #GreatLakes #coastsrock @NOAADigitalCoast @usoceangov
Find more information on the work being done by the State Coastal Zone Management Programs on CSO's Publication page: www.coastalstates.org/csopublications/
In the States and Regions
East Coast and Caribbean
Una nueva vida para los arrecifes de coral en Vega Baja
Un grupo de voluntarios lleva adelante un programa de siembra de estos animales marinos que dejan más de $1,400 millones al año en la isla, mientras las autoridades buscan $31 millones para rehabilitarlos tras el impacto de los huracanes. Read more.
West Coast and Pacific
Supreme Court refuses to take up Martins Beach case. Surfers, beachgoers relieved
Surfers, lawyers and legislators hugged and high-fived Monday at an impromptu party on a sandy cove in San Mateo County after the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to take the case of a tech billionaire who wanted to block public access to the beach.

The decision means lawyers for Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, will not get the opportunity to argue before the high court that he has a right to stop people from crossing his property to reach a picturesque beach. Read more.

Prepare for 10 Feet of Sea Level Rise, California Commission Tells Coastal Cities
California coastal cities should be prepared for the possibility that oceans will rise more than 10 feet by 2100 and submerge parts of beach towns, the state Coastal Commission warns in new draft guidance. The powerful agency, which oversees most development along 1,100 miles of coast, will consider approving the guidance this fall. A staff report recommending the changes was released last week. If adopted, the guidance will advise municipalities to evaluate the 10-foot scenario for planning and permitting. It’s aimed at getting cities to think differently about how they approve large projects that are likely to be in place for many years and that can’t be easily changed once built, said Madeline Cavalieri, statewide planning manager at the commission. Read more.

Preparedness in Paradise
When it comes to preparing for natural disasters, Dennis Hwang wrote the book - literally.
 
Hwang is a Coastal Hazard Mitigation Specialist with Hawai‘i Sea Grant and co-author of the Homeowner’s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards . Since its first publication in 2007, the handbook has gone through three editions, with a fourth edition on the way thanks to appropriated funds from the Hawaii Legislature. Over 75,000 copies have been distributed, and the electronic version is also freely accessible online .
 
Written specifically for homeowners, the handbook is based on three main principles: (1) Providing information in a way that is easy to understand, with pictures and step-by-step instructions; (2) Educating and informing the homeowner of hazard risks in their area; and (3) Offering as many options or solutions to the homeowner as possible that are relevant, reasonable, and cost effective.
Gulf of Mexico
CPRA Open for New Project Ideas
The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) has just announced it is accepting project ideas that Louisiana citizens, governmental bodies and concerned organizations would like to see evaluated and considered for possible inclusion in the next Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast that will be submitted to the Louisiana Legislature in 2023. Read more.
Great Lakes
Gov. Snyder Announces Multi-State, International Partnership for Great Lakes Cruises
Gov. Rick Snyder announced a new initiative on Mackinac Island to grow the cruise line industry in the Great Lakes

The governor made his way to Northern Michigan to announce the “Cruise the Great Lakes” partnership

The “Victory I” has been a common sight for many who take the ferry to and from Mackinac Island, and the governor wants more of these ships and cruise lines to continue making visits around the Great Lakes. Read more.
In the News
Chairs’ Summary: G7 Joint Ministerial Session on Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Communities
Under the auspices of Canada’s 2018 G7 Presidency, the G7 Ministers of Environment, Oceans, and Energy were joined by representatives from Jamaica, Kenya, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Norway, Seychelles, and Vietnam as well as leaders from international organizations, industry and youth in discussions held in Halifax on September 20, 2018, under the overarching theme of Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Coastal Communities. Read more.
At the Agencies
NOAA
Planning for Resilience in Communities with Water-Dependent Uses and Working Waterfronts
Coastal waterways are a lifeblood for many businesses, from moving goods to landing fish caught offshore. Yet some resilience plans fail to recognize these unique benefits and the risks that face water-dependent uses that are inherently vulnerable to coastal flood hazards. The makeup of water-dependent businesses can vary greatly from community to community, so different land use plans are required to help communities become more resilient. Read more.

Assess Vulnerabilities Efficiently and Effectively
As recurrent flooding and sea level rise threaten communities and natural resources alike, thoughtful planning and adaptation measures can lessen impacts. Make sure you accurately and effectively describe vulnerabilities by using this quick reference from the Training Academy section of our Digital Coast. Walk through a series of questions to determine goals and funding for the vulnerability assessment, what types of data and information to collect, and more. 
Take your project a step further with the Planning Effective Projects for Coastal Communities training. Assessing needs along with vulnerabilities gives you a fuller picture to set project priorities and plan for meaningful evaluation.
USACE
USACE Modifies and Reissues Regional General Permits
Col. Patrick Kinsman, the commander of the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, approved the reissuance and modification of six regional general permits on September 18, and authorized their use for the next five years.
Col. Kinsman signed the modified permits, which streamline the authorization of projects that have minimal impact on the aquatic environment, and allow development to move forward efficiently while still providing essential protection for the nation’s aquatic resources. Read more.
Announcements
FY19 Marine Debris Research federal funding opportunity
This opportunity provides funding for research directly related to marine debris through field, laboratory, and modeling experiments. For more details, please visit the websites below.  Proposals are due  December 14, 2018 .   
   

Nature-Based Solutions and the FEMA Community Rating System
The Nature Conservancy released a new report Community Incentives for Nature-Based Flood Solutions: A guide to FEMA’s community rating system for conservation practitioners to help bridge the gap between conservation and flood risk reduction. The report highlights the nature-based components of the FEMA Community Rating System Program and details additional resources of interest for linking habitat protection and restoration with flood mitigation. Read it here.


Great Lakes Commission releases green infrastructure policy recommendations
The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) released a report outlining steps to increase the adoption of green infrastructure in communities across the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Regional Green Infrastructure Policy Analysis provides recommendations to federal, state and provincial and local policymakers in the U.S. and Canada to decrease the amount of stormwater running off into area waterways and eventually into the Great Lakes.


FEMA Announces FY18 PDM and FMA Application Cycle
FEMA has posted the Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcements for the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant programs on www.grants.gov . These NOFOs provide an overview of the grant programs and details about the agency's funding priorities and review process. FEMA will offer a series of webinars in August and September on the FY18 NOFOs for prospective applicants and how to use the Mitigation eGrants system that is used to process grant applications. Applicants may attend any session. View the complete webinar schedule. 


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. 
Events & Webinars
October 8 - 12, 2018
  • Pacific Program Managers Meeting

October 11, 2018

October 11 - 12, 2018

October 15 - 19, 2018
  • Coastal States Organization Annual Meeting, Providence, Rhode Island

October 17 - 18, 2018

October 22 - 25, 2018

October 30 - Nov 2 , 2018

December 8 - 13, 2018

February 11-14, 2019

March 25 - 29, 2019

April 23 - 25, 2019
9th National Summit on Coastal and Estuarine Restoration and Management

Register now and be a part of the largest gathering of the coastal restoration and management community! All attendees, including program participants, sponsors, and exhibitors, must register online . Registration fees are as follows: Early Bird (available through October 12) - $495, Full Rate - $595, On-site - $625, Student - $275, One-day - $290.




Summit Fast Facts
When: December 8-13, 2018 - put it on your calendar and get your travel paperwork submitted!

Where: Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. See the Travel and Hotel Information for additional information on rates, reservations, travel, and more.

What will happen: oral presentations, posters, networking, field sessions, workshops, and the list goes on... 

Cost: Early bird $495 until October 12, 2018

Ways to be involved: presenter, exhibitor, sponsor, attendee, volunteer, advertiser...and more!

For more information: 2018 Summit website


VOLUNTEER at the 9th National Summit on Coastal and Estuarine Restoration and Management In return for eight hours of volunteer support , you’ll earn a complimentary registration to the event.   Apply now for a volunteer role, and join your coastal and estuarine peers at this national event!

Summit - Exhibiting and Sponsorship's
The Summit provides fantastic opportunities to get in front of more than 1,300 participants, including funders, clients, and partners. More information available here or by contacting Courtney Lewis at clewis@estuaries.org . If you are ready to apply to be a sponsor or exhibitor, fill out this form .


Arrive early and stay late at Summit 2018 for full lineup of learning opportunities and special events. Summit is the premiere conference for coastal and estuarine professionals to network, learn from their peers, and engage in cutting-edge discussions.

Workshops: These hands-on sessions cover a variety of topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion in the coastal sector, as well as a NOAA Stakeholder dialogue with key leadership. Workshops take place Sunday, December 9 and Thursday, December 13.

Receptions: Attend the Opening Reception on Sunday, December 9 to hear from experienced plenary speakers. You can also enjoy a night out at the Aquarium of the Pacific during our Networking Reception on Tuesday, December 10.

Job Openings
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