CSO Newsletter
The Coastal States Organization represents the nation’s Coastal States, Territories, and Commonwealths on ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resource issues.
Spotlight on Coastal Management:
Fair Winds and Following Seas to Two Coastal Management Leaders
Grover Fugate, Executive Director of Rhode Island Coastal Resource Management Council Retiring
After over 34 years of service Grover Fugate is retiring. Grover has been a national leader in coastal management and below are just a few of his many notable contributions to the State of Rhode Island and the national coastal management community. Through his work with the Ocean SAMP, Grover oversaw the development of a sophisticated and effective marine spatial planning process. Grover also co-chaired the Northeast Regional Planning Body with NOAA OCM under the Obama Administration to develop the first in the nation regional ocean plan and associated Northeast Ocean Data Portal. His consistent and resourceful use of the CZMA through SAMPs, GLDs, and other provision has served as a model for CZM programs considering offshore wind in the Northeast and beyond. Through his work with the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, Grover also lead the development of the STORMTOOLS platform which provides the public with parcel level information about current and future coastal risks that support efficient and accurate permitting. In short, Grover has provided an incredible impact on the state of Rhode Island and the national coastal management community, and he has done so by leading the RI CRMC with steadfast pragmatism and veracity. From CSO, our membership, and the coastal management community across the country, thank you Grover for your service and contributions. Congratulations on a much deserved and well-earned retirement. 
 
Additionally, Grover would like to thank the coastal management community for all of your important work and to wish you all good luck. He wants to remind you all that the work you do matters and you should be proud of it.

Restore America’s Estuaries Leadership Update
The Coastal Sates Organization would like to recognize, thank, and congratulate Jeff Benoit of Restore America’s Estuaries, who will retire May 31, 2020. Jeff has been an exemplary partner while at RAE and has also made significant contributions to the national coastal management community over his career. Jeff served as a CSO Member while Director of the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Program and between 1993 and 2001 served as the Director of NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. Thank you Jeff and we wish you and your family the best in your retirement.
 
Additionally, CSO would like to welcome and congratulate Daniel Hayden as RAE's new President and CEO. We look forward to continued partnership with RAE with Daniel at the helm of their impressive team and organization.
In the States and Regions
East Coast and Caribbean
Norfolk Nonprofit Awards $2M to Small Businesses to Battle Sea Level Rise
Norfolk-based nonprofit organization  RISE  announced Monday that up to $2 million will be allocated among five small businesses to advance the design of products to help coastal communities adapt to sea level rise and flooding. “Once again, RISE demonstrates the value of their unique model in providing economic development opportunities as solutions for Virginia to adapt and protect our coastal communities,” Rear Admiral Ann Phillips, special assistant to Gov. Ralph Northam for coastal adaptation and protection, said in a statement. “On behalf of the Northam administration, congratulations to RISE and to these five entrepreneurs who continue to expand resilience innovations for the commonwealth.”   Read more

Fighting Beach Erosion in East Providence: the Natural Way
Erosion has worn down the bluffs that rise just behind the water at Rose Larisa Park in East Providence. Tim Mooney of the Rhode Island Nature Conservancy tells Eyewitness News the reason for that is the failure of a manmade sea wall that was built there. “What we are trying to figure out is whether nature-based solutions would be more effective at controlling coastal erosion than the concrete wall and sheet piling,” he said. Read more
Great Lakes
Bay Village Launches Cahoon Memorial Park Study, Master Plan
The City of Bay Village has begun work on a master plan for Cahoon Memorial Park. The plan will focus on lakefront access and connecting the lakefront to the rest of the park.
In 2019, the city was awarded a Coastal Management Assistance Grant by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to conduct a public access study of Bay Point and adjacent shoreline and walking path areas, as well as circulation with and connectivity to the rest of Cahoon Park. The grant will cover 50% of the cost of the access study and a geotechnical study of Bay Point and the bluff along the shore. Read More

The Great Lakes Are Higher Than They’ve Ever Been, and We’re Not Sure What Will Happen Next
Across the 5,241 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, tribes, cities, vacationers, and wildlife managers are grappling with devastating flooding and erosion. It’s a different story from the nation’s coasts, where  rising seas are creeping inland at a steady pace . Instead, the five Great Lakes fluctuate naturally by season—though over the past four decades, they’ve bounced both above and below historic records. Experts suspect that climate change is partially driving these shifts, but because of the complex nature of the water, it’s hard to isolate human factors from the rest of the turbulence. That leaves states like Michigan with little room to prepare for the lakes’ next turn. Read more
West Coast and Pacific
State Allots $1.4M for Novato Wetlands Restoration
A new habitat project plans to incorporate workforce training and education for Marin County residents into one of the North Bay’s largest ongoing wetland restoration efforts. The California Coastal Conservancy backed the project this month with a more than $1.4 million allocation of Proposition 68 funds, which will pay for the bulk of the $2.1 million project. The funds went to the MarinLink nonprofit organization, which is sponsoring the project’s lead organization, the Novato Baylands Stewards. Read more

Oregon Invites Public to Nominate Rocky Coastal Areas for Protection
After two years of collaboration and preparation, Oregon’s Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) approved the Rocky Habitat Management Strategy, which sets forth policies to protect nearshore marine habitats such as kelp forests and surfgrass, a type of seagrass that grows in rocky habitat. In addition, the plan provides an ongoing opportunity for the public to propose new protective designations and ensure that the management of these habitats keeps pace with changing coastal conditions. Read more
Gulf
Construction Continues on Critical Alabama Shoreline Protection Project
Construction continues on a new barrier to restore and preserve  Bayou La Batre‘s Lightning Point , one of Alabama’s most iconic and important coastal habitats. The Nature Conservancy in Alabama  (TNCA) says contractors have finished installing 1.5 miles of breakwaters around the mouth of Bayou La Batre’s navigation channel, creating a new coastal barrier on both sides of the channel to protect the shoreline from the effects of storms. TNCA says contractors used 51,000 tons of rock to build the breakwaters and jetties, pumped more than 275,000 cubic yards of dredged material to fill the marsh creation areas and planted more than 13,000 plants so far. Read more

MBRACE to Award $2.75M in Funding for Research Projects
The Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence (MBRACE) is awarding $2.75M for research on water quality and oyster reef sustainability in Mississippi. Four different projects will receive funding through 2022, with The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) being the lead institution on two of the projects. Read more
Events & Webinars
Announcements
Make Your Next Virtual Meeting a Success
Since many offices have shifted to virtual meetings, trainers from NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management have updated and developed new tips and tricks to help virtual meeting hosts. These documents provide a list of items to consider when planning a virtual meeting, common tools to engage and facilitate participants, and ways to overcome common technology challenges. There’s even a best practices guide for participants to follow to improve meeting experience. Find these resources on the Digital Coast website. For more information, contact Jan Kucklick .

NOAA's Office for Coastal Management Update
Kimberly Texeira has been announced as the new Division Chief for the Office of Coastal Management’s Policy, Planning, and Communications Division. We are excited for Kim as she formally moves into this position!

Federal Funding Opportunities for Flood Resilience: A Guide for Small Cities  
In April, the  American Flood Coalition  published a new guide on federal funding opportunities for resilience and flood mitigation. The guide—which includes information such as eligible activities, funding amounts, and application processes on 24 federal programs—is specifically designed for municipalities with populations under 50,000; however, any local leader may find the guide useful. The Coalition is also developing an externally facing, interactive website to share the information included in the guide.

Softening Our  Shoreline s: Policy and Practice for  Living   Shoreline s Along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts
The Softening Our  Shorelines report is designed to promote the broader application of  living  shorelines across the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. National Wildlife Federation partnered with the Coastal States Organization to review the use of  living  shorelines across these regions and analyze policies and permitting requirements that may provide incentives—or barriers—to the broader use of these ecologically friendly  shoreline protection techniques. The report provides a state-by-state summary of policies relevant to  living  shorelines and offers recommendations and best practices for how federal and state agencies can promote the increased application of  living  shorelines. Read the report  here.

USDA Announces $5 Million in Wetland Mitigation Banking Program Funds
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of up to $5 million for wetland mitigation banks. This funding through the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program is available to help conservation partners develop or establish mitigation banks to help agricultural producers maintain eligibility for USDA programs. Applications must be submitted through  Grants.gov  by July 6, 2020 . Learn more here .

NEP Coastal Watersheds Grant Program 2020 Request for Proposals
The National Estuary Program (NEP) Coastal Watersheds Grant (CWG) Program is a newly created, 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. Restore America’s Estuaries will be administering the NEP CWG Program in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Grantees will be selected based on a two-step process: Letters of Intent, followed by full proposals by invitation only. LOI submittals are due on August 7 . Find the Request for Proposals   here .

Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2020 Request for Proposals
The Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) is seeking proposals to protect and restore the health and living resources of Long Island Sound (Sound). Approximately $3 million is expected to be available for grants in 2020. The program is managed by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Long Island Sound Study (LISS), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Proposals are due June 2, 2020. Learn more here.
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The views expressed in articles referenced here are those of the authors and do not represent or reflect the views of CSO.

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