NROC News – November 2013

NROC News – monthly news and updates from NROC, its member agencies and partners.

NROC would like you to know –

  • A new date has been determined for the postponed Fall NROC Meeting. Please plan to join us on Tuesday, November 12th, on the URI Narragansett Bay Campus in Rhode Island. Click here for a draft agenda. A final agenda and briefing packet will be distributed prior to the meeting.
  • NROC is seeking proposals for contractor assistance to develop products characterizing spatial patterns of commercial fishing activity in marine waters of New England. This RFP is issued in support of the regional ocean planning effort underway in New England, and the purpose of the work to be conducted pursuant to this RFP is specifically to help engage the fishing industry, fisheries scientists, and fisheries managers in this effort. Proposals are due November 26th. See Request for Proposal for details.
  • There is still time to get your proposals in! NROC is seeking proposals from coastal communities in New England to improve resilience to coastal storms and effects of sea level rise. Specifically, NROC seeks to fund activities that meet the requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Community Rating System (CRS) to improve participation in this flood insurance rate reduction program and prevent coastal storm damages. Proposals are due November 8th. See Request for Proposal for details. 
  • A webinar series has been developed by NROC to share the results of the first Coastal Community Resilience Grant program projects. Each webinar will highlight the municipal perspective for developing a coastal resilience initiative in their communities.  The first webinar will take place on December 17th  from 12-1pm. Peter Britz from the City of Portsmouth (NH) and George Kral from the Town of Guilford (CT) will share their experiences developing a coastal resilience initiative for their communities, including steps they took to develop necessary information and public engagement. For additional information on the NROC Coastal Community Resilience Grants, please visit http://necca.stormsmart.org/municipal-grants.  Future webinars are planned for March 18 and June 17, 2014. To join the webinar – Audio: 877-680-1673, passcode 1993954; Web: http://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?sigKey=mymeetings&i=744921075&p=4927573&t=c

NROC Partners would like you to know –

  • DOI Announces $162 Million for 45 Projects to Protect Atlantic Coast Communities from Future Storms: Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced that $162 million will be invested in in 45 restoration and research projects that will better protect Atlantic Coast communities from future powerful storms, by restoring marshes, wetlands and beaches, rebuilding shorelines, and researching the impacts and modeling mitigation of storm surge impacts. See the full press release for details or click here for the list of all 45 approved projects.  Via Andrew Milliken (USFWS)
  • 2013 Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Competitive Grant Program RFP:  Competitive grants are now available from the Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Competitive Grant Program. The program will award more than $100 million in grants throughout the region affected by Hurricane Sandy. Funds will support projects that assess, restore, enhance or create wetlands, beaches and other natural systems to better protect communities as well as fish and wildlife species and habitats from impacts of future storms and naturally occurring events. Proposals are due January 31, 2014. See Request for Proposals for details. Via Andrew Milliken (USFWS)
  • GOMA Seeks Fund Development Contractor: The Gulf of Maine Association, which supports the activities of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, continues to seek a Fund Development Contractor to write proposals for both public and private sources for immediate and long term needs and to pursue long term foundation and government funding strategies. For more details, please view the link to the full Request For Proposals on the Gulf of Maine Council page (http://www.gulfofmaine.org/2/). Via Prassede Vella (MA CZM)
  • The Northeast Coastal Acidification Network: Are you interested in learning more about ocean acidification in the Northeast?  The Northeast Coastal Acidification Network (NE-CAN) represents a nexus of scientists, federal and state agency representatives, resource managers, and affected industry partners dedicated towards coordinating and guiding regional observing, research, and modeling endeavors.  The purpose is to better identify critical vulnerabilities, particularly with respect to regionally important and economically significant marine resources. If you are interested in participating in or want to find out more please visit www.neracoos.org/necan.  There you can join the NE-CAN list-serve to keep up to date with ocean acidification activities in the region.  The first webinar will be on Tuesday November 12 at 10 am Eastern with Aleck Wang from WHOI giving the big picture for the East Coast. After you sign up for the list-serve, you’ll get more information on the webinar details. Via Cassie Stymiest (NERACOOS)
  • Upcoming Northeast RPB Meeting: The Northeast Regional Planning Body (NE RPB) will meet on January 22-23, 2014 in the Boston area. This meeting will primarily focus on discussing and approving revised regional ocean planning goals/objectives and an accompanying draft work plan. More logistics and agenda information along with draft products will be posted on the NE RPB meeting page in the coming weeks. Via Katie Lund (NROC)
  • Final Study Results from BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program for 4th Quarter FY 2013 Now Available: BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program gathers and synthesizes environmental, social, and economic science information to support decision-making concerning the offshore renewable energy and oil and gas programs. Final results of studies completed between July 1 and September 30, 2013 are now available.  Click here for a list which includes the titles with a web link to each report. The Environmental Studies Program Information System (ESPIS) makes all completed ESP reports available on-line as full electronic pdf documents, including images and graphics. Technical summaries of over 1,100 BOEM-sponsored environmental research projects, as well as full pdf documents of over 3,300 research reports, are available for online full text search.  ESPIS can be accessed here: http://www.data.boem.gov/homepg/data_center/other/espis/espismaster.asp?appid=1  Via Bob LaBelle (BOEM)
Share: