Note: This afternoon we will distribute a more complete set of Clips related to President Trump’s Ban on Offshore Drilling sites. The following articles represent original reporting from major news sources, wire services, and larger local news sources in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.

 

Offshore Oil & Gas

 

Trump Expands Ban On New Offshore Drilling Sites In Atlantic. According to Associated Press, “President Donald Trump expanded a ban on new offshore drilling Tuesday, an election-year reversal likely to appeal to voters in Florida and other coastal states. Two years ago, Trump had taken steps to vastly expand offshore drilling from coast to coast. ‘This protects your beautiful gulf and your beautiful ocean, and it will for a long time to come,’ Trump said as he announced the expanded drilling ban during an appearance at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. The president signed a memorandum instructing the interior secretary to prohibit drilling in the waters off both Florida coasts, and off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina for a period of 10 years — from July 1, 2022, to June 20, 2032. The existing moratorium covers the Gulf of Mexico, and Trump said the new one would also cover the Atlantic coast — a significant political concern in coastal states like Florida. Trump used the event to portray himself as an environmental steward and contrast his record against that of Democrat Joe Biden. But the Trump administration has overturned or weakened numerous regulations meant to protect air and water quality and lands essential for imperiled species. The trip comes as Trump steps up his travel to battleground states eight week before the election. From Florida, he headed for a campaign rally in North Carolina, another must-win for his reelection, before returning to the White House late Tuesday.” [Associated Press, 9/9/20 (=)]

 

Trump To Campaign In Florida, N.C. Battlegrounds On Tuesday. According to Associated Press, “President Donald Trump will highlight his environmental agenda as he campaigns in the battleground states of Florida and North Carolina on Tuesday. The White House says Trump will stop in Jupiter, Florida, on Tuesday to remind voters there of his conservation and environmental protection efforts in the Everglades region. For the federal budget year beginning Oct. 1, the White House said, Trump asked Congress for $250 million in annual funding to accelerate construction of infrastructure for the Everglades as part of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration. The project aims to improve the Everglades by enhancing regional water storage capacity and reducing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee. The president will also hold a campaign rally Tuesday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.” [Associated Press, 9/5/20 (=)]

 

Trump Says He Is Expanding Offshore Drilling Moratorium To Florida’s Atlantic Coast, Georgia And South Carolina. According to Associated Press, “Trump says he is expanding offshore drilling

 

Trump Likely To Back Extended Offshore Drilling Ban Near Florida. According to Bloomberg, “President Donald Trump is set to endorse an extended ban on offshore oil development on Florida’s western coast as he courts voters worried that drilling imperils the state’s beaches and tourism-based economy. At issue is a moratorium on selling new leases in an area of the eastern Gulf of Mexico about 150 miles from the Florida coast -- a ban that is set to expire in 2022, unless Congress renews it. Trump is expected to endorse the extension of that moratorium during a visit to Florida on Tuesday, according to two people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named before a formal announcement.” [Bloomberg, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Trump To Tout 'Environmental Accomplishments' After Dismantling Key Protections. According to CNN, “President Donald Trump travels to battleground Florida Tuesday for an event touting his environmental accomplishments, even as his administration has worked extensively to dismantle key environmental protections. Trump will deliver ‘remarks on environmental accomplishments for the people of Florida’ at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum in Jupiter, Florida, just north of his private club, Mar-a-Lago, located in Palm Beach. The trip, Trump’s 11th visit to Florida this year, according to deputy press secretary Judd Deere, will outline the administration’s ‘continued conservation and environmental protection efforts in the region,’ citing the Great American Outdoors Act and ‘funding of countless environmental restoration projects.’ But the Trump administration has also taken detailed steps to slash environmental regulations over the last three and a half years. Those changes include pulling out of the landmark Paris climate accords, rolling back regulations on carbon emission standards for coal-fired power plants, the largest reduction in the boundaries of protected land in US history, and changes to Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act protections.” [CNN, 9/8/20 (+)]

 

Trump Scrambles Talking Points With Offshore Drilling Ban. According to E&E News, “Democrats have spent considerable time over the years criticizing Trump for not taking local opposition to offshore drilling seriously. There is little they can say to criticize, at face value, the actions the president took yesterday. And while Trump might have helped his own standing in Florida and Georgia, he might have given a boost to down-ballot Republicans as well. In excluding South Carolina from new drilling leases, he gave a loyal ally, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a chance to boast of his influence over the administration as he faces a surprisingly competitive Democratic challenger, Jaime Harrison. ‘When I first learned that there would be an extension of the ban on drilling off the Florida coast, I contacted South Carolina officials to gauge their interest,’ Graham said in a statement. ‘After receiving positive feedback from Governor McMaster and state leaders, I led an effort to ensure President Trump included South Carolina in the announcement.’ Trump also invited to his Florida signing ceremony South Carolina state Rep. Nancy Mace, the Republican candidate running to unseat Rep. Joe Cunningham, the Democratic incumbent whose anti-drilling stance helped carry him to victory in 2018 and who continues to make this his signature issue. Miami-Dade County, Fla., Mayor Carlos Gimenez, a Republican who is trying to oust Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D), was in attendance, too. In the immediate aftermath of the announcement, Cunningham and Mucarsel-Powell were quick to spin the announcement as the reason why Congress must pass legislation permanently banning offshore drilling — legislation that Cunningham sponsored and Mucarsel-Powell voted for on the House floor last year.” [E&E News, 9/9/20 (=)]

 

Trump The Environmentalist? 'No. 1 Since Teddy Roosevelt.' According to E&E News, “President Trump proclaimed himself ‘the great environmentalist’ in Florida yesterday as he was flanked by two former energy lobbyists whom he has tasked with rolling back environmental and climate protections. Trump traveled to the key swing state to announce that Florida, along with South Carolina and Georgia, would be exempt from offshore oil and gas drilling. He was joined by EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. Trump used his trip to Jupiter, in South Florida, to tout his support for local initiatives like Everglade preservation, preventing toxic algae and the construction of a massive dike at Lake Okeechobee. He also said that he was committed to ensuring the U.S. would have the cleanest air and water on Earth. In reality, the Trump administration has targeted environmental safeguards under an aggressive deregulatory agenda, rolling back dozens of protections meant to decrease air and water pollution from vehicles, power plants and agriculture. Trump’s comments contrasted to his assertions in January 2018, when his administration announced plans to dramatically expand offshore drilling in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. Even as the president spoke yesterday of the ‘sacred obligation’ of environmentalism, his speech also brimmed with ambitious goals for growth in fossil fuels. He threw his support behind hydraulic fracturing and the expansion of natural gas, and he seemed to celebrate America’s limitless thirst for gasoline. He never mentioned renewable energy or electric vehicles, two growing segments of the economy. Instead, he blamed Democrats for not doing more to protect the environment. If Democrat Joe Biden ousts him from the White House, Trump said, the environment would be ‘permanently injured.’” [E&E News, 9/9/20 (=)]

 

Trump Signs Offshore Drilling Bans For Eastern Gulf, Atlantic. According to E&E News, “The Trump administration will extend prohibitions on oil and gas development in the eastern Gulf of Mexico as well as off the Atlantic coasts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina through mid-2032. The president announced his intentions north of Miami this afternoon, signing a presidential memorandum in front of a crowd of supporters. The unprecedented action came less than two months before Election Day, as President Trump works to shore up support in crucial swing states like Florida. The low-lying, beach-heavy state is roundly opposed to offshore drilling, but Trump in 2017 proposed to allow rigs off both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the Sunshine State — as well as the entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts and all around Alaska. ‘As president, I’ll defend our environment, I’ll defend our workers and our cherished way of life,’ Trump told a crowd in Jupiter, just a short distance from his Mar-a-Lago home. The president’s speech took extensive jabs at Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and Democrats in general. ‘Their policies will destroy jobs, cause energy prices to double, triple and quadruple — to skyrocket beyond belief — and the environment will be badly hurt,’ he said. The memorandum instructs Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to block drilling through Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the 1953 law that governs offshore mineral development in federal waters.” [E&E News, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Trump To Endorse Fla. Drilling Moratorium. According to E&E News, “President Trump is planning to endorse an extension of the eastern Gulf of Mexico offshore drilling moratorium as he fights for the key battleground state of Florida. The announcement, confirmed by two sources familiar with his plans and first reported by Politico, will be part of an event this afternoon in Jupiter, on Florida’s Atlantic coast, to promote his environmental bona fides. White House spokesman Judd Deere said in an email the event will focus on the president’s ‘continued conservation and environmental protection efforts in the region.’ Deere wouldn’t confirm talk of the moratorium. The president will also likely boast about funding for the Everglades and South Florida restoration efforts, something he has frequently done throughout the campaign. ‘President Trump has delivered numerous environmental policy accomplishments during his Administration,’ Deere said, noting the recent passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. Oil and gas drillers have long sought an opportunity to move east, closer to Florida, given the cost savings and expediency of being able to plug into existing infrastructure in the central Gulf. And the administration has, until now, sided with the industry on the matter. The Interior Department proposed in 2017 to open most of the Atlantic, Pacific and Alaska coasts to drilling, and to open the eastern Gulf as soon as the moratorium expires in 2022. The administration shelved the effort last year amid growing coastal opposition to it, and an unfavorable court ruling on drilling in the Arctic Ocean. The Pentagon has also balked at oil development in the eastern Gulf, where the military has a broad footprint for training purposes. Moreover, Florida voters and lawmakers from both parties are broadly against drilling off the state’s shores.” [E&E News, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Trump, Recasting A Dubious Record, Declares Himself ‘The Great Environmentalist’. According to Los Angeles Times, “President Trump signed a largely symbolic proclamation Tuesday urging Congress to expand a moratorium on oil and gas drilling off America’s southeastern coastline, touting his controversial environmental record in a state in the crosshairs of climate change and electoral politics. Since taking office, Trump has shredded dozens of environmental protections, dismissed the scientific consensus on climate change and tapped energy lobbyists to lead the agencies entrusted with safeguarding the country’s natural resources, but he dramatically recast his record in an effort to woo environmentally minded voters. ‘Number one since Teddy Roosevelt. Who would have thought? Trump is the great environmentalist,’ he said before urging Congress to extend a ban on selling new leases along Florida’s Gulf Coast as well as a moratorium along the state’s Atlantic coast and the shorelines of Georgia and South Carolina. Only Congress has the power to extend the statutory ban on oil leasing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and lawmakers are unlikely to do so in the eight weeks before the November election.” [Los Angeles Times, 9/8/20 (+)]

 

Trump Flips On Offshore Drilling. According to Politico, “Trump traveled to Florida on Tuesday to announce he was expanding the drilling moratorium in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico to the rest of Florida and the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, in a surprise move that reversed course on his administration’s earlier pledges to open those waters to exploration, POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre and Zack Colman report. By issuing a presidential memorandum to rescind Florida waters through the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Trump administration is using the same provision the Obama administration used to withdraw many Arctic areas. That could have a lasting effect, Ben and Zack report, since federal courts have so far upheld Obama’s memorandum by rejecting Trump administration attempts to open the offshore Arctic areas. Dueling interests: Trump’s announcement at a campaign appearance in Jupiter, Fla., represents an election year victory for drilling opponents in the crucial presidential swing state, where Trump and Joe Biden are neck and neck and where fear of oil slicks fouling the beaches runs through both political parties. Tuesday’s announcement earned praise from Republicans in the state, while Democrats and some environmentalists cast a skeptical eye. ‘I think if he gets elected he will reverse his program or his pledge,’ Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) told reporters before the announcement. Biden responded by noting he would oppose new offshore drilling if elected.” [Politico, 9/9/20 (=)]

 

Republicans Praise Trump’s Drilling Ban, But Others Are Skeptical. According to Politico, “Florida Republicans praised President Donald Trump on Tuesday for extending and expanding a moratorium on offshore oil drilling, while Democrats and some environmentalists cast a skeptical eye. Trump signed the executive order in front of the Jupiter lighthouse during a swing through Florida, a state that remains in play eight weeks before the presidential election. ‘This protects your beautiful Gulf and beautiful ocean for a long time,’ Trump said. A federal moratorium on drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico expires in 2022. Trump’s order extends it to 2032 and expands it to include the Atlantic Coast of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Trump said he discussed the order with Florida officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, but the governor’s office provided no details on those conversations. DeSantis joined the president and other Florida elected Republicans on stage in Jupiter. ‘Governor DeSantis has been clear in his opposition to drilling off the coast of Florida and he appreciates the President’s commitment to protecting Florida’s environment and water resources,’ DeSantis spokesperson Cody McCloud said. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said he had pushed the Trump administration to remove Florida from its drilling plans. In 2018, then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke appeared with Scott to say that Florida was ‘off the table.’” [Politico, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Trump To Expand Oil Drilling Moratorium For Florida. According to Politico, “President Donald Trump is set Tuesday to announce a decade-long ban on oil drilling off the coast of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, an administration official and Congressional aides told POLITICO — a decision that surprised energy industry executives by reversing the administration’s earlier pledges to open those waters to exploration. The expected reversal, due to come in a Trump campaign appearance in Jupiter, Fla., would represent an election-year victory for drilling opponents in the crucial presidential swing state, where fear of oil slicks fouling the beaches has run high for decades among people in both political parties. But it comes despite vows by a series of Republican presidents — Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and now Trump — to open up more of the U.S. coast to drilling to foster American energy independence. The aides who spoke to POLITICO about the president’s plans cautioned that the proposal could change by the time he speaks. Some said they had gotten no advance heads-up from the White House. ‘As of yesterday they said there would be no announcement,’ said one congressional aide said briefed on the plan Tuesday. ‘Twenty minutes ago they told us he’s going to announce a 10-year moratorium. But it’s still in flux.’” [Politico, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Trump Touts Environmental Record In Florida. According to Politico, “The president will visit Jupiter, Fla., on the edge of the Everglades today to discuss his administration’s ‘continued conservation and environmental protection efforts in the region,’ a White House spokesperson tells ME. Expect a special emphasis on his record $250 million request for Everglades restoration in his 2020 budget blueprint. In the crucial swing state, Everglades restoration isn’t just an issue for environmentalists, it’s a daily concern for residents, especially in the summer when the wetlands system that was drained and replumbed nearly a century ago sends polluted runoff from Lake Okeechobee into the mansion-lined estuaries, spawning algae blooms and beach closures. Trump’s 2020 funding request was aimed at accelerating construction of projects that would increase regional water storage capacity and reduce polluted discharges from Lake Okeechobee. The trip comes as Trump has shifted his messaging on the environment in the lead-up to Nov. 3, glossing over his numerous deregulatory actions and instead touting moves like the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act, H.R. 1957 (116), which provides permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The administration sees that achievement as key not just for itself, but for vulnerable Republican senators in the West. And last week, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler delivered a speech, where he tried to cast a more moderate, traditional Republican vision of the Trump EPA.” [Politico, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Reversing Course Ahead Of Election, Trump Extends Drilling Ban Off Florida. According to Associated Press, “U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an order to extend a ban until 2032 on offshore oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico off Florida as he seeks to win support in the state ahead of the Nov. 3 election. The executive order, which would also expand the ban to Florida’s Atlantic coast and to the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, was met with an unusual mix of disappointment from a drilling industry group and skepticism by environmentalists. ‘This protects your beautiful Gulf and your beautiful ocean, and it will for a long time to come,’ the Republican president said in front of Florida’s Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum after signing an executive order while officials from the three states watched. While interest in offshore drilling has waned with lackluster oil demand during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the order could be reversed by a future president. The Trump administration - which has worked to expand U.S. oil and gas drilling and roll back Obama-era rules on pollution from fossil fuels - originally wanted to expand offshore drilling off many of America’s coasts, including Florida.” [Associated Press, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Trump To Extend Ban On Offshore Drilling Off Florida's Gulf Coast: Bloomberg. According to Reuters, “U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday is set to endorse an extended ban on offshore oil development in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida’s western coast, Bloomberg reported, citing two people familiar with the matter. Bloomberg said Trump was expected to announce the move during his trip to Florida on Tuesday.” [Reuters, 9/7/20 (=)]

 

Trump Extends Florida Offshore Drilling Pause, Expands It To Georgia, South Carolina. According to The Hill, “President Trump on Tuesday moved to block oil and gas drilling off the coasts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina until mid-2032, a decade longer than drilling is currently delayed off Florida’s Gulf Coast. ‘I will sign a presidential order extending the moratorium on offshore drilling on Florida’s Gulf Coast and expanding it to Florida’s Atlantic Coast as well as the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina,’ Trump said while speaking at Jupiter, Fla.’s Inlet Lighthouse and Museum before signing the order. ‘Thanks to my administration’s pro-American energy policies we can take this step and the next step while remaining the No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world,’ he added. Trump made the announcement from a key swing state in the presidential election. A poll from NBC News earlier on Tuesday found Trump tied with Biden in Florida. Georgia is also considered a competitive state in the election, though it has been reliably Republican in recent presidential contests. A congressionally passed offshore drilling moratorium protects Florida’s gulf waters from offshore drilling until mid-2022. The state’s House delegation has tried to extend that, pushing through legislation that would permanently block drilling near the state, though it has yet to be considered by the Senate.” [The Hill, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

It’s All About Florida. According to The Hill, “Who might be happy with this news? Offshore drilling is nearly universally opposed by leaders in both political parties in Florida after tourism was heavily impacted following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill. A 2018 state amendment to block offshore drilling was also approved by nearly 70 percent of Florida voters. A congressionally passed offshore drilling moratorium protects Florida’s gulf waters from offshore drilling until mid-2022. The state’s House delegation has tried to extend that, pushing through legislation that would permanently block drilling near the state, though it has yet to be considered by the Senate. The move got some pushback from the oil industry, a group otherwise considered part of the Trump base... ‘Our preference should always be to produce homegrown American energy, instead of deferring future production to countries like Russia and Iran, which do not share American values. Limiting access to our offshore energy resources only shortchanges America and dulls our national outlook,’ said National Ocean Industries Association President Erik Milito in a statement. Where it gets complicated… The Trump administration in 2018 said it would not pursue offshore drilling near the state. However, Politico reported in June that Interior was preparing to allow oil and gas drilling off Florida’s coast but would wait to say so until after the election. Read more on the administration’s offshore drilling track record here. And on a related note, read about the push for coronavirus protections for oil and gas workers here.” [The Hill, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Trump, Calling Himself ‘The No. 1 Environmental President,’ Green Washes His Record. According to The New York Times, “President Trump, who has vowed to exit the Paris Agreement on climate change, loosened restrictions on toxic air pollution, rolled back clean water protections and removed climate change from a list of national security threats, stood in front of supporters in Jupiter, Fla., on Tuesday and declared himself ‘a great environmentalist.’ Mr. Trump was speaking at an official presidential event, where he endorsed a 10-year moratorium on oil and gas drilling off the state’s coastline as well as the Georgia and South Carolina coasts — a feat of political jujitsu, since his administration is the one that proposed lifting the moratorium. (In 2018, the Trump administration dropped only Florida from a list of places where it wanted to lift a moratorium on virtually all offshore oil drilling after strong opposition from Rick Scott, the state’s Republican governor at the time.) But the president’s appearance in the battleground state he has adopted as his own, where recent polls show him deadlocked with his Democratic rival, Joseph R. Biden Jr., also doubled as a campaign stop where his campaign advisers say he must win. It was an extraordinary attempt to recast his environmental record in a state battered by hurricanes and coastal flooding, where voters from both parties express widespread concern about climate change.” [The New York Times, 9/8/20 (+)]

 

In Reversal, Trump To Ban Oil Drilling Off Coasts Of Florida, Georgia And South Carolina. According to The Washington Post, “President Trump, who barely two years ago proposed a vast expansion of oil and gas drilling in U.S. continental waters, on Tuesday made clear there is at least part of the nation’s coastline he is eager to protect: the crucial electoral battleground of Florida. Trump on Tuesday announced plans to extend a moratorium on oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, an area that includes the Sunshine State’s west coast, as well as expanding it to include the Atlantic coasts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The move marks a stark reversal for Trump as he seeks to shore up votes in the tightly contested state ahead of the Nov. 3 election. For a president who has spent much of his first term working to expand U.S. oil and gas drilling and scale back Obama-era regulations on the fossil fuel industry, the move also underscores the political reality in Florida, where Republican governors have opposed oil exploration off their shores, fearing it could imperil beaches and harm the tourism-dependent economy. ‘It’s an order that does so much for the state of Florida,’ Trump said Tuesday during remarks in Jupiter, Fla. ‘This protects your beautiful Gulf and your beautiful ocean, and it will for a long time to come.’ Though Tuesday’s action might please many voters and elected officials in the states where Trump said he would impose the moratorium, it is likely to deepen frustration in other states that have long sought assurances that oil rigs won’t rise off their coastlines.” [The Washington Post, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Donald Trump To Tout Environmental Record In Jupiter. According to FlaPol, “President Donald Trump will visit the site of one of the worst red tide algae blooms in recent history Tuesday afternoon to deliver remarks on his environmental record during a trip to Jupiter. Trump, traveling through Palm Beach International Airport, will appear at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum at 3 p.m. to deliver remarks on his ‘environmental accomplishments for the people of Florida.’ Those remarks are likely to tout the $200 million Congress approved and he signed in the 2019 federal budget for Everglades restoration. The White House agreed to expand that appropriation in 2019 after direct pleas from Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and Florida’s House of Representatives delegation. Whether he addresses the red tides that devastated the Treasure Coast, fueled by overflow runoff from the Everglades canals into the St. Lucie River, his administration’s on-again, off-again commitments to approve or ban off-shore oil and gas drilling off Florida’s coasts, or connections between climate change and the increased hurricane activity threatening Florida, is yet to be determined.” [FlaPol, 9/4/20 (+)]

 

Florida Democrats Accuse Donald Trump Of Empty Promises On Environment Ahead Of Jupiter Visit. According to FlaPol, “Several Florida Democrats are hammering Donald Trump’s environmental record as the President heads to Florida’s southeast coast Tuesday. Trump is expected to highlight federal environmental accomplishments such as $200 million in Everglades restoration approved by Congress. He’ll also tout the Great American Outdoors Act, which Trump signed last month. That bipartisan bill will help fund restoration projects in national parks as well as the Land and Water Conservation Fund. During Tuesday’s Zoom conference hosted by the Florida Democratic Party, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel called those two initiatives ‘very good issues that have been very bipartisan.’ However, she argued much of the work on those projects was done by she and her colleagues in Congress. ‘It is Congress, not the President that passes the budget,’ Frankel said. ‘The Everglades funding will, and has always been, bipartisan with the members of Congress in this state long before Mr. Trump.’ She hit Trump on other parts of his environmental record, such as weakening the Endangered Species Act and his stop-and-start efforts to expand offshore drilling on the coasts. Trump also withdrew the United States from the Paris climate accord, a move which Frankel and others on the call highlighted. ‘When South Florida is underwater, it’s not going to matter what the quality of our drinking water is,’ Frankel argued.” [FlaPol, 9/8/20 (+)]

 

Donald Trump To Visit Jupiter To Discuss Everglades Restoration . According to FlaPol, “President Donald Trump will be coming to Jupiter, Florida on Tuesday to discuss his administration’s environmental protection efforts in the Florida Everglades. Trump is expected to address his budget proposal to fund Everglade restoration — the proposed 2021 budget allocates $250 million in annual funding for restoration and infrastructure projects in the Southwest Florida ecosystem. Plans included in the proposal look at regional water storage capacity, reducing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee and tackling the issue of blue-green algae and red tide. However, Florida Democrats are not so keen on the proposed plans, saying the proposed budget would hinder efforts to address one of the Everglades’ greatest threats: the climate crisis. Not once in Trump’s 138-page main budget document did the word ‘climate’ appear.” [FlaPol, 9/5/20 (+)]

 

Trump Expected To Campaign In South Florida On Tuesday, Reports Say. According to Miami Herald, “President Donald Trump is expected to campaign in South Florida on Tuesday, according to various new reports. Trump’s visit to Jupiter, which was first reported by the Palm Beach Post, will be about ‘continued conservation and environmental protection efforts in the region,’ a White House official told the newspaper. Trump will also be visiting another battleground state: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, reported the South Florida Sun Sentinel. According to CBS10 in Tampa, ‘the upcoming 2021 budget, which is not yet approved by Congress, proposes $250 million in annual funding to construct new infrastructure as part of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.’” [Miami Herald, 9/6/20 (=)]

 

Trump Plans To Proclaim Himself Friend Of Environment During South Florida Stop . According to South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “President Donald Trump is kicking off the home stretch of the 2020 campaign with a trip to South Florida, where he plans to promote himself as a friend of the environment. Before Trump even left the White House, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and other Democrats dismissed the notion of Trump-as-environmental champion as a joke. Advertisement Trump plans to visit the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Tuesday afternoon to detail ‘environmental accomplishments for the people of Florida.’ He’ll be joined by his top supporter in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis. In a fundraising email, U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, a Republican who represents Jupiter, described it as ‘a critically important visit for our community and for this election.’ … U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel said the Trump Administration would be remembered as the ‘most anti-climate, anti-science, anti-environmental executive branch in United States history.’ He’s rolled back environmental rules, installed lobbyists from pollution-generating industries in key environmental jobs, proposed reducing environmental and parks spending, and taken actions that could increase greenhouse emissions. She said Trump shouldn’t get special credit for funding Everglades restoration, something she said has been a priority of leaders from both parties for decades.” [South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Op-Ed: Trump’s Secret Plan To Open Florida To Offshore Oil Drilling Must Be Stopped. According to South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “Fishing in the gorgeous blue waters off Florida’s Gulf Coast is a passion of mine and has been part of my life since I was a young boy. Then and now, every time I cast my reel into the sea and watch the sunrise over the vast expanse of water, I feel connected to our planet and the countless generations of people who have relied on our seas for their life-giving resources. Floridians love and cherish our beaches, coasts and marine waters. They are core to our identity and way of life. But our oceans are under threat. Oil drilling — something Floridians vehemently oppose — could destroy our precious waters and our quality of life. It needs to be permanently banned everywhere, and it should be a campaign promise of every candidate. I was recently disturbed to see a report that confirmed President Donald Trump is deliberately trying to trick Florida voters by hiding his plans to open the Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil drilling until after the November election. For decades, the oil and gas industry has been trying to sell Gulf Coast residents on the wonders of offshore drilling. We have smartly always said no. But now, they seem to have found a buyer in Trump.” [South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 9/4/20 (+)]

 

Trump Expands Ban On New Florida Offshore Drilling Sites . According to Tampa Bay Times, “President Donald Trump sought to claim the mantle of environmental steward on Tuesday as he announced an expansion of a ban on offshore drilling and highlighted conservation projects in Florida. But his administration has overturned or weakened numerous regulations meant to protect air and water quality and lands essential for imperiled species. Trump spoke beside the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, lambasting Democrat Joe Biden’s agenda at the taxpayer-funded event, ahead of a campaign rally in North Carolina, another must-win state for his reelection. The trip comes as Trump steps up his travel to battleground states eight weeks out from Election Day. Trump announced he was extending and expanding a ban on new offshore drilling sites off the Florida coast as well as Georgia and South Carolina. The existing moratorium covers the Gulf of Mexico, and Trump said the new one would also cover the Atlantic coast — a significant political concern in coastal states like Florida. ‘My administration’s proving everyday that we can improve our environment while creating millions of high-paying jobs,’ Trump said. He claimed that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s environmental plans would ‘destroy America’s middle class while giving a free pass to the world’s worst foreign polluters. ‘Trump is the great environmentalist,’ he added. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wore a face mask to greet Trump, who did not wear a mask, after Air Force One landed at the West Palm Beach airport. Trump arrived in Jupiter by motorcade. Trump discussed his call for additional funding for Everglades revitalization and addressing algae-causing run-off from Lake Okeechobee that has forced beach closures in the tourism-reliant state. Trump, though, has rolled back a host of regulations meant to protect the environment, including on power plant emissions, auto fuel standards and clean water. He withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord, a global agreement meant to address the emission of heat-trapping greenhouse gases.” [Tampa Bay Times, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Joe Biden Rips Trump Record On Coronavirus, Environment. According to The Palm Beach Post, “Ahead of President Trump’s visit to Jupiter, Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday ripped the president predicting the public ‘won’t hear’ a plan to ‘overcome this pandemic or a strategy to put Floridians back to work.’ ‘With more than 11,000 deaths, 600,000 cases, and 3.6 million workers across the state who have filed for unemployment benefits since March, it is clear that Floridians have been hurt by President Trump’s inability to contain the spread of COVID-19,’ Biden said in a statement. ‘But what we won’t hear from Donald Trump when he visits Florida today is a plan to overcome this pandemic or a strategy to put Floridians back to work.’ The White House said Saturday the focus of the president’s afternoon visit to north Palm Beach County will be to tout his environmental record. He will meet with U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Stuart, during the visit. In his statement, Biden added that as president he would listen to scientists and experts on how to address the pandemic and climate change. ‘When it comes to the coronavirus, it’s no surprise that President Trump has refused to listen to the experts and the scientists — just look at his environmental record,’ Biden said in the statement. ‘Trump has called the climate crisis a ‘hoax.’ He has eliminated rules designed to keep our air and water clean. And, dangerously, he has opened up additional public lands, both on land and offshore, to the possibility of new oil and gas drilling, a deeply unpopular threat to Florida’s natural environment and tourism-based economy. I’ll promise you this: As President, I will work with experts to fight COVID-19, make historic investments to create millions of clean energy jobs, and get our economy back on track so it works for all Americans, not just Trump’s Mar-a-Lago crowd.’” [The Palm Beach Post, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Trump Coming To Jupiter On Tuesday To Tout Environmental Protection Efforts. According to The Palm Beach Post, “President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Jupiter on Tuesday, a White House official confirmed Saturday. The goal of the president’s trip is to tout the administration’s ‘continued conservation and environmental protection efforts in the region,’ the official said speaking on background. That record includes the recently signed Great American Outdoors Act, which the administration says, will protect ‘America’s pristine natural environments, and funding of countless environmental restoration projects.’ The visit will be the president’s 11th to Florida this year, and his first to Palm Beach County since March. And the first to the Sunshine State since he accepted the Republican Party’s presidential nomination last month, officially kicking off the campaign against Democratic nominee Joe Biden.” [The Palm Beach Post, 9/6/20 (=)]

 

Trump Pauses Oil Drilling Off SC, Georgia, Florida After Years Of Support. According to The Post and Courier, “President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday an oil drilling moratorium off the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, a reversal after stripping a drilling ban put in place by his predecessor. Trump signed an order in an afternoon event that he said would lengthen a drilling moratorium on the west coast of Florida and expand it to the Atlantic coasts of all three states. The text of the order says that it takes effect on July 1, 2022, and applies for the following 10 years, but it’s unclear what that means in South Carolina before that date. Like all presidential orders, it could be changed under a new president. ‘This protects your beautiful Gulf and your beautiful ocean, and it will for a long time to come,’ the president said at the event, adding that the country had found a way to produce enough energy by other means, including hydraulic fracking for natural gas. Environmental advocates, however, are not taking Trump’s announcement at face value. ‘We’ll be looking for specific actions, in court or in federal agencies, to show that this is more than words,’ said Alan Hancock of the Coastal Conservation League.” [The Post and Courier, 9/8/20 (+)]

 

Trump Wants To Pause Oil Drilling Offshore SC, GA, FL After Years Of Support . According to The Post and Courier, “President Donald Trump announced his support Tuesday for an oil drilling moratorium offshore of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, a reversal after stripping a drilling ban put in place by his predecessor. Trump signed a presidential order in an afternoon event that he said would lengthen a drilling moratorium on the west coast of Florida and expand it to the Atlantic coasts of all three states. It was not immediately clear when the moratorium would take effect or how long it would last. Environmental advocates, however, are not taking the president’s announcement at face value. ‘We’ll be looking for specific actions, in court or in federal agencies, to show that this is more than words,’ said Alan Hancock, of the Coastal Conservation League. Trump made his announcement in Florida, a battleground state in the presidential election where public opinion is staunchly against drilling. Floridians passed a constitutional amendment in 2018 banning rigs in state waters. An existing federal moratorium along its western coast was set to expire in 2022. In South Carolina, 56 percent of the state opposes offshore drilling, according to a 2019 Winthrop University poll. Much of that opposition is focused at the coast, where businesses depend on natural beauty to bring tourists, and the memory of the 2010 Deepwater Horizion oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico looms large.” [The Post and Courier, 9/8/20 (+)]

 

Donald Trump Extends Moratorium On Oil Drilling Off Florida’s Shores. According to Treasure Coast Palm, “President Donald Trump, giving in to pressure from members of his party, signed an executive order Tuesday extending a moratorium on oil drilling off Florida’s shores as he ramped up his 2020 re-election effort in the critical battleground state. Trump acknowledged he didn’t plan to take action on the moratorium during an afternoon speech beneath the Jupiter Lighthouse. But the president said he was challenged by senators and others, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, who contended such an order would make him the top environmental chief executive since President Teddy Roosevelt more than 110 years ago. ‘Who would have thought Trump is the great environmentalist? You hear that? Did you hear that? That’s good. And I am, I am,’ Trump said during the speech that highlighted efforts to protect the Everglades and often diverted into campaign rhetoric. The order extends to June 30, 2032, a moratorium on offshore drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, east of the Military Mission Line, and adds the South Atlantic coast of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina to the moratorium. The action came more than two years after Florida officials were assured the state’s coastline wouldn’t be opened as part of the administration’s effort to expand oil and gas production nationwide.” [Treasure Coast Palm, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

President Trump To Visit South Florida On Tuesday . According to WFOR-TV, “President Trump will be in Jupiter to discuss Everglades restoration.” [WFOR-TV, 9/7/20 (=)]

 

President Trump Headed To Winston-Salem. According to WITN-TV, “President Donald Trump will be heading back to North Carolina Tuesday. The trip is part of his visit to two battleground states ahead of the election. First, President Trump will deliver remarks on the environment at the the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse in Florida. He will then head to Winston-Salem for a campaign rally at an airport. This will be President Trump’s third visit to North Carolina in three weeks.” [WITN-TV, 9/7/20 (=)]

 

AP | President Trump To Campaign In South Florida On Tuesday. According to WLRN-Radio, “President Donald Trump will highlight his environmental agenda as he campaigns in the battleground states of Florida and North Carolina on Tuesday. The White House says Trump will stop in Jupiter, Florida, on Tuesday to remind voters there of his conservation and environmental protection efforts in the Everglades region. For the federal budget year beginning Oct. 1, the White House said, Trump asked Congress for $250 million in annual funding to accelerate construction of infrastructure for the Everglades as part of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration. The project aims to improve the Everglades by enhancing regional water storage capacity and reducing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee. The president will also hold a campaign rally Tuesday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.” [WLRN-Radio, 9/7/20 (=)]

 

President Trump To Tout His Environmental Record In Jupiter. According to WLRN-Radio, “ALEXANDER GONZALEZ: What can we expect to hear from the president in Jupiter? ANTONIO FINS: I expect that this will be the first campaign stop he makes in Florida, which is a state that is now in play. A lot of pollsters and political analysts thought that Florida would be a lock for Trump. He won it in 2016. It is now his adopted home state. And they figured that he would have a pretty easy run in Florida, where at least among Republicans, he’s incredibly popular. GONZALEZ: Why do you think the president is speaking in Jupiter specifically? North Palm Beach County, Stuart, Martin counties, that’s a pretty friendly audience for him. He’s touting his environmental record. You would think that he’d be out there arguing more about the economy — something that polls show that it is the one area where the public tends to view Trump more favorably than rival Joe Biden. The environment is probably on a lot of Floridians’ minds. What specifically about the president’s record will be brought up? He will be met there by [Rep.] Brian Mast, a Republican congressman from the Stuart-Martin-northern Palm Beach County area. What they’re going to be talking about is this Great American Outdoors Act that Mast played a role in getting passed to Congress. The president signed it early last month, and it is an opportunity to raise some money and create permanent funding streams for these two funds that already exist that deal with acquisition of lands and protection and maintenance of lands.” [WLRN-Radio, 9/7/20 (=)]

 

President Trump To Be In Jupiter Tuesday. According to WPBF-TV, “President Donald Trump will be making a visit to Jupiter Tuesday to discuss his administration’s conservation and environmental protection efforts in the area, according to a White House official. As part of South Florida’s Ecosystem Restoration, Trump’s 2021 budget proposes $250 million in annual funding to expedite and construct new Everglades infrastructure. Advertisement These restoration projects include revitalizing the Everglades, enhancing regional water storage capacity, reducing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee and addressing the problems of blue-green algae and red tide. The event will take place at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum Tuesday afternoon. This will be the President’s 11th visit to Florida this year.” [WPBF-TV, 9/7/20 (=)]

 

President Trump Supporters Participate In Labor Day Boat Parade In His Honor. According to WPEC-TV, “Supporters of President Donald Trump are expected to take to the waters on Labor Day for a boat parade, despite the event’s main organizer being arrested last week for allegedly threatening to kill someone. According to the group’s Facebook page for the event, the boat parade will start in Jupiter at 11 a.m. and boaters will head south toward Mar-a-Lago. … It comes just one day before the President is expected to make a visit to Jupiter on Tuesday. We’re told that’s when he plans to talk about his environmental protection efforts in the Florida Everglades. The exact details of his upcoming visit to Palm Beach County have not yet been announced. The latest poll shows Biden leading Trump by a narrow margin in Florida, and that 93 percent of likely voters have already made up their mind on a candidate.” [WPEC-TV, 9/7/20 (=)]

 

President Donald Trump To Discuss Environmental Policies In Jupiter On Tuesday. According to WPTV-TV, “President Donald Trump is making his first visit to Palm Beach County since March when he speaks about the environment in Jupiter on Tuesday. Trump landed at Palm Beach International Airport just after 2 p.m. and will deliver a speech at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse at 3 p.m. about ‘environmental accomplishments’ in Florida, according to the White House. … U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., said he’s excited to host Trump ‘to discuss building on the momentum of the Great American Outdoors Act (that I helped pass to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund) and continuing the fight for clean water.’ … Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden released this statement on Tuesday about Trump’s environmental trip to Jupiter: ‘With more than 11,000 deaths, 600,000 cases, and 3.6 million workers across the state who have filed for unemployment benefits since March, it is clear that Floridians have been hurt by President Trump’s inability to contain the spread of COVID-19. But what we won’t hear from Donald Trump when he visits Florida today is a plan to overcome this pandemic or a strategy to put Floridians back to work. When it comes to the coronavirus, it’s no surprise that President Trump has refused to listen to the experts and the scientists -- just look at his environmental record. Trump has called the climate crisis a ‘hoax.’ He has eliminated rules designed to keep our air and water clean. And, dangerously, he has opened up additional public lands, both on land and offshore, to the possibility of new oil and gas drilling, a deeply unpopular threat to Florida’s natural environment and tourism-based economy. I’ll promise you this: As President, I will work with experts to fight COVID-19, make historic investments to create millions of clean energy jobs, and get our economy back on track so it works for all Americans, not just Trump’s Mar-a-Lago crowd.’” [WPTV-TV, 9/7/20 (+)]

 

President Trump To Visit Jupiter On Tuesday, Discuss Great American Outdoors Act. According to WPTV-TV, “President Trump is scheduled to be in Palm Beach County on Tuesday. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Stuart, tweeted Saturday that the president will be in town to discuss the Great American Outdoors Act, which will provide funding to national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, recreation areas and American Indian schools. … The president has not visited Palm Beach County since the coronavirus pandemic began in March. Supporters of the president are holding a boat parade from Jupiter to Mar-a-Lago on Monday. No other details were immediately available about the president’s upcoming visit.” [WPTV-TV, 9/7/20 (=)]

 

President Trump To Campaign In Winston-Salem On Tuesday. According to WSOC-TV, “President Donald Trump plans to campaign in the battleground states of Florida and North Carolina on Tuesday. The White House said Trump will stop in Jupiter, Florida, to remind voters there of his conservation and environmental efforts in the Everglades region.” [WSOC-TV, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

President Trump Plans Florida Visit To Discuss Environmental Issues. According to WTSP-TV, “President Donald Trump is planning to visit Florida after the Labor Day holiday to talk about the environment. He will be in Jupiter, Florida, on Sept. 8, according to the White House. The administration says the upcoming 2021 budget, which is not yet approved by Congress, proposes $250 million in annual funding to construct new infrastructure as part of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force. ‘These projects aim to reinvigorate the Everglades, enhance regional water storage capacity, and reduce harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee, helping address the problems of blue-green algae and the red tide,’ the White House said. Trump in August signed the Great American Outdoors Act that devotes nearly $3 billion annually to conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands. It was widely approved by Congress with bipartisan support.” [WTSP-TV, 9/5/20 (=)]

 

President Trump Making South Florida Stop On Tuesday . According to WTVJ-TV, “President Donald Trump is expected to make a South Florida stop on Tuesday, his first trip to Palm Beach County since the coronavirus pandemic began in mid-March. Trump will arrive in Jupiter for an afternoon event before he is scheduled to attend a rally later in the evening in North Carolina. NBC affiliate WPTV-TV reports the President will discuss the Great American Outdoors Act, which provides funding to national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and recreation areas. The event comes one day after a boat parade took place with supporters as well as members of the Trump campaign, including son Donald Jr., on Monday that ended at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump is seeking re-election and looks to win Florida for a second straight time as he competes against Democratic candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden.” [WTVJ-TV, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

President Trump To Visit Florida To Discuss 'Great American Outdoors Act'. According to WTVT-TV, “President Donald Trump will make a campaign stop in Florida on Tuesday. He is scheduled to visit Jupiter to talk about the Great American Outdoors Act, which would provide funding to national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, recreation areas and American Indian schools. In Florida, that would include a boost for the Everglades. Tuesday’s visit will be the president’s 11th to Florida this year, reports The Palm Beach Post. It will also be the first since accepting the presidential nomination from the Republican Party.” [WTVT-TV, 9/5/20 (=)]

 

Marine Renewable Energy

 

How One Fossil Fuel Company Became A Green Giant. According to E&E News, “One of the first corporate energy transitions of modern times began with a failed stock listing. In 2007, executives at Danish Oil and Natural Gas were planning to pitch their company to prospective investors as a fossil fuel behemoth. DONG — as the state-owned energy company was then known — had a small but growing oil and gas division, a natural gas distribution unit and a newly acquired utility business, which was pursuing plans to build a massive coal plant in Germany. But plans to list the company on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange in 2008 were derailed by the global financial crisis, which forced company executives back to the drawing board. There was another development, too. The failed initial public offering coincided with a flurry of new climate science and policy. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported in 2007 that human activity was ‘very likely’ responsible for a warming planet, the European Union was ramping up plans to slash greenhouse gas emissions and Denmark was preparing to host global climate negotiations in 2009. ‘It was a quite traditional strategy to grow the different parts of the value chain where we were present. And then came the whole theme of climate change,’ said Jakob Askou Bøss, a company executive involved in the IPO. ‘You have all of these different sources coming out saying, ‘Hey, this is not really long-term sustainable.’ I started reflecting, ‘Are we onto the right path here?’” [E&E News, 9/9/20 (=)]

 

Fisheries & Marine Life

 

AP | Orca That Once Carried Dead Calf For Miles Gives Birth Again. According to E&E News, “The Southern Resident killer whales have welcomed a new member to their family. Mother orca Tahlequah, J35, has given birth to a calf. KOMO-TV reports two years ago Tahlequah carried her dead calf for 17 days and 1,000 miles. Her grief gripped the hearts of people all around the world. According to Ken Balcomb, the founder for the Center for Whale Research, the calf likely arrived Friday and appears ‘robust.’ The gender has not been announced. Researchers discovered that the mother was pregnant in July. This is significant for these struggling orcas who have faced boat noise, a lack of food supply, habitat loss and environmental pollutants. Experts say this is big news as up to nearly 70% of pregnant orcas end with a miscarriage or a calf that dies shortly after birth. Because of this rate and the stressful environmental factors, researchers were worried that Tahlequah might not carry her calf to term. With a dwindling number of southern residents, every life matters.” [E&E News, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Endangered Whale Dies On Southern Oregon Beach. According to The Hour, “An endangered species of whale that became stranded on a southern Oregon beach died over the weekend, officials said. The 38-foot (12 meter) sei whale died Saturday evening after it was stranded on the sand by the tide, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Marine mammal biologists say the sei whale was not yet mature. The species prefers to live in temperate waters in the mid-latitudes. Officials said a necropsy would be done to learn why the animal got stranded. Oregon State University and Washington-based nonporofits World Vets and Sealife Response, Rehabilitation and Research were performing the necropsy.” [The Hour, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Trump Administration Moves Forward With Gulf Fish Farming Plan Despite Court Decision. According to Nola.com, “Floating cages with fish by the thousands may be popping up in the Gulf of Mexico after all. President Donald Trump’s administration is pushing ahead with a controversial plan to start an offshore aquaculture industry in the Gulf despite a federal appeals court ruling last month that appeared to block it. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans decided on Aug. 3 that the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration does not have the authority to set rules for offshore fish farms. Environmental and commercial fishing groups celebrated the decision, calling it a landmark victory in a long battle to prevent aquaculture in federal waters. But NOAA and other federal regulators say the ruling won’t halt plans they are carrying out in accordance with an executive order Trump signed in May that aims to remove regulatory barriers impeding aquaculture. The Trump administration says offshore fish farming will broaden markets for the seafood industry and help meet growing demand for fish.” [Nola.com, 9/8/20 (=)]

 

Op-Ed: Tribes, State Team Up On Harbor Seal Survey. According to The Reflector, “What we don’t know about populations of harbor seals and California sea lions in western Washington could be hurting salmon, orcas and other marine species — as well as fishing communities and economies — far more than we think. It’s estimated that seals and sea lions eat about 1.4 million pounds annually of threatened Puget Sound chinook and take six times more salmon than Indian and non-Indian fisheries combined. Historically, tribal fishermen never used to see seals and sea lions traveling up western Washington rivers. Today, we need to manage in-river predation by harbor seals of out-migrating juvenile salmon and returning adults — especially the threatened chinook that are their favorite target. We can’t do that effectively without a lot more good information about their movements, dietary needs and other factors. We also want to make certain that plans to increase hatchery production to support fisheries and southern resident orca recovery don’t end up feeding even more growth of seal and sea lion populations. I am encouraged that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife partnered with treaty tribes last year to survey harbor seal populations in northwest Washington inland waters. The survey was funded by the Swinomish, Suquamish, Tulalip, Squaxin Island and Puyallup tribes.” [The Reflector, 9/8/20 (+)]

 

Sea-Level Rise

 

Climate-Threatened Miami Offers Trump A Path To Victory. According to E&E News, “New polling suggests President Trump’s Green New Deal attacks are registering in an unlikely place: Miami-Dade County. Florida’s most populous county is already experiencing damaging sea-level rise, and local governments are spending billions of dollars to contain it. But that hasn’t stopped local voters from swinging toward the Republican who quit the Paris climate agreement. It’s a shift that could deliver him the Sunshine State’s electoral college votes. In Miami-Dade, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden leads with 55% to Trump’s 38%, according to a poll released yesterday by the Miami Herald. Biden’s margin of 17 percentage points could be a bad sign for Democrats who rely on big totals in Miami and Florida’s other metropolitan centers to offset Republican advantages elsewhere. In 2016, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won Miami-Dade by 30 points and still lost Florida.” [E&E News, 9/9/20 (=)]

 

New York City Residents Document Sea-Level Rise In Coastal Neighborhoods. According to Yale Climate Connections, “Many of New York City’s coastal residents are plagued by flooding – during storms and on sunny days. ‘There are certain times of the year associated with the new and full moons where it brings higher-than-normal high tides. And with that, those tides can bring flooding into communities,’ says Helen Cheng, a former coastal resilience extension specialist with New York Sea Grant and with the Science and Resilience Institute. She says in the Jamaica Bay watershed, flooding can block access to the subway station that people need to get to work from day to day. ‘Even services, sometimes – you know, the delivery of mail – can get impacted by water on the streets.’ Cheng says tidal flooding is getting worse as sea levels rise, and it’s important to know how people are affected. So as part of the Community Flood Watch Project, residents document and report flooding. ‘There’s a lot of value in on-the-ground information and community data, right? Because they’re living in these places and experiencing these events 24/7,’ she says.” [Yale Climate Connections, 9/8/20 (+)]

 

Maine Economy Could Take 15 Percent Hit By 2050 Without Climate Action, Report Finds. According to Bangor Daily News, “Maine’s economic output could decrease by 15 percent in the next 30 years if the state does not take action to address climate change, according to a new analysis prepared for the Maine Climate Council. The multi-faceted report from Eastern Research Group and Synapse Energy Economics is part of a nearly two-year process for the council convened by Gov. Janet Mills to develop a climate action plan. That plan will serve as a blueprint lawmakers can use to meet Maine’s energy goals, which include having a carbon-neutral economy by 2045 and getting 100 percent of electricity from renewable resources while cutting emissions by 80 percent by 2050. One section exploring the cost of the state not taking action to counter climate change shows that the state’s crucial tourism industry has much to lose. One scenario considered how a singular climate-related event — such as massive flooding — could affect the industry, a second modeled how constant ‘shocks’ to the economy from gradual effects of climate change would play out and a third predicted how increasing shocks over time could affect output. The ‘constant’ scenario was found to be the most dire for the tourism industry, predicting a 17 percent decrease in goods and services produced by 2050 and a 19 percent decrease in the winter tourism sector. If effects increase steadily over time — particularly if the tourism industry were hit by a challenge such as sea level rise — Maine’s economic output would go down by 15 percent, according to the report.” [Bangor Daily News, 9/8/20 (+)]

 

 

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