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NEWSWAVE Fall 2015Leaders Reconvene for National Ocean PolicyBy Beth Kerttula, National Ocean CouncilWith the advent of the NationalOcean Policy five years ago, theAdministration recognized thecritical role of states and localcommunities in ocean decisionsby empowering local regions toparticipate in decision making thataffects their coasts and our ocean.Next year, the Northeast and theMid-Atlantic will deliver the Nation’s first Regional Marine Plans.In an important step toward a fullycollaborative ocean policy, State,tribal, and local leaders chargedwith coordinating national oceanpolicies across jurisdictions recently reconvened at the White House.Known as the National OceanCouncil (NOC)’s GovernanceCoordinating Committee (GCC),these leaders are championingimportant ocean issues that haveenormous impacts to our economicand cultural relationship with theocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. Forthe next two years, the new GCCmembers will guide the development of strategic action plans,policy and research priorities, andthe implementation of the NationalOcean Policy through meaningful dialogue with the NOC. Theseleaders are championing importantocean issues that have enormousimpacts to our economic and cultural relationship with the ocean,coasts, and Great Lakes.Interior’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs, Lori Faeth and RickMurray of the National ScienceFoundation were invited to theGCC meeting where they providedremarks about recent accomplishments and outlined issues andpriorities for the next two years.Following her presentation at Interior,National Ocean Council Director BethKerttula (left) visited with Interior’s LoriFaeth on World Ocean Day, June 8, 2015.Photo credit: Ann Tihansky, USGSNEWSWAVE Wins NAGCBlue Pencil AwardsMembers of the National Ocean Council’srecently reconvened GovernanceCoordinating Committee. Photo credit:Brian Manwaring, Udall FoundationNational Ocean Council’sNew GovernanceCoordinating Committee(GCC) Members:Leo Asuncion, Acting Director, Stateof Hawaii Office of Planning and Stateof Hawaii Coastal Zone ManagementProgram (Co-Chair)Senator Kevin Ranker, WashingtonState Senate (Co-Chair)Ted Diers, Administrator, State of NewHampshire Department of Environmental Services (Vice Co-Chair)Tribal Chairman T.J. Greene, MakahTribe (Vice Co-Chair)Michael Bolt, Chairman, United Southand Eastern Tribes Natural ResourcesCommitteeCouncil Member Elle Cochran, MauiCounty Council, HISupervisor Greg Cox, San DiegoCounty, CAJennifer Hennessey, Senior PolicyLead, State of Washington Departmentof EcologyJoe Oatman, Deputy Manager of theDepartment of Fisheries Resource Management, Nez Perce TribeMayor Philip Stoddard, South Miami,FLNick Tew, Alabama State Geologist4The NEWSWAVE, published byInterior’s Office of Policy Analysis, was selected for two 2015 BluePencil & Gold Screen Awards. TheU.S. Government-wide competitionhosted by the National Associationof Government Communicators recognized NEWSWAVE in the categoryof ‘Most Improved Publication’ andalso honored it with an Award ofExcellence in the Shoestring Budgetcategory. The awards were presentedto Editor Ann Tihansky, Betsy Boynton, Liza Johnson and Lori Faethduring the Awards Ceremony thispast June.NEWSWAVE compiles ocean,coastal and Great Lakes news fromacross Interior’s Bureaus in oneplace. Each issue reflects Interior’sdiverse roles in recreation, science,energy, conservation, restoration, climate change, natural hazards, invasive and endangered species, culturalhistory, tribal and native activities,international affairs, partnershipsand policies. It is distributed onlineto over 5,000 subscribers. Sign upto receive it via email or read it online: https://www.doi.gov/pmb/ocean/newswaveRead NEWSWAVE today!

NEWSWAVE Fall 2015Erosion continued from page 1Suzette Kimball, acting director ofthe USGS.The scientists studied more than1,600 kilometers of the Alaskancoast between the U.S.-Canadianborder and Icy Cape. Whilechanges in these areas include botherosion and expansion, the highesterosion rate exceeded 18 metersper year.“There is increasing need for thiskind of comprehensive assessmentin all coastal environments to guidemanaged response to sea-level riseand storm impacts,” said Dr. BruceRichmond of the USGS. “It is verydifficult to predict what may happen in the future without a solidunderstanding of what has happened in the past. Comprehensiveregional studies such as this are animportant tool to better understandcoastal change.”Compared to other coastal areasof the U.S., where four or morehistorical shoreline data sets areavailable, generally back to themid-1800s, shoreline data for thecoast of Alaska are limited. Theresearchers used two historical datasources, from the 1940s and 2000s,such as maps and aerial photographs, as well as modern data likelidar, or “light detection and rang-The low-lying airstrip at Barter Island, a lifeline to the City of Kaktovik, can floodannually during summer storms, cutting this remote community off from accessand transport of vital supplies. This photo is from the USGS oblique imagery k/html/a-1-06-ak.BarterIsland.images.htmling,” to measure shoreline changeat more than 26,567 locations.The report is the 8th Long-TermCoastal Change report producedas part of the USGS’s NationalAssessment of Coastal ChangeHazards project. A comprehensivedatabase of digital vector shorelines and rates of shoreline changefor Alaska, from the U.S.-Canadianborder to Icy Cape, is presentedalong with this report. Data forall eight long-term coastal changereports are also available on theUSGS Coastal Change HazardsPortal. (See related story below)http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID 4261#.VZr0iflVhBcVIDEO-Coastal ErosionTimelapseTimelapse photography of BarterIsland in Alaska during threesummer months in 2014 showsthe pack ice melting and subsequent impact to the beach andcliffs from at.htmlMapping Technologies Track Climate Change Impacts in AlaskaThe USGS-National Geospatial Program, in partnership with the State of Alaska, is leading efforts to fly theAlaskan Arctic with new sensors, generating Interferometric Synthetic Aperature Radar (IfSAR) data that willcomplement Alaska and Arctic digital elevation models (DEMs), improving maps and elevation models of theseregions to unprecedented levels of accuracy. By November 2016, USGS expects to acquire over 30,000 squaremiles of new ifSAR data over northeast Alaska, including critical coastal lands within the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. More than 1,000 new digital U.S. Topo quad maps will be produced for Arctic Alaska, providinghighly detailed maps for many coastal communities. Some of the north Alaska coastal lidar data can already bedownloaded from the USGS Earth Explorer website. http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/Funding is provided by a variety of Interior programs including the Bureau of Land Management, USFWS Arctic Landscape Conservation Cooperative, and USGS’ Alaska Science Center, National Geospatial Program, andCoastal and Marine Geology Program.5

NEWSWAVE Fall 2015NPS Assets at Risk fromSea-Level RiseBy Cheryl Fossani, DOIMore than 40 billion of NationalPark Service assets, includinginfrastructure and historic and cultural resources, are at high risk ofdamage from sea-level rise causedby climate change according to areport released in June.The report, “Adapting to ClimateChange in Coastal Parks: Estimating the Exposure of Park Assetsto 1 m of Sea-Level Rise,” is thefirst in a series of risk assessments,being conducted by scientists fromNPS and Western Carolina University to present a broad overviewof the level of exposure NPS faceswith rising sea levels.“Climate change is visible atnational parks across the country, but this report underscoresthe economic importance of cutting carbon pollution and makingpublic lands more resilient to itsdangerous impacts,” said SecretaryJewell.Scientists considered the impactson 40 of the 118 National Parksthat are vulnerable to sea-levelrise, including urban areas such asGateway National Recreation Areain New York City, Golden GateNational Recreation Area in SanFrancisco, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina.Data sources included USGS’Coastal Vulnerability Project Data,which also provided the basis forselecting the 40 parks used in thefirst phase of this study.The report categorized park assets such as infrastructure, historicsites, museum collections, andother cultural resources, as highor limited-exposure based on riskFind the report: “Adapting To Climate Change in Coastal Parks: Estimating theExposure of Park Assets to 1 m of Sea-Level Rise” Natural Resource TechnicalReport NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2015/916 http://go.nps.gov/coastalassetsWatch a video on shoreline dynamics and barrier line-dynamics.htmIn 1999, NPS moved the Cape HatterasLight Station and seven historicstructures 2,900 feet from their 1870location due to coastal erosion andencroaching sea level. Photo credit: NPSof damage from one meter of sealevel rise. More than 39 percentof assets in this subset of parks,valued at more than 40 billion, arein the high-exposure category.“Many coastal parks already dealwith threats from sea-level rise andfrom storms that damage roads,bridges, docks, water systems andparking lots,” said NPS Director Jarvis. “This infrastructure isessential to day-to-day park operations, but the historical and culturalresources such as lighthouses, fortifications and archaeological sitesthat visitors come to see are also atrisk of damage or loss.”At Cape Hatteras National Seashore, for example, current replacement value of rebuildinglighthouses, visitor center exhibits,historic structures and other areasis almost 1.2 billion, not includingbillions in revenue associated withloss of lands and tourist income.Map of locations (yellow dots) of the 40 national coastal parks included in the firstphase of the climate-change risk assessment. While projections of sea-level rise varyby site and time, scientists expect a one-meter rise to occur in the next 100-150 years.Low-lying barrier islands constitute the majority of the high exposure category. Theseare popular natural beach retreats: Assateague (MD/VA), Cape Cod (MA), Fire Island(NY), Cape Hatteras (NC), Cape Lookout (NC), Canaveral (FL), Cumberland Island (GA),Gulf Islands (FL/MS), Point Reyes (CA), and Padre Island (TX). Image credit: NPS6Storm surge damaged docks at NPS’Statue of Liberty National Monument.Photo credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI

NEWSWAVE Fall 2015Guide to Paddling TrailsForecasting CoastalChange Leaps ForwardExploring a park or refuge bycanoe or kayak combines adventure with physical activity and anintimacy with nature that’s hard tobeat.The USFWS National WildlifeRefuge System boasts some 1,000miles of marked water trails.Whether you navigate on your ownor take a guided trip, bring yourown boat or rent one, many refugesmake wonderful paddling destinations. Besides providing a close-upglimpse of shorebirds, mammalsand other wildlife, refuges offerserenity, mapped water trails, and,sometimes, the option of multi-daycamping excursions.By Ann Tihansky and Hilary Stockdon, USGSUSGS scientists have taken coastalchange forecasting a leap ahead.Emergency managers and residentsnow have a new resource to helpthem better understand what toexpect – a detailed forecast of howthe storm may change the coast.Canoeing is a great way to explorethe Okefenokee National WildlifeRefuge, a vast watery wilderness thatcrosses between northeast Florida andSoutheast Georgia. Photo credit: USFWS“When you’re in a canoe, you’renot as intimidating to wildlife,”said Nancy Brown, a public outreach specialist at the South TexasRefuge Complex, where guided canoe and kayak outings on the RioGrande and the Laguna Madre aresellouts. “We’ve paddled right beneath hawks and past white-taileddeer. When you’re in a canoe,animals don’t appear to see you asa predator.”A boat is a must for those whowish to explore the Upper KlamathNational Wildlife Refuge in Oregon where a marked canoe trail isopen all year-round, as well as atthe Okefenokee National WildlifeRefuge, which crosses southernGeorgia and northern Florida. “Thevast majority of the refuge you cansee only by water,” said BlaineEckberg, park ranger at Okefenokee Refuge. “Paddling lets youenter one of the largest wildernessareas east of the Mississippi River,full of egrets, cranes and of coursealligators. Mild temperatures andthe lack of biting insects makeKayaking at the Apostle Islands NationalLakeshore, WI. Photo credit: NPSspring the most popular paddlingseason.”More than 42 million peoplevisit refuges each year, generating almost 1.7 billion in sales forregional economies. In addition towildlife observation, refuges provide rich opportunities for wildlifephotography, hunting, fishing, environmental education and natureinterpretation.Find a trail to erTrails.html7Is the sand below houses likely toerode? Are evacuation routes potentially going to be covered withsand? What’s the probability thatwater may inundate a community?For the past several decades, theUSGS has been studying the coastand refining its ability to predicthow beaches respond to extremestorms. Since 2011, the agencybegan using continually evolving models to begin forecastingthe probability of coastal changebefore a storm makes landfall.This year for the first time, newUSGS coastal-change forecasts,as well as information about duneelevations and modeled waterlevels, were made available to thepublic as Hurricane Joaquin approached the Atlantic seaboard.The forecasts, which integrateinformation produced by the USGSand National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and itsNational Hurricane Center, wereupdated daily and posted to theUSGS Coastal Change HazardsPortal. They provide a wealth ofinformation for coastal residents,emergency managers, and community leaders.When the next storm approaches,watch for the ‘Active Storm’ tab onthe portal’s web rtal/

NEWSWAVE Fall 2015Proposed Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Settlement Accompanied byComprehensive Restoration Plan for Gulf of Mexico, Seeks Public CommentBy Nanciann Regalado, USFWSOn October 5, 2015, U.S AttorneyGeneral Loretta Lynch, announceda “major step forward in our effortto deliver justice to the Gulf region.” Flanked by four cabinet-level leaders, Lynch explained, “Wehave secured an historic resolutionof our pending claims against BP,totaling more than 20 billion, andmaking it the largest settlementagainst any entity in American history.”If ultimately approved by federaldistrict court judge Carl J. Barbier,Lynch explained, this settlementagreement would bring an end toa long and arduous legal journeythat brought the U.S. Departmentof Justice together with five GulfStates and four federal agenciesto make BP, the party primarilyresponsible for the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history,pay penalties for Clean Water Actviolations and damages for injuriesto natural resources.While expressing her appreciationfor the momentous progress madeby Justice Department lawyers andtheir many collaborators, Lynchalso remarked that much workremains. The 350-page writtenagreement, known as the consentdecree, is a proposed agreement; itwill be finalized only after Justicetakes and considers all public comments made during a 60-day publiccomment period that ended Dec. 4,2015. 5.5 billion provided forRESTORE Act projectsThe 20 billion total agreed to byBP includes a 5.5 billion penaltyunder the Clean Water Act. In accordance with the RESTORE Actof 2012, 80 percent of these fundswill go to environmental restoration, economic recovery projects,and tourism and seafood promotionin FL, AL, MS, LA and TX.Mock graveyard at Grand Isle, LA protests Deepwater oil spill in 2010. Photo credit:Tom MacKenzie, USFWS“The largest settlement in U.S.history is the punishment BPdeserved; the oil spill left auniquely American way of lifehanging by a thread”U.S. Attorney GeneralLoretta LynchA RESTORE Council composedof representatives of the five Gulfstates and six federal entities - theU.S. Departments of the Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, andHomeland Security as well as theArmy and the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency - has been hardat work since 2012 identifyingpotential restoration projects anddeveloping new regulations relatedto fund allocation with the goal ofmaking the Gulf coast environmentand economy more sustainable andmore resilient. 8.8 billion provided in naturalresource damagesThe agreement also stipulates thatBP must pay 8.1 billion in naturalresource damages to compensatefor injuries to the Gulf of Mexicoecosystem caused by the spill andspill-response activities. This sumincludes 1 billion already madeavailable by BP to jump start“early restoration,” that is, to fundrestoration activities prior to approval of a settlement or resolution8of litigation. BP has also agreed topay up to 700 million for injuriesnot now recognized but possiblyidentified in the future.The guidance for using the damages compensation, which will bepaid over 15 years, is described ina proposed restoration plan published by the Deepwater HorizonNatural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees shortly after Justicefiled the consent decree. The 1,400page Draft Programmatic DamageAssessment Restoration Plan andDraft Programmatic EnvironmentalImpact Statement were written asan ecosystem-scale comprehensive restoration plan because theTrustees found that oil spill andresponse injuries occurred across avast geographic area and affecteda wide array of natural resources,habitat types, and species. Theproposed plan identifies restorationgoals and restoration approaches –identification of individual restoration projects will be accomplishedby future working groups that willfocus on restoration needs in specific geographic areas.Consent decree: www.justice.gov/enrd/deepwater-horizonRestoration Plan: www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.govMultimedia: http://www.fws.gov/home/dhoilspill/multimedia.html

NEWSWAVE Fall 2015Interior Announces Nearly 1M for Coral Reef InitiativesIn August, Interior AssistantSecretary for Insular Areas EstherKia’aina announced 926,328 ingrant assistance for fiscal year2015 under the Office of Insular Affairs’ Coral Reef InitiativeProgram. These funds will supporta variety of projects and initiativesdesigned to improve the healthand management of coral reefs inAmerican Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mari-ana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islandsand the freely associated states ofthe Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau and theRepublic of the Marshall Islands.“These projects range from restoration of threatened coral species inthe Caribbean to protec

Barrow, Alaska; Barae is president of the West High School Green Team in Anchorage and is a teen reporter for the Alaska Teen Media Institute; Griffin is a member of Alaska Youth for Environmental Action who will study environmental policy at the University of Alaska Southeast this year; and Byron Nicholai, who remarkably, has more than 18,000