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As the demand for OCS sand increases, sand
management issues have become more complex, such as resource allocation,
cumulative impacts from repeated use, fisheries conflicts, protection of oil
and gas infrastructure and archaeological sites, essential fish habitat
issues, etc. MMS identified the need to formulate options and recommendations
for including Federal, State, and local governments and other stakeholders in
an overall planning process to manage the Federal offshore borrow sites in an
environmentally responsible and cost-effective manner over the long term.
The MMS-sponsored study,
Regional Management Strategies for Federal Offshore Borrow Areas, U.S. East
and Gulf of Mexico Coasts (94.98
KB PDF file) (Michel 2004) recommended the formation of
Sand Management Working Groups (SMWG) that would be charged with planning,
coordinating, information dissemination, and facilitating the use of OCS sand
for beach nourishment and coastal restoration projects. MMS is continuing to
evaluate the feasibility of this approach in Louisiana and Florida where there
is an immediate and growing demand for extremely large volumes of sand and the
environmental protection and restoration needs are critical. Important
objectives of the MMS program are the demonstrated cost savings and value
added benefits that can be achieved through regional management.
Louisiana-Sand Management
Working Group
The State of Louisiana is embarking on a
massive effort to rebuild and restore the coastal barrier islands situated
along its shoreline. These barrier islands act to dampen wave energy and tidal
surge during tropical storms that erode the islands as well as back-barrier
wetlands and coastal lowlands. The barrier island systems are eroding at
alarming rates and are projected to effectively disappear by 2012 without
intervention or mitigation.
Geological and geophysical studies conducted in
Federal waters offshore Louisiana indicate there are numerous sand deposits
which may serve as source material to restore and replenish the barrier
islands. As the demand for sand in OCS waters is likely to be high the next
several years, MMS, together with the State of Louisiana, has moved forward
and formed the Louisiana Sand Management Working Group (LA-SMWG) in order to
formalize an environmentally responsible process for assisting the MMS in
planning and decision-making for the use of Federal sand for beach
nourishment, coastal restoration, and wetlands protection projects along the
Louisiana coast.
Florida-Sand Management
Working Group
During the
Marine
Minerals Information Transfer Meeting held in Melbourne, Florida in
June 2006, MMS held workshops with Federal, State, and Local agencies and
other stakeholders on two issues: Moving Towards a More Efficient and Useful
Consultation Process for Endangered Species and Essential Fish Habitat; and
What Can MMS and Interested Stakeholders Do to Improve the Sand and Gravel
Leasing Process? Based on these discussions, it was agreed that MMS would
coordinate the formation of a Florida SMWG. MMS worked closely with the
Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association (FSBPA) in identification of
potential participants. Also, the first FL SMWG meeting was held the day prior
to the FSBPA meeting, and the FSBPA provided meeting space.
Florida Sand Management Working Group: Agendas
and Meeting Minutes:
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Last Updated:
04/25/2008,
03:06 PM
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