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:
National Ocean Month: The Marine Economy
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NOAA and the Bureau of Economic Analysis has released the first official Marine Economy Satellite Account statistics, highlighting the marine economy’s contribution to the nation’s economy through 2019. The statistics within the account provide a comprehensive measurement of the marine contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product looking at 10 sectors representing businesses dependent on the nation’s oceans, coasts and Great Lakes. Some key statistics are that the marine economy grew by 4.2% from 2018 to 2019, and supported 2.4 million jobs in 2019. Learn more here.
Keep following along with NOAA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and CSO on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and look for #30DaysofOcean, #OceanMonth2021, and #OceanMonthNOAA to learn more about our oceans and how how State and Territory Coastal Zone Management Programs are working with coastal communities to preserve, protect, restore, enhance, manage, use, and develop ocean and coastal resources.
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In the States and Regions |
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Hawaii Marks World Oceans Day With 9 New Laws To Protect Sharks And Marine Life
Beginning Jan. 1 there will be steep penalties for intentionally or knowingly capturing, entangling or killing a shark in state marine waters. House Bill 553, which failed to pass in previous legislative sessions, was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. David Ige. In addition to the shark-protection bill, Ige signed eight other related measures. They cover a range of issues focused on ocean conservation, resource management, regulation and enforcement. The bill-signing ceremony at the Governor’s Ceremonial Room at the state Capitol as well as via Zoom was timed to mark World Oceans Day, which was established by the United Nations in 2008 to inform the public of the impact of humans on the oceans and to mobilize sustainable management of them. “They are the lungs of our Planet and a major source of food and medicine and a critical part of the biosphere,” the UN says of the oceans, which covers more than 70% of the Earth. But, as Ige noted in his remarks, Hawaii is facing “unprecedented” challenges from climate change, heat waves, coral bleaching, degraded reefs, declining ocean populations and greater man-made pollution such as runoffs. Read more
Oregon State Selected To Lead NOAA Institute For Marine Research
Oregon State University has been selected to host a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration institute focused on collaborative study of the rapidly changing ocean and expanded demands on its use. The Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies, or CIMERS, will focus on four research themes: conservation, protection and restoration of marine resources; marine ecosystems; ocean acoustics; and ocean, coastal and seafloor processes. The institute will be eligible for up to $37 million in funding over the next five years, with potential for renewal for five more years.
“NOAA’s significant support of this collaborative marine institute underscores Oregon State University’s longstanding contributions in leadership, research and teaching to protect and enhance our oceans,” said OSU Interim President Becky Johnson. “We must accelerate that work due to the extraordinary pressures and changes taking place in our oceans and climate. OSU’s collaborative model of engaging many colleges, academic disciplines and external partners is well-suited to address these issues.” Read more
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Saildrone is announcing a new mission to deploy five uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) from the US Virgin Islands in August to gather key data throughout the 2021 Tropical Atlantic hurricane season. The USVs will be equipped with specially designed "hurricane wings" to enable them to operate in extreme conditions. Saildrones are the only USVs capable of collecting this data and are designed to withstand winds over 70 mph and waves over 10 feet, which occur during a hurricane weather system. The five saildrones will sail into the paths of hurricanes to provide valuable real-time observations for numerical hurricane prediction models and to collect new insights into how these large and destructive weather cells grow and intensify. Read more
Myrtle Beach To Spend $75 Million On Stormwater Upgrades And Expansion
The city of Myrtle Beach will spend $75 million to enhance its stormwater systems throughout the next few years to keep track with development and update its existing infrastructure. The city’s Capital Improvement Plan allocates $9.2 for beach renourishment, while outfall maintenance and stormwater planning and maintenance will receive over $30 million each. “The system will need to grow with the north end of the city,” said Myrtle Beach Chief Financial Officer Michelle Shumpert. “We have aging infrastructure in other areas as well that will need to be upgraded.” The CIP, which funds a variety of projects, begins July 1 and will continue through the next five fiscal years. Fiscal year 2021-22 will be a designing phase due to pandemic-related delays and pending grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Beach nourishment will not begin until fiscal year 2025. Read more
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Saxon Harbor Marina & Campground Comes Full Circle After Deadly 2016 Storm
The Saxon Harbor Marina and Campground has come full circle after a deadly 2016 storm. The storm damaged 85 boats and washed 30 campground sites off the face of the earth in its wake. It also claimed the life of beloved community member and Iron County board member, Mitch Koski. Five years and over $14 million worth of repairs later, the Marina and Campground is officially reopen. A ceremony took place Friday to mark the occasion. At the ceremony, a moment of silence was held for Koski. A plaque was also built near the Harbor to honor his memory. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers was one of many leaders to make the trip out. He spoke of the importance of investing in infrastructure that will withstand storms for years to come. “The Northern Wisconsin and Lake Superior region has been hammered by three 1 in 1,000 rainfall events since 2012, resulting in over $100 million of structure damage, so that’s why I am hopeful we’ve proposed some major infrastructure investments in reducing and preventing flooding,” Evers said. Read more
Workshops Planned For Lake Ontario Communities To Help With Planning In Event Of Extreme High Water Levels
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will hold five workshops this month for those who live in communities along the Lake Ontario shoreline. The intent is to assist those communities with planning and long-term protective measures in the event of periodic extreme water levels under the state's Coastal Lakeshore Economy and Resiliency initiative (CLEAR). Read more
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Texas Prepares for Hurricane Season As Lawmakers Tout Coastal Protection Plan
Bronson and Linda Hamilton are resilient. In the days after Hurricane Harvey tore the roof off their Rockport, Texas home in the summer of 2017, they immediately started picking up the pieces and began the rebuild. As the state’s coastal communities attempt to return to some kind of normal, state lawmakers attempt to help prevent future storms from causing similar devastation to Harvey, which caused upwards of $125 billion in damage— second only to Hurricane Katrina. During the regular legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill to create a Gulf Coast Protection District to take charge of planning for and constructing a coastal barrier to protect against storm surge. Senate Bill 1160 also creates framework for approval of coastal projects recommended by the Army Corps of Engineers. Read more
Louisiana To Spend $1 Billion On These Coastal Restoration, Hurricane Protection Projects
Louisiana will spend almost $1 billion on coastal restoration and hurricane protection in the fiscal year that begins July 1, including 18 projects using dredged sediment to rebuild almost 14,000 acres of wetlands, marsh and ridge, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday. The money also will pay for another 109 miles of new or improved hurricane levees protecting coastal populations across the state, the start of construction on the new Houma Navigation Canal lock and completion of the Bayou Chene flood control structure, Edwards told the online State of the Coast conference. Read more
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June 23, 2021
June 24, 2021
June 28 - July 1, 2021
June 29, 2021
July 20-22, 2021
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New Building Alliances for Equitable Resilience Report
The Resilient Nation Partnership Network has released its new Building Alliances for Equitable Resilience. This resource is the result of collaboration by 26 partners in the fields of equity and resilience. Through it, we seek to inspire the whole community to make equitable and resilient practices part of their day-to-day activities. Readers will find guidance, perspectives, personal stories, resources and more. It is a first step in a long journey leading to increased awareness, commitments, and action to make equitable resilience possible for all. Read the report here.
Throughout June, FEMA Region 10 will highlight community planning initiatives, mitigation projects and FEMA resources to learn more about available federal funding and efforts to support a community’s resilience. This initiative, coined Mitigation June, is an education campaign encouraging communities and individuals to understand their risk to natural hazards and to take long-term mitigation actions to decrease those risks. To learn more about mitigation community stories, projects and community resilience, follow FEMA Region 10 using the hashtag #MitigationJune on Twitter and LinkedIn.
TNC and PEW Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR) Program
The Nature Conservancy and Pew Charitable Trusts’ Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (SOAR) program issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the new $1 million Shellfish Growers Resiliency Fund (Fund). The Fund aims to pave the way for a more resilient and sustainable U.S. shellfish industry that benefits the ocean and the communities which rely upon it. Funding is open to applicants in the U.S. and will be distributed equitably among the West Coast (including Hawaii and Alaska), East Coast, and the Gulf of Mexico. The Fund will award small one-year projects (up to $20,000) targeting shellfish growers, shellfish aquaculture industry associations, and closely linked supply chain companies supporting aquaculture. The second round of applications for the small RFP are due June 28, 2021. Contact Christina Popolizio with questions. Learn more and apply here.
Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship
It’s an exciting two-year fellowship program that will place one graduate student at each of the 29 national estuarine research reserves. Through a research project, fellows address a key reserve management need to help scientists and communities understand coastal challenges that may influence future policy and management strategies. The research reserves represent the apex of estuary science. At these coastal sites, fieldwork, research, and community engagement come together to create the scientific advances that change our communities and our world. Applications are due December 10, 2021. Learn more and apply 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.
If you have a news item or job posting to include in future CSO Newsletters, please send an email to: [email protected] 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.
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Coastal States Organization | 50 F Street. NW, Suite 570, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-508-3860 | [email protected] | www.coastalstates.org |
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