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:
National Estuaries Week
This week is National Estuaries Week! Estuaries are unique coastal ecosystems where rivers meet the "sea" and are home to plant and animal communities that have adapted to the special environment. Throughout the week we are highlight estuaries restoration and protection projects being done by State Coastal Zone Management Programs on the CSO Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram pages.

To learn more about coastal habitats, click here.

Find more information on the work being done by the State Coastal Zone Management Programs on CSO's Publication page.
CSO Fall Meeting
Contact Normal Longhi with any questions.
In the States and Regions
East Coast and Caribbean
Carteret County Gets $18M to Restore Beaches
Federal Emergency Management Agency and North Carolina announced Friday  that the funds reimburse nourishing sand and replacing plants on Indian Beach and Pine Knoll Shores beaches following damage from Hurricane Florence’s storm surge. Read More

NOAA Backs Coral Restoration Foundation(TM) with more than $2.5 Million to Restore Florida's Coral Reefs
Coral Restoration Foundation™ CEO, R. Scott Winters explains what this second grant means for the organization, “This funding will allow us to demonstrate a paradigm shift in the restoration world. We are now looking at restoring coral at densities that exceed recommendations in NOAA’s Acropora Recovery Plan. This grant will support the inclusion of additional species and the development of revolutionary new techniques; it would allow us to make progress on a scale at which we can talk about habitat recovery in terms of acres of reef restored.” Read More

Ballast Water Best Management Practices to Reduce the Likelihood of Transporting Pathogens That May Spread Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease 
The Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency were recently provided information regarding the rapid spread of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) throughout the Caribbean. The Coast Guard is considering options to mitigate the potential factors that some indications suggest may be contributing to the spread of SCTLD. One such factor may be the potential transfer of pathogens in ballast water. The Coast Guard wants to ensure that the maritime industry has the information it needs to mitigate this potential contributing factor.  Read more
Great Lakes
Wisconsin Point Fully Open Again After 3 Years of Work
Wisconsin Point will be fully open to the public Friday. Wisconsin's Coastal Management Program working with the City of Superior restored over 85,000 square feet of habitat and shoreline, 85 acres of forest and 150 acres of sensitive coastal habitat. Read more

22 Million Pounds of Plastics Enter the Great Lakes Each Year
Plastic debris makes up about 80% of the litter on Great Lakes shorelines. Nearly 22 million pounds enter the Great Lakes each year—more than half of which pours into Lake Michigan, according to estimates calculated by the Rochester Institute of Technology. Regardless of size, as plastics linger in the water, they continue to break down from exposure to sunlight and abrasive waves. Read more
West Coast and Pacific
The Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality-Division of Coastal Resources Management and its consultant, the Wolfs Company, have conducted an economic valuation study of CNMI’s wetlands. Read more

California Improving Coastal Access with New Beach Wheelchairs
Eighteen coastal sites in  California are getting new wheelchairs and other mobility equipment designed to roll on sand. The state-run California Coastal Conservancy has  approved a program  to award grants to 11 different nonprofits so that they can purchase a total of 29 beach wheelchairs (24 manual, 5 motorized) and an all-terrain walker. The equipment will be provided free of charge to any sun seeker who needs it. Read more
Gulf
Three Barrier Island Projects Announced
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards outlined the details of a $160 million project to restore and nourish two barrier islands and one headland on the southern perimeter of the Terrebonne Basin on September 13. Read more

Texas. Signed Chief’s Report released for Jefferson County Ecosystem Restoration Project
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, received a signed Chief of Engineers Report for the proposed Jefferson County Ecosystem Restoration Project outlining the feasibility of providing shore protection and related improvements between Sabine Pass and the entrance to Galveston Bay, Texas, in the interest of protecting and restoring environmental resources on and behind the beach, to include the 77,000 acres of freshwater wetlands and the maritime resources of east Galveston Bay and Rollover Bay. Read more
Events & Webinars
Announcements
New FEMA Flood Risk Communication Toolkit for Community Officials
FEMA's new Flood Risk Communication Toolkit was developed to help community officials begin and maintain an open channel for communication with the public about flood risk. The toolkit can help officials create a plan to communicate with critical audiences, raise awareness of flood risk and motivate flood risk reduction efforts.

FEMA’s Ready Campaign relaunched newly updated Ready.gov/kids , or Ready Kids, webpages. The relaunch is part of week three of National Preparedness Month , which focuses on the importance of including young people in disaster preparedness.Ready Kids is the youth preparedness platform for the Ready Campaign. The updated website is a one-stop shop with interactive search features, tools and resources to help engage kids and young people on emergency and disaster preparedness. It also includes games and activities for kids to teach them about being prepared for disasters.

Abstract Submission - 2020 ASFPM Annual National Conference
Flood-risk professionals from all over the world attend the Association of State Floodplain Managers’ annual floodplain management conference. The Call for Abstracts seeks a broad range of professionals to submit for 30-minute concurrent sessions and/or 2-4 hour workshops that address issues, problems and solutions associated with managing and communicating flood risk, making communities more resilient and protecting floodplain and fragile natural resources. Abstracts are due October 31, 2019 here.

Abstract Submission - 2020 Social Coast Forum
The biennial Social Coast Forum will be held in Charleston, South Carolina February 3-6, 2020. The Social Coast Forum to explore how social science tools and methods are being used to address the nation’s coastal issues. Abstracts are being accepted for a variety of session types and topical tracks. Submissions are due September 23, 2019. More information on abstract submission is available here .

Funding Opportunity - FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Programs
FEMA has posted their FY19 Notice of Funding Opportunity announcements for the Flood Mitigation Assistance and Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant programs on grants.gov. FEMA will be offering a series of informational webinars in September and October. Learn more about the grant programs and see the webinar schedule here.

Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship
It’s an exciting new fellowship program for graduate students at the national estuarine research reserves. One two-year fellowship opportunity will be available at each of the 29 coastal sites.Through a research project, fellows will address a key coastal management question 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. Apply here.
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: [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.
Coastal States Organization | 444 North Capitol St. NW, Suite 638, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-508-3860 | [email protected] | www.coastalstates.org