2016 Virginia Coastal Partners Workshop
30 Years of Connecting People with Our Coast
November 16 & 17
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, 2nd Floor
629 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia
Wednesday, November 16
9:00
Coffee & Network
10:00
Welcome
David K. Paylor, Director, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Opening Remarks: Building Coastal Resilience in Virginia’s Coastal Communities
Angela L. Navarro, Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources, Office of Governor McAuliffe
Goals of the Workshop
Laura McKay, Manager, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program/DEQ
10:30
Plenary Session: Climate Change and Coastal Ecosystem Resilience: Research,
Monitoring and Information Management Priorities
Climate change-related impacts from sea level rise, ocean acidification, more frequent or severe storms,
higher water temperatures and other factors are likely to present new coastal resource management
challenges. Adapting to a changing climate and building coastal resilience will require a better
understanding of potential impacts to coastal resources such as wetlands, submerged aquatic
vegetation, and fisheries. This session will discuss potential climate change impacts and examine
current research, monitoring and information management initiatives and provide an opportunity for
discussion and prioritization of additional efforts.
Moderator: Shep Moon, Coastal Planner, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program/DEQ
Presenters:
o Climate Change Predictions for Virginia
Dan Salkovitz, Meteorologist, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
o How Climate Change May Affect Coastal Ecosystems
David Johnson, Assistant Professor, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
o Current Initiatives to Better Understand, Monitor and Predict Climate-Related Changes
Donna Bilkovic, Research Associate Professor & Molly Mitchell, Marine Scientist, Virginia
Institute of Marine Science
o The Eastern Shore Climate Resiliency Tool
Curt Smith, Director of Planning, Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission &
Gwynn Crichton, Senior Scientist, The Nature Conservancy
o Ocean Acidification Issues: Developing a Monitoring Network for the Mid-Atlantic
Elizabeth Shadwick, Assistant Professor, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Discussion (15 minutes Q & A)
12:00
Lunch (Lunch is not provided, but pre-ordering/paying instructions are available at:
http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Portals/0/DEQ/CoastalZoneManagement/2016_Virginia_Coastal_P
artners_Workshop_Lunch_Order_Form_(Sefton).pdf)
1:00
Concurrent Session: Ocean Planning
What’s in the new Mid-Atlantic Ocean Action Plan? What does it do for Virginia? How can state
agencies and localities get involved? This session will review details of the plan, provide a live demo of
the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal and explore how the plan will be implemented and used in Virginia
through two examples; one under the plan’s “Healthy Ocean Ecosystem” goal and one under its
“Sustainable Ocean Uses” goal.
Moderator: Laura McKay, Manager, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program/DEQ
Presenters:
o Overview of Actions in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Action Plan
Laura McKay, Chair, Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean and Virginia
Representative, Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body
o The Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal
Jay Odell, Director, Mid-Atlantic Marine Program, The Nature Conservancy and Mid-Atlantic
Ocean Data Portal Team
o Using Portal Data for a Virginia Marine Mammal Conservation Plan
Becky Gwynn, Assistant Bureau Director, Wildlife Resources, Virginia Department of Game &
Inland Fisheries
o Marine Commerce Trends, Traffic Patterns and Impacts of Larger Ships to Virginia Ports
Chris Scraba, Deputy Chief, Waterways Management Branch, and Doug Simpson, PATON
Manager and Deputy Chief Marine Planning Section, 5th Coast Guard District
Discussion (15 minutes Q & A)
Concurrent Session: Virginia Native Plants Use & Marketing
The Virginia CZM Program’s investment in regional native plant marketing campaigns led to a state-wide
native plant marketing partnership to identify and prioritize opportunities to collaborate on Virginia
native plant communication and marketing efforts and form cohesive and coordinated messaging and
strategies to increase local availability and use of native plants state-wide. This partnership has been
writing an Action Plan to outline projects that can be more effectively and efficiently addressed through
partnership, with governmental and private partners working together. This session will highlight
successful partner projects and explore opportunities to further collaborate to increase native
vegetation for improved water quality and habitat.
Moderator: Dot Field, Eastern Shore Natural Heritage Steward, DCR Natural Heritage Program/Virginia
Witmer, Virginia CZM Program
Presenters:
• Partnership In Action
Virginia Witmer, Outreach Coordinator, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program/DEQ
• Plant NoVA Natives Campaign
Corey Miles, Coastal Program Manager, Northern Virginia Regional Commission
• A Provider’s Perspective
Brent Hunsinger, Brent's Native Plantings/Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association Legislative
Volunteer
• Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional Certification
Shereen Hughes, CBLP Virginia Coordinator and Assistant Director, Wetlands Watch
• VDOT Pollinator Habitat Program
Diane Beyer, Vegetation Management, Louis Berger/Virginia Department of Transportation
Discussion (15 minutes Q & A)
2:15
Plenary Session: Working Waterfronts
Managing working waterfronts for public access and seafood production is an increasingly challenging
goal. The Virginia CZM Program’s Working Waterfronts initiative has developed a plan for Virginia to
identify, protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s most critical working waterfronts through
inventory, economic analysis and recommended policy at federal, state and local levels. This session will
provide an overview of the new plan and explore ways to balance competing uses of Virginia’s
waterfront areas.
Moderator: Elizabeth Andrews, Director, William and Mary Coastal Policy Center
Presenters:
o Understanding the Value of Virginia’s Waterfronts: Reaching out for Stakeholder Support
Lewie Lawrence, Director, Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission
o Virginia’s Working Waterfronts Plan: Recommendations for Protection
Neal Barber, Former Executive Director, Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission,
President, Community Futures Consulting
o Panel discussion of the rise of competing uses and possible solutions:
 Burke King, Ware River Resident
 Chip Neikirk, Deputy Chief, Habitat Management Division, Virginia Marine Resources
Commission
 Larry Land, Director of Policy Development, Virginia Association of Counties
 Kim Huskey, VP Government Affairs, Ballard Fish and Oyster Company
o Developing a Municipal Marina in Chestertown, MD
Chris Cerino, Mayor Chestertown, MD
Discussion (15 minutes Q & A)
3:30
Break
3:45
Plenary Session: Influencing Federal Actions through New Federal Consistency Policies
for Virginia
Under the authority of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act the Virginia CZM Program uses a
network of state agencies, institutions, laws and programs to influence a wide range of federal actions.
These include federally permitted or funded projects and construction on federal lands in the Coastal
Zone. This session will provide an overview of Virginia’s current federal consistency review structure as
well as a discussion of the Virginia CZM Program’s planned transition to more narrative enforceable
policies. Virginia’s ability to influence actions outside of the Coastal Zone, including ocean waters past
the 3-mile limit, will also be discussed.
Moderator: Shep Moon, Planner, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program/DEQ
Presenters:
o Case Studies to Illustrate Virginia’s Current Federal Consistency Review Process
Bettina Sullivan, Manager, EIR/Federal Consistency Office, Virginia Department of
Environmental Quality
o Local Government’s Role in Federal Consistency Review
Ben McFarlane, Senior Regional Planner, Hampton Roads Planning District Commission
o NOAA’s Perspective on Enforceable Policies & Boundaries for Determining Coastal Effects
John Kuriawa, Program Officer, Office for Coastal Management, NOAA
o Developing New Narrative Enforceable Policies for Virginia
Elizabeth Andrews, Director, Virginia Coastal Policy Center
Discussion (20 minutes Q & A)
5:00
Adjourn
Thursday, November 17
8:30
Coffee & Network
9:00
Plenary Session: Economics of Land Conservation
Natural areas, open space and native culture strengthen Virginia’s coastal communities. This session will
outline the many benefits these features offer through ecological diversity, human health, water quality,
recreation, eco-tourism etc… and how CZM is working with economists to quantify the relative value of
these benefits in rural areas of Virginia’s coastal zone. A clear understanding of fiscal and socioeconomic impacts of conserved land is critical to sound local planning and policy development. Hear
how CZM grantees and Virginia’s Department of Forestry are documenting socio-economic impacts of
conserved land and participate in a panel discussion on how this information can be used to create
ecologically and economically healthy communities.
Moderator: Sarah Richardson, Land Conservation & Real Property Manager, Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation
Presenters:
o Documenting the Socio-economic Impacts of Conserved Land on Virginia’s Eastern Shore
Terry Clower, Director, Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University (Tentative);
Dean Bellas, President, Urban Analytics
o Economics of Forest Retention: A Model for the Chesapeake Bay
Rob Farrell, Deputy State Forester, Virginia Department of Forestry
o Finding Balance Between Land Conservation and Economic Development – Planning in the
Chickahominy Watershed
Sarah Stewart, Senior Planner, Richmond Regional Planning District Commission
o Panel: Looking for answers on the Eastern Shore and a Vision for the Lower Chickahominy Panelists will discuss and respond to questions on land conservation value and effects on
local budgets.
 Elaine Meil, Director, Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission
 Jill Bieri, Director, Virginia Coast Reserve, The Nature Conservancy
 Ellen Cook, Principal Planner, James City County
Discussion Questions (30 minutes Q & A)
10:30
Break
10:45
Plenary Session: Mapping & Implementing Conservation Priorities
This session will explore how conservation priority data are synthesized and how the information
produced can be utilized to help achieve conservation priorities. The session will cover updates
currently in progress to the Coastal Virginia Ecological Value Assessment, in progress and recently
completed conservation priority products from VA state natural resource agencies, prioritizing lands on
VA’s Eastern Shore to accommodate for the migration of tidal marshes, and identifying Ecologically Rich
Areas in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean.
Moderator: Nick Meade, Coastal GIS Coordinator, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program/DEQ
Presenters:
o Updating DCR’s Virginia Natural Landscape Assessment (VANLA)
Joe Weber, Conservation Biologist, Natural Heritage Program, Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation
o Priority Landscapes for Wildlife
Chris Burkett, Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator, Virginia Department of Game and Inland
Fisheries
o Updating the Coastal Virginia Ecological Value Assessment (VEVA)
Jennifer Ciminelli, Research and Data Coordinator, VCU Rice Rivers Center/ Virginia
Commonwealth University
o Protection Prioritization for Climate Change Adaptation on the Virginia Eastern Shore
Chris Bruce, GIS Manager, The Nature Conservancy
o Identifying Ecologically Rich Areas in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean
Laura McKay, Chair, Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean
Discussion (15 minutes Q & A)
12:00
Lunch (Lunch is not provided, but pre-ordering/paying instructions are available at:
http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Portals/0/DEQ/CoastalZoneManagement/2016_Virginia_Coastal_P
artners_Workshop_Lunch_Order_Form_(Sefton).pdf)
1:00
Concurrent Session: Marine Debris Reduction
Work on reducing marine debris is gathering momentum as the magnitude of the problem becomes
better understood. This session will present recent efforts to address actions in Virginia’s Marine Debris
Reduction Plan, summarize results of the 2nd marine debris summit held last March, explore how social
marketing techniques provide a powerful tool for changing behavior, and present marine debris
reduction actions planned under the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Action Plan. Participants will explore ways their
agency or local government can participate.
Moderator: Laura McKay, Manager, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program/DEQ
Presenters:
o Update on Virginia’s Plan and Results of the 2016 Summit
Katie Register, Director, Clean Virginia Waterways, Longwood University
o Social Marketing Approach to Reducing Balloon Releases
Steve Raabe, President, OpinonWorks
o Regional Efforts through the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Action Plan
Kaity Goldsmith, Program Manager, Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean
Discussion (20 minutes Q & A)
Concurrent Session: Energy Development on Coastal Lands and Offshore
What does the future hold for oil & gas leasing off Virginia’s coast? Can offshore wind energy
development move forward despite higher than expected costs? What did we learn about the potential
for fishing in and around Virginia’s offshore Wind Energy Area? Solar energy installations are on the rise
under DEQ’s Permit by Rule which includes consideration of “coastal avian protection zones.” What
does this mean for local planning?
Moderator: David Spears, State Geologist , Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals & Energy
Presenters:
o Oil, Gas and Wind Energy Development off Virginia’s Coast
Casey Reeves, Project Coordinator and David Diamond, Leasing Division Chief, Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management
o Fishing in and around Virginia’s Offshore Wind Energy Area
Todd Janeski, Ocean Planning Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator, Virginia
Commonwealth University
o Solar Energy Development in Virginia’s Coastal Zone
Mary Beth Major, Environmental Program Manager, Policy Division, Virginia Department of
Environmental Quality
Discussion (20 minutes Q & A)
2:15
Break
2:30
Virginia CZM’s Next Focal Area
Bring your smart phone or laptop to vote for your preferences. (If you will not have access to a smart
phone, we will have laptops connected to the Internet available.) Your input will be provided to the
Coastal Policy Team. Since 1999 the CZM Program has set aside about $300,000 per year for 3-year
“focal areas.” The first was the Oyster Heritage Program (1999-2001), followed by 2 rounds of the
Seaside Heritage Program (2001-2007), then Sustainable Coastal Communities (2008-2010) and two
rounds of a combination of Seaside Eelgrass & Bay Scallop Restoration and PDC Competitive Grants
(2011-2016). This session will explore ideas for the next 3 year focal area. Should CZM identify a very
specific focal area for 3 years of funding, or continue on a broader track addressing more than one
topic? Which topics do you feel rank highest in coastal management priorities that would benefit from
focused CZM staff attention and funding over the next three years? Participants will offer topic ideas for
the whole group and then break into small groups to discuss and flesh out the ideas. We will then
reconvene to present ideas to the whole group and then “vote” on the topics using smartphones (or
Internet accessible laptops).
Moderator: Laura McKay, Manager, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program/DEQ
2:30 - 2:45
Generate focal area topics
2:45 – 3:30
Small group topical discussions
3:30 – 4:00
Report-out and vote
4:00
Adjourn