Regional Sand Management Working Groups

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.

	Charter of the Louisiana Sand Management Task Force (14.30 KB PDF file)
	LA-SMWG Members (37.76 KB PDF file)
	Louisiana Sand Management Working Group: Agendas and Meeting Minutes:   November 29, 2007 (60.38 KB PDF file) April 25, 2006 (54.97 KB PDF file) February 2, 2005 (158.88 KB PDF file) March 3, 2004 (42.90 KB PDF file) May 14, 2003 (44.71 KB PDF file)

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.

	Charter of the Florida Sand Management Task Force (18.02 KB PDF file)
	FL-SMWG Members (27.50KB PDF file)

Florida Sand Management Working Group: Agendas and Meeting Minutes:

	September 2007 (68.76 KB PDF file)
	January 2007 (67.22 KB PDF file)

Mid/South Atlantic-Sand Management Working Group

In 2008, MMS recognized the need to address the Mid/South Atlantic Region concerning OCS sand and the Negotiated Noncompetitive Agreement process.  It was determined the best avenue to disseminate information concerning the program was through Regional Sand Management Working Group.  Interested federal, state and local government stakeholders were invited to the NOAA Coastal Services Center in Charleston, SC for a one day meeting.  Meeting discussion ranged from the MMS Negotiated Noncompetitive Agreement Process, introducing the Hard Minerals Subcommittee, and a summary of the Army Corps of Engineers process concerning beach nourishment.  Overall, the meeting was successful and participants were willing to continue the working group and developing possible methods of communication between stakeholders.

	Meeting Agenda (404 KB PDF file)
	Meeting Participants (8 KB PDF file)
	Meeting Presentations:   Corps of Engineers Civil Works Mission (177KB PDF file) Environmentally-Sound Approach to Using Outer Continental Shelf Sand Resources (2,063 KB PDF file) South Atlantic Regional Biological Assessment  (816 KB PDF file) An Overview of the Minerals Management Service’s Offshore Sand Program(1,617 KB PDF file) New Sand for the Grand Strand: Federal Sand for the 2008 Beach Project (3,339 KB PDF file) Update of Broader MMS Issues  (716 KB PDF file) Prioritizing MMS Marine Mineral Projects…Is there a Need? (607 KB PDF file) Rolling Out the MMS Rolling Calendar  (263 KB PDF file) Mid-Atlantic OCS Sand Management Working Group Meeting (1,102 KB PDF file) OCS Sand for Coastal Louisiana Restoration (6,906 KB PDF file) Communication: Why the Telephone Doesn’t  Work Anymore (909 KB PDF file)