Economic and Ecosystem Maps Clarify Great Lakes Restoration Priorities

It’s a given that the Great Lakes’ natural resources and recreational benefits translate into local dollars—but until recently, no one had the economic data mapped with the range of services provided by the natural environment. Without that data, restoration planners could not know which proposed projects were likely to deliver the biggest bang for the buck for the coastal economy, ecosystem, and cultural activities.

To help, the Great Lakes Environmental Assessment and Mapping Project developed a map bringing together NOAA’s Digital Coast economic data on tourism and recreation with their own data, which pinpointed the natural resources that support sport fishing, recreational boating, birding, beach use, and park visitation.

Bringing these data sets together in a visual format enabled Great Lakes officials and planners to “see” where restoration actions could deliver potentially big economic, ecosystem, or cultural benefits. They also found that locations very high in recreational use often suffer greater environmental stressors and therefore might need more restoration attention. These discoveries and others are informing current and future restoration plans. (2016)

More information: coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/stories/gleam and www-personal.umich.edu/~dallan/allan_2015_frontiers_main.pdf

Partners: Great Lakes Environmental Assessment and Mapping Project, Michigan Technological University, NOAA Office for Coastal Management and Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Oregon State University, The Nature Conservancy, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin

Economic Scorecard Helps Coastal Communities Assess Best Places for Offshore Wind Facilities

Although other nations have used offshore wind facilities for decades, the technology is relatively new to the U.S. and the growth potential is large. Some communities, however, are concerned that wind facilities might have a negative impact on coastal tourism and recreation. For this reason a “scorecard” was developed that ranks potential impacts for 113 Atlantic coast geographies, primarily counties. Community profiles were also created for the 70 counties most vulnerable to negative impacts from wind energy facilities.

This information is used by counties assessing the pros and cons of wind energy facilities. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management created these assessments using economic data provided through NOAA’s Digital Coast and their Economics: National Ocean Watch initiative. (2016)

More information: coast.noaa.gov/dataregistry/search/collection/info/enow

Partners: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, IFC Incorporated, NOAA Office for Coastal Management

Benefits of $1 Billion in Restoration Efforts

Since 2009, Harbor Estuary, the most densely developed urban estuary in the nation, has benefited from an investment of over $1 billion to create over 80 habitat restoration and land conservation projects, which includes over 200 acres of restored wetlands and over 500 acres of new or enhanced parks and public spaces. A comprehensive report was written about the results and identifies seven priority actions that officials can consider to address climate change and sea level rise in future restoration efforts. (2016)

More information: Restoring the New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary: Ensuring Ecosystem Resilience and Sustainability in a Changing Environment

Partners: Hudson River Foundation, National Park Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The Nature Conservancy, New York–New Jersey Harbor and Estuary Program, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York/New Jersey Baykeeper, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, The Trust for Public Land, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Answering the Most Asked Shoreline Stabilization Question – Hard or Soft Approach?

To help people make informed decisions about shoreline stabilization, the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve launched the Sustainable Shorelines project to study the engineering, economic, and ecological trade-offs associated with various options. The project included a forensic analysis of six sites on the Hudson River.

The project—which received a 2015 Environmental Quality Award from the Environmental Protection Agency—provides engineering and ecological guidance, geospatial data, and economic information about different options, including “harder” options such as steel bulkheads, and “softer” options such as vegetated banks or coconut fiber rolls. Performance information under a range of conditions is provided, including extreme events such as Post-Tropical Storm Sandy. Associated trainings are building local capacity to use this information and facilitating productive relationships among diverse stakeholders.

The reserve staff credits the engagement of a wide range of stakeholders, including engineers, landscape architects, and permit officials, as a major reason for the project’s success. (2016)

More information: www.nerra.org/projects/sustainable-shorelines-for-new-yorks-hudson-river

Partners: Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Consensus Building Institute, Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and its Hudson River Estuary Program, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Stevens Institute of Technology

Flooding Resilience Plan Developed for Hudson River Communities

Flooding from peak tides and tropical storms cost the city of Kingston, New York, millions of dollars. This led to the creation of the Kingston Tidal Waterfront Flooding Task Force and a partnership with the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. From this partnership the waterfront was mapped and evaluated for current flood risk as well as various sea-level rise and flooding scenarios; adaptation options for 11 neighborhoods and areas along the waterfront were studied; costs and benefits for three adaptation strategies for the Strand and Ponckhockie neighborhoods were studied; and final community recommendations were developed. City officials are using the final project report, Planning for Rising Waters, to develop a waterfront flooding resilience plan. (2016)

More information: www.nerra.org/how-we-work/coastal-training-for-smart-decisions/controlling-floods-along-new-yorks-hudson-river

Partners: City of Kingston, Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve

Waterfront Revitalization Promotes Long-Term Economic Stability

The waterfront town of Clayton, New York, and the village of Clayton within the town, serve as the centerpiece of the Thousand Islands region. With common goals of increasing public access to the St. Lawrence River, revitalizing downtown, and protecting significant fish and wildlife habitat, the two entities developed a joint waterfront revitalization program and harbor management plan in cooperation with New York State’s Coastal Management Program.

Nine grants totaling more than $2 million from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund subsidized projects that included the renovation of the historic 1903 opera house, and the construction of a pedestrian walkway and waterfront pavilion, a breakwater to protect the village docks, and a regional docking facility equipped for cruise ships. The remediation and redevelopment of the former Frink America snowplow factory, an 8-acre brownfield site, included the construction of the riverfront Thousand Islands Harbor Hotel, part of a $20 million private investment component. (2016)

Partners: Empire State Development, New York Homes and Community Renewal, New York State Coastal Management Program, New York State Department of Transportation, New York State Dormitory Authority, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Boating Infrastructure Grant Program, Village and Town of Clayton

Digital Coast Tools used in Post-Sandy Planning

With preliminary damage estimates nearing $50 billion, the impact of Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy emphasized the need for coastal communities to plan for future hazard and climate change impacts. Coastal communities in New York started this effort but were having a hard time identifying the most beneficial data, tools, and resources to use.

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management helped by working with the New York Department of State to assess damages (including natural and cultural resources) and create a composite map of future flood risk. This information was used to support the New York Rising initiative, a community reconstruction program. Training was also provided on the data and tools available from the Digital Coast, including Coastal County Snapshots, CanVis, Sea Level Rise Viewer, Coastal Inundation Mapping training, and Habitat Priority Planner. (2016)

More information: coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/stories/new-york-rising

Partners: City of New York Department of City Planning, Federal Emergency Management Agency, New York City Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, New York Department of State, New York State Office of Emergency Management, NOAA Office for Coastal Management