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:
Michigan Coastal Management Program
Coastal zone management balances development and protection of the vital natural resources that support thriving coastal communities and economies. The  Michigan Coastal Management Program  has been helping communities plan for an uncertain future since 1978. Projects such as the Coastal Hazard Resiliency Strategy and associated efforts help communities keep people, property, and resources safe while planning for future recreational and economic development.

To learn more about issues impacting the state and the great work by the Michigan Coastal Management Program, 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.
2020 National Coastal and Estuarine Summit
Restore America’s Estuaries and the Coastal States Organization co-host  The National Coastal and Estuarine Summit . We bring together the coastal restoration and management communities for integrated discussions to explore issues, solutions, and lessons learned in their work. The Summit explores cutting-edge issues in coastal restoration and management and highlights the latest research through interactive sessions, plenary speakers, and poster presentations. It invites a unique blend of people who are involved in policy, science, strategy, business, and on-the-ground restoration and management.    Learn more.
In the States and Regions
East Coast and Caribbean
Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay Get $1 Million for Water Preservation
Restore America’s Estuaries granted organizations based on Cape Cod and around Buzzards Bay with over $1 million for the preservation of the area’s coastal waters and watersheds. The money will be used for projects such as storm water management, research, and natural wetland restoration. Read more

In the Bronx, the City’s Largest Oyster Reef Thrives
The man-made oyster reef has been in the works for more than a decade. It was originally started by the city Department of Parks and Recreation in 2004 to see if oysters — once native to New York — could thrive in the area once again. Now the reef spans an entire acre, where it serves as a home to a diverse array of marine life, from blue crabs to American eel. The oysters themselves tell a story of the local environment — from the quality of the water to their potential to act as natural buffers for future storms like Hurricane Sandy. Read more
Great Lakes
Emmet County's New Master Plan to Address Coastal Protection, Enhancement
Emmet County is getting closer to finalizing its 2020 master plan, which will also include a new section about maintaining coastal resiliency in the future. The newest version of the master plan will deal in some new hot topics for coastal communities. Late last year, Emmet County received $21,000 from the Michigan Coastal Management Program to help update its master plan with new principles focused on coastal resiliency. Read more

Village Cuts Ribbon on Pebble Beach Oct. 18
The Village of Sister Bay and the Door County Land Trust will host a ribbon cutting to open the recently purchased Pebble Beach property – the 600-foot beach and adjoining 17 acres of woodland. The effort to protect Pebble Beach will be highlighted as a successful community conservation effort: The Village of Sister Bay and the Door County Land Trust led it jointly, and hundreds of supporters contributed financial support to protect the property. Additionally, the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Coastal Management Program provided a $1 million grant funded by NOAA’s Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program.  Read more
West Coast and Pacific
BOEM and NOAA Kick Off US West Coast Habitat Research
A team of researchers has begun investigating deep-sea habitats off the U.S. West Coast to help inform possible locations for offshore wind energy development. Scientists and engineers from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) kicked off the mission on 7 October and plan to finish it a month later. Read more

This week, the Micronesia Conservation Trust or MCT through a grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies awarded subgrants to 15 organizations and communities in all five jurisdictions of the Micronesia Challenge. The Micronesia Challenge is a commitment by the leaders of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands to effectively manage the natural resources that are crucial to the survival of Pacific traditions, cultures and livelihoods. Read More
Gulf
Governor Announces $2.7 Million in GOMESA Funding for Ocean Springs Beach, Pascagoula Port
Gov. Phil Bryant announced last week nearly $21 million in projects around the state to be funded by Phase II Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) monies. Among the 17 projects announced were some $2.7 million to cover projects in Ocean Springs and Pascagoula. Read more

Louisiana Hopes to Fight Coast Erosion by Mimicking Nature
Back when the Mississippi River flowed wild, its ever-shifting waters acted as a continent-sized earth mover, picking up sand and dirt from the North, depositing it in the Delta region and eventually creating the land that is now south Louisiana. Thousands of years later, the mighty river is held in check with man-made levees and flood-control systems. But Louisiana officials are making plans to tap into the Mississippi's ancient power to build new land as a way to reverse  coastal erosion  and ease the threat of rising seas. Read more
Events & Webinars
Announcements
Lawmaker, Scientists Challenge Administration Push to Disband Two Key Advisory Boards
In  separate letters sent to the White House and Commerce Department on Thursday, Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.) and a group of scientists and academics asked the Trump administration to reconsider eliminating the National Invasive Species Council and the Marine Protected Areas Advisory Committee, respectively. In a separate letter sent to Commerce Secretary  Wilbur Ross , 30 former members of the Marine Protected Areas Advisory Committee wrote to express their “shock and disappointment” at the move to eliminate the panel and asked for the decision to be reversed.

The Capitol Beach Talks with NOAA's Senior Advisor for Coastal Inundation and Resilience
On this episode of The Capitol Beach, Derek Brockbank interviews Mark Osler with NOAA. As Senior Advisor for Coastal Inundation and Resilience, Mark works with all of  NOAA  (its four “Services”, two “Departments” and all sub-units) to coordinate and advance coastal resilience throughout the agency. He has a critical behind-the-scenes role with a great perspective on nearly all of NOAA’s coastal work. This 30 minute interview provides an incredibly encompassing look at how NOAA is addressing coastal resilience and serving coastal communities. Listen here .

National Mitigation Investment Strategy Launch
Following Hurricane Sandy, the Government Accountability Office identified a need for a coordinated, federal and national investment strategy for mitigation that reduces the nation’s exposure to future losses from disasters. In response, the Mitigation Framework Leadership Group (MitFLG) produced a National Mitigation Investment Strategy .
The Investment Strategy establishes a vision to save lives and money nationwide by investing in mitigation resources and activities such as:
  • Building to disaster-resistant codes or standards
  • Collecting and sharing data that identifies disaster risk
  • Aligning funding requirements and incentives to make mitigation doable
  • Identifying weaknesses that increase disaster risk
  • Sharing expertise and advice on how to mitigate 

DRRA Section 1231: Acquisition of Property for Open Space and Policy Clarification
Through its Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs, FEMA funds the voluntary acquisition of hazard-prone properties from private owners. Property acquisition is not new for FEMA; however, DRRA Section 1231 contains new requirements for the project notification process and emphasizes a community’s responsibilities regarding acquired land. The newly released DRRA Section 1231 Fact Sheet outlines these new requirements for state, tribal, territorial and local governments and supplements existing FEMA guidance on property acquisition projects per the DRRA.

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.

Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship
NOAA is accepting applications for a 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. Applications must be submitted by December 20, 2019 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: 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.
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