What's in the News . . .

CELCP Funding Helps Protect More than 5,600 Acres of California Coast (December, 2009)

With funding and support from NOAA’s Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) program, the Sonoma County, CA, Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District and the Sonoma Land Trust has acquired, for permanent protection, a 5,630 acre property along some of California’s most beautiful coastline. With the Dec. 17 acquisition, they recorded a conservation easement on the property that removes forever the threat of development and requires that the land be managed to protect and enhance its natural resources.  The property is located north of the town of Jenner, where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean, and extends two and a half miles along Highway 1.  A coastal treasure, the property includes rich habitat for fish and wildlife, dramatic views, extensive opportunities for recreation, and a spectacular segment of the California Coastal Trail.  Beyond just granting funding, NOAA OCRM staff from the CELCP Program worked very closely over the past two years with project partners to develop the conservation easement, ensuring that the resources would be protected in perpetuity. 

Contact: Roxanne.Thomas@noaa.gov, OCRM (NPED), (301) 713-3155 x119

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Reserve System Launches Revamped Web Site (December, 2009)

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) has launched a revamped Web site featuring real-time weather and water quality data from all 27 reserves, interactive maps and generally richer content about the Reserve System programs in research, education, training and stewardship. The overhauled Web site now occupies the Reserve System’s Web address at http://www.nerrs.noaa.gov/. The new Web site entry page features a slide show of photos from all 27 reserves coupled with a display of water quality and weather data from the reserve being pictured at any given moment. The data are generally less than 60 minutes old. The front page also features an interactive map displaying the locations of and links to all the reserves.The pages about individual reserves include interactive boundary maps from Google Earth, as well as detailed information about each reserve’s programs, activities and contact information. Where available, individual reserves’ management plans and detailed site profiles are also included.
Contact: George.cathcart@noaa.gov, OCRM (ERD), 301-713-3155 x141

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OCRM Holds Great Lakes Federal Consistency Workshop, IL CMP Briefing (December, 2009)

Officials from seven Great Lakes Coastal Management Programs and seven federal agencies met in Chicago (and remotely via Webex), Dec. 3, for a Great Lakes Federal Consistency Workshop, led by OCRM Senior Policy Analyst David Kaiser.  The one-day workshop explained the intricacies of the Coastal Zone Management Act federal consistency provisions, including several case  studies, and allowed ample opportunity for discussion and questions. This was the first Federal Consistency Workshop in the Great Lakes in several years, and the information was helpful to states and federal agency staff.  Federal actions in the Great Lakes often impact state coastal resources, and federal consistency allows state coastal management programs to have a say in how those activities are conducted.  After the workshop, OCRM and Illinois Department of Natural Resources staff held an informal briefing with federal agency staff on the Illinois Coastal Management Program development process, which Illinois is creating for NOAA approval. Federal agency input is crucial to the process. 

Contact: David.Kaiser@noaa.gov, OCRM (CPD), (603) 862-2719

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MPA Center Receives Second Round of Nominations to National System of MPAs (December, 2009)

The second round of nominations for the national system of MPAs closed on November 20, and 36 MPAs were nominated to join the national system.  The second group of sites includes 21 National Parks, seven National Wildlife Refuges, one National Estuarine Research Reserve, and eight state managed sites, including one cultural resource site (The Queen Anne’s Revenge Shipwreck in North Carolina).  The nominated sites will be published in the Federal Register for a 30-day public comment period.  Following review of public comments, the final nominations will be formally accepted as members of the national system in early 2010.  For more information about the national system, visit http://mpa.gov/national_system/national_system.html. 

Eligible MPAs were invited to become part of the national system by applying to the National Marine Protected Areas Center through their managing agency. The National System of MPAs is the group of MPA sites, networks and systems that collectively enhance conservation of the nation’s natural and cultural marine heritage.  National system sites will have the opportunity to work with other MPAs both in their region and nationally on issues of common conservation concern

Contact: Lauren.Wenzel@noaa.gov , OCRM (MPAC), (301) 563-1136

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OCRM Holds Successful Federal Consistency Workshop for Pacific Northwest (November 2009)

The Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) held a successful workshop on the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) federal consistency provision in Vancouver, Washington on November 17.  Federal, state, local and tribal agencies, and private consultants from Washington and Oregon attended the meeting.

OCRM’s Federal Consistency Workshops: provide a basic understanding of federal consistency; discuss in more detail some problem areas that have occurred over the past few years; and help states and federal agencies efficiently and effectively implement their programs by educating personnel on the consistency requirements, learning about each other’s programs, and establishing effective working relationships.

Contact: David.Kaiser@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CPD), 603-862-2719.

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Reserve Staff Gather for Annual NERRS Meeting (November 2009)

About 175 National Estuarine Research Reserve System managers, researchers, educators, trainers and technical staff gathered last week in San Diego, California, for the Reserve System’s annual meeting, hosted this year by the Tijuana River Reserve.

Reserve staff  joined staff from the Estuarine Reserves Division and other NOAA offices to develop long and short-term plans, program strategies, and budgets for the system. The meeting also serves to integrate the program sectors (management, research, education, training, stewardship) and provide relevant, targeted information and training.

The theme for this year’s meeting was “The Human Touch on Natural Systems,” to highlight both the negative impacts of human activities as well as the positive effects of conservation and restoration efforts.

A highlight of this year’s meeting was a field trip into Mexico to tour the watershed of the Tijuana River, most of which lies in Mexico in heavily populated areas with little in the way of controls on sedimentation and other effects on the estuary. About 150 participants toured one crowded neighborhood in Los Laureles Canyon, where reserve staff members have worked with Mexican officials to provide sanitary infrastructure and education for residents.

Justin Kenney, NOAA’s Director of Communications, gave the keynote address at the opening plenary session. He described NOAA’s top priorities under Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco, and urged the Reserve System to tell its story more effectively to support NOAA’s goals.

Contact: Laurie.McGilvray@noaa.gov, OCRM (ERD), 301-713-3155 x158

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NOAA Pledges $550,000 Towards Interagency Coral Conservation Partnership (November 2009)

NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico co-hosted the 22nd meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) in San Juan from October 30 through November 5.  At this meeting, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a partnership initiative focused on restoring the Guanica watershed in Puerto Rico, which will benefit the offshore reefs, and challenged the other federal members of the Task Force to contribute to the effort.  The USDA led the initiative by pledging $1 Million from their Environmental Quality Incentives Program for best management practices in the watershed's headwaters and an additional $250,000 for competitive grants to local community organizations.  NOAA was the only federal member able to affirmatively respond to the USDA's challenge at the meeting, pledging at least $450,000 in technical assistance and $100,000 for community grants this fiscal year.  The NOAA effort is a partnership between the Coral Program, NMFS Restoration Center, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, and Coastal Services Center. 

Contact: Steven.Thur@noaa.gov, OCRM (CRCP), (301) 563-1147

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CICEET Awards $958,274 for Land Use, Climate Change Technology Research (November 2009)

The University of New Hampshire/NOAA Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET) has awarded $958,274 to fund four
place-based technology development, refinement, and demonstration projects that
focus on a priority environmental challenge with a direct impact to coastal
communities. This will be the last cohort of projects funded by the CICEET program.

Each project names a person within the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) as principal investigator or co-investigator. These projects are taking place in New Jersey, New Hampshire, Oregon, and California NERRS.

Contact:  dwight.trueblood@noaa.gov, UNH/NOAA Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology, 603-862-3580

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Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Technology Workshop a Success (November 2009)

OCRM and the Coastal Response Research Center at the University of New Hampshire co-sponsored the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Technology Workshop in Durham, New Hampshire, November 3 – 5, to assess the technical readiness of a commercial scale OTEC system. Ocean thermal energy conversion technology uses the temperature differential between the deep cold and relatively warmer surface waters of the ocean to generate electricity using the same principles as a heat pump.  The workshop addressed OTEC state-of-the-art technology, technical feasibility and the time frame for commercial scale development.  More than  50 participants attended at the workshop. They included federal agency staff from NOAA, the Department of Energy, and Naval Facilities Engineering Command; national laboratories; academia; OTEC developers; and other experts.  The workshop provided insight on the outstanding questions in regards to the readiness, challenges and development horizons for industry that will help NOAA make more informed decisions about OTEC license applications. 

OCRM is responsible for issuing licenses under the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act.  While long-dormant, there recently has been an upswing in interest in installing OTEC facilities.

Contact: whitney.blanchard@noaa.gov, OCRM (CPD), 301-563-7203

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OCRM Helps Coordinate Long-Term Recovery Planning in American Samoa (October 2009)

Through its membership on FEMA's Long-Term Community Recovery national working group, OCRM is collecting information on American Samoa's long-term recovery needs and NOAA's capabilities to help with the recovery from the Sept. 30 tsunami.  Working in partnership with the American Samoa coastal management program, the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and other NOAA entities, OCRM is providing FEMA with information on the recovery and redevelopment challenges facing American Samoa after last month's tsunami.  A key issue will be ensuring that redevelopment in the coastal zone complies with current coastal setback regulations. 

Contact: Josh.Lott@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CPD) 301-563-1178

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Great Bay Reserve Celebrates 20th Anniversary (October 2009)

Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in New Hampshire observed National Estuaries Day, Sept. 26, in grand style by celebrating its 20th anniversary and by partnering with National Public Lands Day (NPLD) with a volunteer event to remove invasive plants from some of the reserve’s wetlands.

More than 70 people, including NOAA, state and local officials, visited the reserve to participate in ceremonies marking the reserve’s designation and growth over the past 20 years.

Speakers including Reserve Manager Peter Wellenberger; representatives from the offices of Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, Sen. Jeanne Shahenn and Sen. Judd Gregg; Glenn Normandeau, executive director, N.H. Fish and Game Department; Nancy Cauvet, president, Great Bay Stewards; and Laurie McGilvray, chief of NOAA’s Estuarine Reserves Division.

Participants also heard a presentation on Ecological Trends in Great Bay, a 20-year accomplishment report presented by Research Coordinator Kathy Mills and Stewardship Coordinator Rachel Stevens.

Stevens also organized the invasive plant removal project to observe National Public Lands Day. NPLD helped to recruit volunteers, who joined some of the Reserve’s long-time volunteers to remove bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) as a "kick-off event" for a three year restoration project that will take place throughout the reserve. The project will be partially experimental, to test control methods most commonly used by natural resource managers and their effectiveness under local conditions.

Contact: Michael.Migliori@noaa.gov, OCRM (ERD) ,301-563-1126

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Hawaii Cruise Nets 40 Tons of Marine Debris (October 2009)

A 30-day marine debris cruise returned to Honolulu from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands) aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette on September 29.  Seventeen specially trained technicians conducted in-water surveys and debris removal operations at Kure Atoll, Laysan Island, Lisianski Island, Maro Reef, and Pearl and Hermes Atoll, focusing on areas known to have high densities of derelict fishing gear.  The debris was offloaded and transported to Schnitzer Steel Hawai`i Corporation to be cut into manageable portions for combustion and power production by Covanta Energy. 

A second marine debris removal cruise departed October 6 a 30-day mission. It will focus on the French Frigate Shoals and Pearl and Hermes Atoll.

More than 700 tons of derelict fishing gear have been removed from the reefs and shorelines of the NWHI since removal began in 1996. The derelict fishing gear pose not only a serious entanglement hazard to marine life, but are also a navigation hazard, damage habitat, and may transport invasive species.

Since 2002, all derelict nets removed from the NWHI have been used to create electricity in the nation’s first Nets to Energy program.  This is a public-private partnership of more than 12 different organizations, businesses and agencies.  So far the nets removed from the NWHI have created enough energy to power 245 homes in Hawaii each year.

Funding and assistance are provided by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation and Marine Debris Programs, NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. 

Contact: Carey.Morishige@noaa.gov, Office of Response and Restoration (Marine Debris Program), (808) 397-2651 x 256; Andy.Collins@noaa.gov, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument), (808) 694-3922; and Lauren.Chhay@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CRCP), (301) 713-3155 x176

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