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:
50 Years of CSO!
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In 2020 CSO is celebrating its 50
th
Anniversary! Follow along as we highlight our history and accomplishments on our
website
,
Facebook
,
Twitter
, and
Instagram
.
A Brief History of the Creation of CSO
A major recommendation of the
Stratton Commission to the President
in 1968 called for the Federal government and the coastal states to collectively create a mechanism to better manage their coastal resources. This ultimately led to the passage of the revolutionary Coastal Zone Management Act in 1972 which established a national coastal zone management program led by the coastal states in partnership with the federal government.
At about the same time, in November 1968, the first conference ever held among the maritime states was convened in Miami by the Governor of Florida and the Florida Commission on Marine Sciences and Technology. The conferees adopted a resolution calling for a more effective and suitable role for the maritime states in interstate and national marine affairs, and a steering committee was designated to draw up a charter for a coastal states organization. The committee introduced the resolution at the annual Governor’s Conference in 1969, where it was endorsed unanimously by that body.
A meeting was held by representatives of 22 coastal states in Savannah, Georgia, in January, 1970. At this meeting provisional articles of organization were drawn up and a resolution was passed by the delegates.
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2020 National Coastal and Estuarine Summit
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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.
Learn more
.
We are now accepting program proposals for the 2020 Summit!
The
Summit program
emphasizes lessons learned and best practices in every aspect of coastal and estuarine restoration and management. By presenting at the Summit, you have the chance to showcase your research, strategies, and innovations to a wide audience of practitioners.
We encourage you to submit a proposal in one of the following categories:
- Dedicated session
- Alternative format session
- Single presentation
- Poster
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In the States and Regions
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New Ordinance Will Boost Boston's Wetlands Resilience
Asserting that “climate change is the defining challenge of our time,” Boston Mayor Martin Walsh signed the Local Wetland Ordinance during a visit to Roslindale last week. The City Council unanimously approved the law early last month. It protects flood-prone areas and adjoining upland areas across the city. It also directs the Boston Conservation Commission to consider future climate impacts like rising sea levels in applications for new developments, construction, or special events.
Read more
Golden Ray Propeller, Pieces Become Part of Artificial Reef
Crews placed a 150-ton section of the capsized vessel M/V Golden Ray inside
Reef SFC
approximately 20 miles east-southeast of St. Simons Island. The ship’s rudder, stern tube section and propeller were placed in about 50 feet of water to provide essential habitat for fish and other marine life. Georgia’s offshore artificial reef program covers 111 square miles and consists of 20 offshore reefs, eight decommissioned U.S. Department of Defense tactical air crew training system towers and three beach reefs.
Read more
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High water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River will remain a big concern for shoreline communities. In response, New York State created the REDI commission, which plans to improve infrastructure and make communities more resilient to flooding. Something else that could help is increasing Lake Ontario outflow into the lower St. Lawrence River during the winter months. Now that the shipping season is over until spring, water regulators can do just that without worrying about the safety of freighters on the river. The International Joint Commission gave deviation authority to the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board. That’s the board that regulates outflow numbers from Lake Ontario.
Read more
Track the Currents in Lake Erie, and Other Cool Things You Can Try in the Great Lakes Observing System
During Lake Erie’s nicer months, you can
text a buoy and it’ll text you back
. But how can you mine data from the lake during the winter months? It takes a little more effort, but you can play with all sorts of models and forecasts in the
Great Lakes Observing System
, for all the Great Lakes, a nonprofit which is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Read more
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Santa Barbara Sea Level Rise Subcommittee Expected to Release Draft Adaption Plan in February 2020
Planning for sea level rise (SLR) has been a focus of coastal communities up and down the California coast. In Santa Barbara, a subcommittee has spent the past year or so working on recommendations for actions for the city to take in the next 10 years to address the potential effects of sea level rise. Santa Barbara Project Planner Melissa Hetrick said the Santa Barbara Sea Level Rise Subcommittee will release a draft Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Plan in February 2020. The plan will address adaptation strategies for low-lying flood areas, waterfront beach areas, the harbor and Stearns Wharf, coastal bluff areas and downtown.
Read more
San Clemente Finalizes Sea Level Rise Report in Hopes of Establishing a Coastal Program
San Clemente has sent a report of its areas most vulnerable to beach erosion to the California Coastal Commission in hopes of establishing a Local Coastal Program, which would allow the city to begin taking measures such as beach nourishment to combat the rising sea levels affecting its beaches. The City Council unanimously approved the city’s Sea Level Rise report in November, which aims to show the Coastal Commission that San Clemente needs funding and approval to develop its program. The report, which was funded in 2018 by the Coastal Commission for $75,000, stated that shoreline erosion is expected to accelerate by 2050. The city discovered that if the trend continues, smaller beaches could become strictly seasonal with low tide, with larger beaches losing almost half their size in width.
Read more
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$75M Allocated for Comprehensive Watershed Study
A comprehensive study of Southeast Texas’ three watersheds may ultimately be folded into a broader survey of Texas’ three major coastal river basins being pursued by the Texas General Land Office — nationally, one of the largest undertakings of its kind. The Land Office last week announced it would develop a $75 million planning study, funded by federal Tropical Storm Harvey disaster recovery dollars, to evaluate flood mitigation strategies, reduce disaster impacts and increase resiliency in communities. At the same time, eight counties in Southeast Texas are creating a local government corporation with a first priority to commission a study of the Trinity-Sabine-Neches rivers watershed, part of which Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said will be funded by federal dollars he believes already have been earmarked for the project.
Read more
Louisiana Researchers Tackle a Changing Mississippi Delta
An effort to reconnect Louisiana wetlands to historical levels is taking place at Louisiana State University, where a 10,000-square-foot replica of the Mississippi Delta is now housed. Researchers are working to understand how man-made changes are impacting the Mississippi River and surrounding wetlands.
Read more
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January 21, 2020
January 22 - 23, 2020
January 29 - 30, 2020
February 3 - 6, 2020
February 13, 2020
February 16 - 21, 2020
February 20, 2020
March 23 - 27, 2020
April 22 - 25, 2020
June 7 - 11, 2020
July 5 - 10, 2020
October 4 - 8,
2020
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program Strategic Vision Now Available:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently published the Coastal Program Strategic Vision. The Coastal Program works with local communities to restore and protect habitat on private and public lands for the benefit of people and wildlife. The Vision presents the Program's goals and is part of a national strategic plan that guides our conservation efforts for five years. The remaining parts of the strategic plan are the Regional Work Plans that present geographic focus areas and conservation objectives, and a National Summary that compiles conservation objectives and reports on the accomplishments of the previous five years. Coastal Program Regional Work Plans are schedule to be updated in 2022. The Coastal Program Vision can be found
here
.
EPA Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Program Request for Applications
The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program provides funding to support community-based organizations in their efforts to collaborate and partner with local stakeholder groups (e.g., local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, and academia) as they develop and implement community-driven solutions that address environmental and/or public health issues for underserved communities. Applications are due
February 7, 2020
. Learn more
here
.
U.S. EPA seeks applications for Trash-Free Great Lakes program
The EPA is now seeking applications for $2 million in grants to clean up the Great Lakes. Projects to remove and prevent marine and shoreline trash are eligible for grants up to $500,000, as part of the annual $300 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The deadline for applications is
Feb. 14, 2020
. Learn more
here
.
Environmental Literacy Funding Opportunities - NOAA Office of Education
The NOAA Office of Education has issued a competitive funding opportunity for projects designed to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience. This funding opportunity is soliciting two types of projects through separate competitive priorities. For Priority 1, pre-applications are required and will be used to determine which institutions are invited to submit full applications to this priority. The deadline for Priority 1 full applications is
March 26, 2020
. For Priority 2, only full applications are requested and the deadline for Priority 2 applications is
February 11, 2020
. Learn more
here.
Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation Regional Workshops
CERF announces the availability of funding to support regional workshops in collaboration with CERF’s Affiliate Societies on high priority scientific and management issues of regional importance. These pilot workshops are intended to explore ways in which the Affiliate Societies and CERF can work together to translate and apply coastal and estuarine science to important regional issues. Workshops should take place between August 2020 and June 2021. Proposals are due
May 1, 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.
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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Coastal States Organization | 444 North Capitol St. NW, Suite 638, Washington, DC 20001 | 202-508-3860 | cso@coastalstates.org | www.coastalstates.org
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