Eleven projects to restore, enhance or protect wetlands and other important natural resources around the state were selected to receive the latest round of funds from the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program. The projects include a dam removal project in Vassalboro, a tidal culvert upgrade in Cape Elizabeth, and conservation of high-value wetlands at sites… Read More
The January 11 op-ed published here by Jack Merrill of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association was critical of offshore wind in Maine. As environmental, clean energy, and community advocates, we are responding with some additional perspective. In November, Gov. Mills proposed the selection of a yet-to-be-determined 16-square mile area located some 20 to 40 miles off… Read More
The dredging of Waquoit Bay is at least two years away. “If everything happens correctly and everything falls into place, we actually get to do some dredging in December of 2022,” Sanders Davies of the Waquoit Bay Yacht Club told the Falmouth Waterways Committee on Wednesday, February 3. Due to the lengthy permitting, funding and… Read More
US authorities have announced their intention to resume the environmental review for the Vineyard Wind 1 project. US authorities have announced their intention to resume the environmental review for the Vineyard Wind 1 project. The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) said that, as part of President Biden’s pursuit of renewable energy production, it… Read More
More than 15,000 cubic yards of sand was trucked to Town Neck Beach Thursday afternoon, February 4, and while it is a welcome addition, it is a small shield against a constant battering ram of winter wind. In the past week another three beach houses on Salt Marsh Road were damaged by storm surges. At… Read More
CAMERON, La. (AP) — Construction has begun on a $32 million project to bring back hundreds of acres of marsh to a part of southwest Louisiana where storms, sinking and other factors have turned thousands of acres to open water, the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority said. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock has begun… Read More
As of Feb. 1, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has paid out more than $115 million in flood claims in Louisiana in response to the 2020 hurricane season. That figure is up from the $110 million in NFIP payments reported in mid-January. FEMA reported that 35% of Louisiana NFIP flooding claims came from policyholders… Read More
Parts of Cameron Meadows, once lush, now open water due to hurricanes, oil and gas exploration Just northwest of Holly Beach, the once lush marsh of Cameron Meadows has been severely degraded over the past two decades by the combined forces of oil and gas exploration and hurricanes. Now work has begun on a $32… Read More
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) – As Waikiki Beach continues to erode, another project to replenish sand is starting up. Through a public-private partnership, a beach maintenance project using hydraulic dredging and pumping will move 20,000 cubic yards of sand offshore onto Waikiki Beach. A 2012 project brought 24,000 cubic yards to the beach, but sand recycling… Read More
A legal loophole allowed wealthy property owners to protect their real estate at the expense of Hawaii’s coastlines. Now, the state Legislature is considering bills to crack down on the destructive practices, but questions around enforcement remain. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as… Read More
An effort to halt multifamily development south of Gandy Boulevard has evolved to cover low-lying areas throughout the city. TAMPA — What started as an effort to hit the pause button on the proliferation of apartment complexes south of Gandy Boulevard morphed into a proposed compromise for coastal areas around the city. The far-reaching proposal… Read More
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — More bed-tax money will be used to shore up the beaches, as costs to save eroded beaches increase. The county’s allocation for beach-erosion projects will increase $215,000, from $945,000 to $1.16 million, the County Commission decided Tuesday. The commission also increased tourism-promotion allocation, from $945,000 to $1.2 million. “(The increased allocation) is not going to… Read More
Some of the state’s main environmental programs are on the chopping block, including Florida Forever, a key fund to acquire conservation land. Governor Ron DeSantis’ proposed budget includes $50 million for the preservation program – half of what it received last year. Lindsay Cross is with the advocacy group Florida Conservation Voters. “Investing in our… Read More
Local officials are discussing what can be done to preserve the future of Goleta Beach Park as a rise in sea-level and erosion threatens to push the coastline inward and damage infrastructure over the next few decades. Santa Barbara County Parks Division, in conjunction with Caltrans, is working to create an adaptive management plan that… Read More
County plans to revitalize Tunitas Creek Beach in Half Moon Bay were presented to the public Thursday, detailing a series of amenities to make the county land safely accessible while protecting sensitive wildlife. “The department is really excited about the opportunity to provide its first coastal beach recreation site and park and one that has… Read More