THE GREAT CATFISH COMMENTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE THEOLOGY

CLIMATE CHANGE, SETTLED SCIENCE OR GLOBAL SOCIALIST THEOLOGY 

THE GREAT NAMAZU AAB'S STAR POLITICAL ANALYST

GREETINGS BIPEDS:

DEMOCRATIC THEOLOGY ON CLIMATE CHANGE:

The Democrats continue in their assertions that climate change is a matter of "Settled science". According to Democratic and liberal media theology climate change is real, urgent, and the United States is primarily responsible for it. The Democrats are so fixated on Climate change that some in Congress want to provide criminal sanctions against "climate change deniers". Ummm.... not much respect there for freedom of speech  and that is usually a sign of the big lie practiced by the socialists. Say it enough, it becomes accepted as truth by most people and you just suppress the freedom of expression of the remainder.  We maintain that climate change at least in the terms of man caused and of immediate catastrophic nature is far from "Settled science. In this post we'd like to revisit some of our previous posts on the subject and then look at two elements that we haven't discussed yet namely the art and science of  climate modeling  and facts and figures on decarbonization policies and their measurable effects.

WE ARE NOT ALONE IN OUR SKEPTICISM:

Climate change skeptics are rare as hens teeth in the present academic and government grant awarding worlds but we are in good company, consider this one example: 

NASA BREAKS RANKS ON CLIMATE CHANGE 

Nor is this the first time we've commented on Climate Data gathering techniques and reporting techniques:

UNDERSTANDING THE SPAGHETTI STORM TRACK MODELS 

https://americanadmiraltybooks.blogspot.com/2017/09/understanding-spaghetti-storm-track.html

 We've remarked on various "climate emergencies":

See: 

ANOTHER ALARMING CLIMATE EMERGENCY BITES THE DUST . What Ever Happened To The Hole In The Ozone Layer?   https://americanadmiraltybooks.blogspot.com/2017/04/another-alarming-climate-emergency.html 

We have commented on weather phenomena that the climate alarmist have offered as "proof " of man caused climate change:

THE GREAT NAMAZU ON CHANGE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE IN THE TROPICS    https://americanadmiraltybooks.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-great-namazu-on-change-in-upper.html

 Here at the Namazu School of Climatology no one could call us "Climate Change Deniers". We have often asserted that "climates change,  that's what they do" and we have further asserted that "sometimes climates change suddenly and very drastically without any help from man, nor is man capable of controlling such changes as yet. " What has gotten us in trouble with the government and the politically correct crowd is that we keep asking for verifiable evidence that the climate is actually changing any faster or in any direction that is different from what is observable from the historical record and fossil evidence. While we see the usual changes in the 5 and 10 year weather cycles over the last 200 years , we simply don't see any real evidence of long term change from the direction or rate of measurable climate in the last two centuries. Something other than scientific fact seems to be driving the belief by government and others in a rapid, accelerating, on going, man caused "climate change". Think about these three facts:. 

1. No Recent Warming Despite Higher CO2 Levels

 Weather comes in cycles , the change of cycles does not signal climate change"During “modern times” (the last 220+ years or so) the global climate has been warming in fits and starts since the last “little ice age” (not a true ice age) ended about 200 years ago. Yet apart from entirely natural 1998 and 2015 ocean El Nino events, satellite and weather balloon measurements show no statistically-significant global warming for nearly two decades.

Image by NASA : graphic prepared by NASA purportedly indicating global warming from 1950 to 2013. Again this is a computer graphic and the term is "statistically significant". The colors indicating warming are much darker than need be and convey the impression that the earth severely and suddenly warmed. As described above the facts don't support as dramatic a visualization as this represents . One has to wonder what NASA thinks of this graphic now that they have broken ranks on climate change. Again see: NASA BREAKS RANKS ON CLIMATE CHANGE 

2. Extreme Claims Have Been Proven Wrong
The climate alarmists have made some extreme claims that have not withstood competent scientific  scrutiny.  Despite the democratic party fear-mongering, sea levels have been rising at a constant rate of slight;y under 7 inches per century without any measured acceleration. Even the latest 2013 IPCC report states; “It is likely that GMSL [Global Mean Sea Level] rose between 1920 and 1950 at a rate comparable to that observed between 1993 and 2010.” 

3. Inconvenient Confessions From IPCC Authorities
Ottmar Edenhofer, was the lead author of the IPCC's  (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 

IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report in 2007.. In  2010 . He wrote: "

“One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. Instead, climate change policy is about how we redistribute de facto the world’s wealth.”

https://www.ipcc.ch

HOW THE CLIMATE PROPAGANDIST OF THE LEFT RESPOND TO THE INCONVENIENT FACTS

 So given that top climate change advocates admit that what they are really about is redistribution of wealth , mostly from the United States to other powers and third world nations ; How would they counter our three facts that disprove accelerated by human activity climate change ? How will the socialists respond to a demand for verifiable facts? Well, one response has been the proposals in the media and the lower house of Congress to criminalize "Climate Deniers". So far that hasn't worked so they move on to the layman's faith in computers, and point to computer modeling. According to the socialist dogma on climate "computer climate modeling" "proves" their assertion of alarmingly accelerating man caused  "climate change".

  You may note that the operative term in the climate / economic rhetoric has changed pretty much from "global warming" to "climate change". This change in rhetoric was instituted by the more astute climate change propagandist in response to certain undeniable facts that we described above. By shifting from "Global Warming" to "Climate Change", the  proponents of redistribution of the wealth of the US  and West generally open the door to alarmists pronouncements after every detection of normal shifts and cycles in the weather pattern. Weather comes in cycles of 2, 5, 10. 50, 100, 200, and 500 years.   There are measurable variances in ice cover, rain fall, temperature, snow cover etc. during these weather cycles. By focusing on "Climate Change" vice global warming every shift in the normal cycle of weather gives the climate propagandist a new opportunity to argue that "climate change" is "settled science". The measurements of the weather changes are of course real, but trend does not indicate future and there are inherent errors in today's computer weather /climate modeling.

 Computer modeling is a complicated process in any field complicated by a number of standard statistical errors, One of these is "small sampling error."
Taking data from too small a sample leads to errors in projection. Trend isn't automatically future. The smaller the sample taken in computer modeling the more likely the results are unreliable for macro forecasting.

A computer model’s coding  has to represent all the variables from the laws of thermodynamics to the intricacies of air molecules. When the program runs on super computers it must perform quadrillions of mathematical operations a second. Making projections  means repeating this process thousands of times.  There is no one right answer in such modeling  other than  to get a sense of which outcomes are likely, which unlikely but possible, and which implausible in the extreme. There is an art as well as a science to prognosticating from inadequate data. The first thing that the researcher has to consider is "Small Sampling Error". If a researcher inquiries into too small of a of a sampling of data it is more likely than  not that any extrapolation from a small sampling group is prone to serious error. Now our socialists climate change propagandist would argue that such a concern over data that is gathered globally covering all the oceans and continents could never be subject to "small sampling error". Typical of the left cover the big lie ( climate change as a priority for the global redistribution of wealth) with another lie. It is not obvious to the layman and the socialists count on this . but in fact those global observations are in fact small sampling error laden. Here is why.

 The computer models interrogate individual grid cell areas of about 10.000 square kilometers from a space or aerial view. An air or ocean "cell" may contain 100,000 km3. Making models based even on sampling within millions of grid cells prone to small sampling error. The climate propagandist treat these vast areas (Cells) as points when they have in fact sampled only a tiny fraction of the area referred to as a "cell"with their grid cell observations.  In so doing they miss much detail.  Over the much wider area of the cell unobserved. The cloud cover and types and movement of clouds varies considerably over the typical 100,000 km3 area of an ocean "cell" vice the tiny area of the "grid cell"  observed. Many ocean area Cells also contain topographic features such as islands,some with mountains, banks .and reefs.  All of these topographic features and more affect weather within the larger "cell" and may not be discernible by observation of the "Grid Cell". Clouds are strongly predictive and indicative of weather   Treating these enormous areas and volumes as points misses much detail. For example look at clouds. Clouds are very predictive and indicative of weather and weather patterns over large areas, but any individual cloud is much smaller that a "grid cell". If the "grid cell" sampled is clear , hot, cloudy, rainy all too often the climate computer model builder assumes this represents the weather over the "cell". 

The modern computer climate model builder is also hampered by our universal lack of sufficient knowledge of the the ways that carbon moves through the atmosphere. Carbon is the central atom in molecules of carbon dioxide and methane, critical elements in green house effect of Earth's climate. We don't know any more about carbon atmospheric transit than the left but we do know where methane comes from , and it not from ourselves, our horses, cattle etc. The methane levels in the atmosphere are still about where they were before man appeared. See: 

LESSONS FROM FARTING TERMITES 

Water vapor also moves through the environment and holds and distributes heat.  To truly understand the planetary  carbon cycles is crucial to understanding weather cycles and climate change. But much of that water vapor's  movement is facilitated by life such as forests.  The interaction of living elements are even more difficult to understand than  physical processes. This vital knowledge is lacking in the socialist's predictions of imminent man caused climate change. We have explored only a few features  of the vast  catalog of errors and lack of knowledge associated with climate change predictions at our present level of knowledge of the arts and sciences that make up meteorology . While the state of the arts and sciences has improved greatly since the advent of the observation satellite and computer , we still don't know a lot. In immortal words of comedian Red Skelton spoken at the middle of the twentieth century :

 "We know what happens to little boys who lie.....they grow up to work for the Weather Bureau"

The earth seen from space, image by NASA .How many individual grid cells constitute an adequate sample for predicting climate change?

 There is no limit of individual readings that the climate alarmist may refer to in order to  convince the public of fast moving man caused climate change. A recent example is the updated information on the Greenland ice pack and glaciers . Greenland is losing .007 percent of its ice per year per the latest measurements. Beyond 1979 we have no idea what the loss rate was and how it varied over time and weather cycles.  Should a recent  ice loss rate of .007 annually be reason to panic?  New York and Washington DC we are told by the Left will be under water soon. but the fact is at this rate it will take 7,000 years for Greenland to lose half its ice mass. It is very unlikely that the rate of loss will remain constant with the varying weather cycles to come over the next 7,00 years. That the leaders of the global socialists movement such as Obama are buying multi million dollar properties in beach and coastal resorts indicates that they know the truth but continue to sell a lie. Even if the rate of ice loss doubled over night it would still take 3,000 years for Greenland to lose enough ice to cause severe coastal flooding. 

IMAGE BY NASA: IS GREENLAND MELTING FAST?
 Of real concern is the highly manageable normal rise in sea level that amounts to 7 inches a century, steady now for several centuries, At that rate some low lying coastal areas in the United States could be in danger of periodic flooding in low areas. There is time to do beach extensions, marsh planting and some levee building to protect these areas. Exceptionally low lying metropolitan areas like New Orleans ( highest point 7 feet above mean sea level, lowest about three feet below sea level) are already raising levels and improving drainage pump capacities. Rest assured New Orleans fully expects to be dry in 2100 or 2200. This real concern for very low lying coastal areas is not a result of climate change but rather normal weather cycle driven fluctuation of sea levels, combined with our ancestors being relatively methodologically ignorant in their day when many coastal towns were laid out. Then there is the consideration that trend is not prediction. The so far steady rate of sea level rise could slacken or increase with weather cycle changes. This would probably not be on the five or ten year cycles but on the 200 to 500 year cycles. So we caution existing coastal communities and coastal resort builders of today to take this into consideration in resort location and construction and in planning sea flood protection in older communities. But know that this is not a sign of "climate change"

 The ignorance of the Left on the real operative forces that could generate climate change , especially their woeful lack of knowledge of the operation of the global carbon budget has not stopped them from legislating and lobbying for immediate carbon reduction. Where has that gotten the United States of America and the world generally?  It was one cause of many for the massive migration of heavy industry from America where our environmental laws since the 1970s  have encouraged constant progress in industrial emission control. Where did those industries go? To China, Brazil, India and other nations with virtually no environmental laws claiming the global socialists inspired carbon allotment. Basically this plan enshrined in a number of international treaties allows certain nations to pollute virtually without limits while the "developed nations" must achieve zero emissions by 2050. This requirement is imposed on "developed nations" despite the fact that the legislative bodies don't have a clue on how the carbon budget works or its real effect on the atmosphere. Do you still wonder why the US didn't sign off on the Tokyo Accords"? And how are the nations that agreed to the accords doing  towards making their goals. Well in 2017 squeaky clean Canada, so often critical of their neighbors to the south ,actually increased emissions by 4%. This was not  unusual among most of the accord states where only a few very small but prosperous European nations with increased tourist trade met their goals. 

 According to a Forbes Magazine article ( The Yawning Gap Between Climate Rhetoric and Climate Action)   by Roger Pielke Jr. '"Global decarbonization – the rate of reduction in the ratio of carbon dioxide emissions to GDP – was 1.6% in 2018. That is identical to the average rate of decarbonization from 2000 to 2018."

  Notice first that the rate of emissions reduction is tied to gross national product. Why not tie it to the actual emissions of the nations?  We come back to the real purpose of the climate change story line , the redistribution of wealth.  So there has been no real reduction in carbon admissions any where but in the United States and a very few small European nations by the Accords signatories. Consider that to achieve the Accord's mandated emissions reductions consistent with a 1.5 degree Celsius temperature target would require an annual decarbonization rate of 11.3% per year for the remainder of this century. The world is not only no where near this goal but there is no evidence that the carbon budget is causing climate change except skewed and nuanced scattered facts spun by  spin doctors for those who would have you believe that climate change is "settled science". Yet the United States is constantly criticized by the Accords signatories for not being aboard their plan . Yet we have been making more strides towards emissions reduction than any of the Accord signatories, Wake up and smell the coffee my American biped friends. Climate Change is a scare tactic and an appeal to the uniquely American sense of guilt over our won prosperity. It is a tool for one thing , the plunder of the United States. Climate Change? My rear fins! 

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Congressional Research Service Report On The Chinese Navy

Below is a summary from the Congressional Research Service. The text of this public document is presented exactly as written. However, bold facing, color changes and foot notes and links are ours.

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress. Updated August 30, 2019

Chinese sailors at Pearl Harbor, the place their government has publicly announced that they would drive us back to. (Official U.S. Navy Photo)

Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.govRL33153

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities Summary In an international security environment characterized as one of renewed great power competition, China’s military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort, has become the top focus of U.S. defense planning and budgeting. China’s navy, which China has been steadily modernizing for roughly 25 years, since the early to mid-1990s, has become a formidable military force within China’s near-seas region, and it is conducting a growing number of operations in more-distant waters, including the broader waters of the Western Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and waters around Europe. China’s navy is viewed as posing a major challenge to the U.S. Navy’s ability to achieve and maintain wartime control of blue-water ocean areas in the Western Pacific—the first such challenge the U.S. Navy has faced since the end of the Cold War—and forms a key element of a Chinese challenge to the long-standing status of the United States as the leading military power in the Western Pacific.

China’s naval modernization effort encompasses a wide array of platform and weapon acquisition programs, including anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs), anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs),submarines, surface ships, aircraft, unmanned vehicles (UVs), and supporting C4ISR (command and control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) systems.China’s naval modernization effort also includes improvements in maintenance and logistics,doctrine, personnel quality, education and training, and exercises.
China’s military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort is assessed as being aimed at developing capabilities for addressing the situation with Taiwan militarily, if need be; for achieving a greater degree of control or domination over China’s near-seas region, particularly the South China Sea; for enforcing China’s view that it has the right to regulate foreign military activities in its 200-mile maritime exclusive economic zone (EEZ); for defending China’s commercial sea lines of communication (SLOCs), particularly those linking China to the Persian Gulf; for displacing U.S. influence in the Western Pacific; and for asserting China’s status as the leading regional power and a major world power. Consistent with these goals, observers believe China wants its navy to be capable of acting as part of a Chinese anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) force—a force that can deter U.S. intervention in a conflict in China’s near-seas region over Taiwan or some other issue, or failing that, delay the arrival or reduce the effectiveness of intervening U.S. forces. Additional missions for China’s navy include conducting maritime security (including antipiracy) operations, evacuating Chinese nationals from foreign countries when necessary, and conducting humanitarian assistance/disaster response (HA/DR) operations.The U.S. Navy in recent years has taken a number of actions to counter China’s naval modernization effort. Among other things, the U.S. Navy has shifted a greater percentage of its fleet to the Pacific; assigned its most-capable new ships and aircraft and its best personnel to the Pacific; maintained or increased general presence operations, training and developmental exercises, and engagement and cooperation with allied and other navies in the Pacific; increased the planned future size of the Navy; initiated, increased, or accelerated numerous programs for developing new military technologies and acquiring new ships, aircraft, unmanned vehicles,and weapons; begun development of new operational concepts (i.e., new ways to employ Navy and Marine Corps forces) for countering Chinese maritime A2/AD forces, and signaled that the Navy in coming years will shift to a more-distributed fleet architecture that will feature a smaller portion of larger ships, a larger portion of smaller ships, and a substantially greater use of unmanned vehicles. The issue for Congress is whether the U.S. Navy is responding appropriately to China’s naval modernization effort. Congressional Research Service


Read the entire report @ https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33153.pdf

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Book Review "THIS NEW OCEAN"

  THIS NEW OCEAN : THE STORY OF THE FIRST SPACE RACE by William E. Burrows ISBN 0-679-44521-8
 Available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=THIS+NEW+OCEAN+by+William+E.+Burrows&ref=nb_sb_noss

 Our re-reading of this classic led to our redoing of the prologue to our own Protocols  we were particularly influenced by Mr. Burrows first Chapter "Bird Envy". We realized upon reading "Bird Envy" once again that our exploration of the parallels between space exploration and the great oceanic explorations and charting of the planet during the age of maritime discovery ( starting in the 1480s) was in terms of space exploration focused on the post moon landing era. In our earlier introduction essays we had focused on the influence that STAR TREK and similar TV and Movie science fiction had on generations of tax payers. Today's tax payers are quite at home with the idea of space exploration and are quite willing to fund the exploration with their tax dollars. In "Bird Envy " Mr. Burrows reminds us that people had been writing about space travel and exploration for centuries before Jules Verne. It took a long time for science fantasy to evolve into science fiction. In the rest of the Book Mr. Burrows describes the development of the space capable rocket from its earliest 20th century days. Since NASA we Americans tend to forget that the only funding for rocket research much before 1929 was by clubs of amateur rocket enthusiasts often viewed as crack pots by the science community of their day and completely ignored by their governments. In the 1930s the only change in negative government and tax payer attitudes was the sponsor ship of rocket science by the German government. The Germans at that point in history were interested in rockets as weapons of war, and most talk of rockets as launching systems for space exploration stopped in Germany. By the time of the end of WWII, American attitudes towards rockets was focused on weaponry. At last, some Free World government funds were getting pointed towards rockets. Talk of space travel picked up again as rockets became more socially acceptable thanks to government participation and the new science fiction writers of the day. 

 Then came the "Cold War " and the famous Russian launch of Sputnik. The first "space race" was on. We agree with Mr. Burrow on this.  There was a first space race and it was on going when STAR TREK first aired. since then generations have been raised with a very clear vision of space travel and a social consensus has been reached that space exploration is worth government expenditures. Mr. Burrows writing makes us realize the long struggle for the public imagination. Only the threat of Russian domination in space spurred the formation of NASA and eventually propelled us to the moon. But somewhere between Alan Shepard's sub orbital flight and our landing on the moon  the public caught up with and eventually surpassed the government in interest in space exploration. We maintain that a major driving influence was the cinematic presentations of a space future based on real science tempering the science fantasy. Audiences could now see and hear  sometimes in 3D writers visions of a future where space travel was a given. What THIS NEW OCEAN  , especially in the First Chapter "Bird Envy" describes is the centuries long struggle to make space exploration something that the science community, government and tax payers could accept. 

 This book is an excellent history of the the first space race It takes the reader deep into the early "rocket clubs" and fleshes out the main characters who most of us only know as names in a history book and vaguely associate their names with "rocket science". He does the same throughout the era he examines through the time of the space shuttle. We agree with his assessment that the space shuttle and International space station mark a turning point, and that we are now, fifty years after the moon landings starting into a "Second Space Race" as we now compete with China to get to the moon again before the world forgets that we did that fifty years ago. But we think  Mr. Burrows puts too much emphasis on wings in space as some sort of key note change in technology. Our exploration of the parallels between space exploration and European exploration of the planet by sea causes us to see in terms of eras not races. The push into space has always involved "fits and starts". What we see and describe in  "ESSAY NUMBER 6 of PROTOCOLS is that we are still in the same era, the era of space capsules and space planes. In Essay number 6 of our "PROTOCOLS  we note in  that CAPSULES AND SHUTTLES ARE BOTH LONG BOATS .

 In other essays we noted the centuries long development from long boats such as galleys that required dozens of rowers and storage space for them to live and eat. And the caravel, the vessel used by Columbus capable of transoceanic voyaging. The"long boats" we described as capable for moving about the shallows, voyaging off the beach to offshore islands, coastal voyaging, but they were unsuited for transoceanic exploration. The caravel by contrast had a viable sail plan and did not need oarsmen. The capsules  and space shuttles that we have used to exploit near earth orbits and land on the moon , in our view are more akin to the galleys than the caravels. We can put people in earth orbit or go to the moon. However, it is clear that any real ships designed to explore even our solar system must be built in space from parts that are somewhat pre-assembled . We await not the appearance of another International space station. but the first space "shipyard" to signal a change in era. Yes we are in a second "Space Race" but it is about better long boats not caravels. A technological "race" is not the same as an era. It took thousands of years to evolve the Caravel, the little ship that changed history. The evolution sped up once the European nation states began to compete with each other on discovering and colonizing for better or worse , the world. We offer two lessons from our comparative study of space and oceanic exploration. First these things seem to advance by fits and starts, second real trans-formative change can take at least decades if not centuries, to come to fruition. 

 We highly suggest reading THIS NEW OCEAN its not a new book but is still available in print at Amazon and elsewhere. In its 700 pages a story of real people working across centuries emerges, a story that the post STAR TREK generations need to learn. It seems to them that we are just moving too slowly toward the Star Trek vision of a space faring society. In fact the space movement  has been moving against societal resistance for about two thousand years. This era of widespread 
public acceptance of space exploration is the key new development allowing us to fly into space. In PROTOCOLS we examine the parallels between this era of space exploration and an earlier period of planetary exploration cautioning patience. If past is prologue, we are going to be improving space travel for at least a thousand years. 

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BULWARK AGAINST THE RED TIDE

Mississippi's Horn Island Photo Credit National Park Service

Typical Storm Water Run Off Pipe Mississippi Gulf Coast Photo Credit SUN HERALD

We believe that this story is one of the most important to be covered by the SunHerald (https://twitter.com/sunherald) news paper since Hurricane Katrina. We are indebted to reporter Lauren Walck for her June 2019 coverage of the underlying story.  

lwalck@sunherald.com     , @laurenwalck

JUNE 29, 2017 09:19 PM, UPDATED JUNE 30, 2017 09:40 PM

THE LOOK OF A TROPICAL PARADISE

 One of the most scenic drives in America is US highway 90 along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As you proceed along the highway in either direction you will see beautiful uncrowded beaches and the waters of Mississippi Sound on one side and interesting architecture on the other. Unlike Malibu and many other beach resorts in the United States the public has free access to the entire roughly 23 miles of sand except for a few marked areas reserved for the nesting and resting of the "Least Terns," beautiful tiny white shore birds once on the brink of extinction. Pelicans can be seen in abundance. While the beach is man made as a hurricane protection feature it is taking on a more natural look as barrier island plants,with the help of deliberate but natural looking plantings, colonize some of the low man made duns. All along the road on the land side are beautiful live oaks, palmetto palms, Carolina or Texas Sable Palms, Canary Island and Royal Palms. Though the  Mississippi Gulf Coast is actually semi tropical, the look of the place is that of a tropical; beach paradise. But the view from the road can be deceiving,


Gulf Islands National Seashore Near Biloxi photo credit National Park Service

BUT THERE ARE SNAKES IN PARADISE :
 This summer (2019) nearly all of the mainland beaches of Mississippi were closed for swimming and people were cautioned not to come into contact with the water. The problem is sometimes called a "red tide" though this one and others were often green. It is a natural phenomena, though it can be exacerbated by human activities. It is most often a phenomena of near shore and especially semi sheltered waters in brackish estuaries.The closure of the beaches put a dampener on the tourist industry. While the gambling casinos remained open and their parking lots indicated a still lively trade the beach dependent business such as beach front restaurants and beach related shops suffered. The beach equipment (lounge chairs, jet skis, shade umbrellas etc.) suffered the most direct impact once the warnings went up to stay away from the waters, most closed for the season, some probably permanently. The primary cause of the algae invasion is thought to be the massive influx of fresh water into Mississippi Sound from the flood control efforts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the near by Mississippi River. However, even if Mississippi is able to resolve its problem with the Corps flood protective efforts for near by New Orleans, periodic micro organism pollution along the Mississippi mainland beaches sufficient to cause beach closures still occur due to local sources of pollution, particularly street run off. the best known culprit? Storm water run off pipes that run under the beach depositing street run off right into the water almost on the beach.

 The unusual amount of fresh water that entered Mississippi Sound from Louisiana's flood water diversions reduced salinity in the Sound and created water conditions conducive to algae growth over a wide region near the mainland beaches. The Gulf Coast of Mississippi, however has a very rainy warm semi tropical climate. The typical summer weather pattern includes afternoon thunder showers that do not engulf large areas but are a bit hit or miss with some areas adjacent to a down pour being dry for an entire day. The thunder storms are sufficient to cause a major street water run off event and resulting high pollution levels around some times less than a half dozen storm water run off pipes. Some of these events are sufficient to cause a beach closure along a particular stretch of beach. The area is also subject to tropical type storms once or more every summer. These spread rain over most of , or the entire area resulting in wide spread beach pollution from storm water run off. A similar phenomena occurs in the winter months when the occasional frontal system system comes down from the north and the entire area is enveloped in rain for a day or more. 

   

 Street drainage is much more harmful than previously thought when the present drainage system was built. It contains oils from the streets themselves, and run off from lawns such as high nitrogen content fertilizers, insecticides, dog waste, bird droppings, and occasionally raw sewerage. Rerouting all of the storm drainage would be prohibitively costly and really no matter what you do with the storm water run off on the Mississippi Gulf Coast it has to end up eventually in the bays and Mississippi Sound.  But one project thought of as "cosmetic" because it doesn't provide for treatment of the storm water run off is setting the stage for improvement. The "wave form" storm water out falls simply eliminate some of the eye sore nature nature of the existing out fall pipes.  These attractive forms can also accommodate  the storm water load from multiple pipes that can be connected under the beach and the combined discharge can enter the Mississippi sound through the larger outfall of the "Wave Form"drain. This development reduces the number of points where pollution enters the beach water and while it has no inherent pollution abatement features the outfall lends itself to discharge into a settlement marsh created by a different program at a later time. It is estimated that 250 of these "wave form" drains could replace 300 of today's pipe outfalls. The state is already moving ahead with this program and the first three wave form drains or outfalls will be built this year.

 The complete process will cost tens of millions of dollars and probably take decades. We don't think the beach can wait that long. The benefits of the Wave Forms may be obtainable much more quickly by individual municipalities or counties going in and connecting two or more outfall pipes with ordinary building material under the beach. The old, no longer connected outfall pipes could be removed. This is a less expensive way to both attack the "eye sores" and reduce the number of point sources of pollution. The single outfall pipe would be two or three times the diameter of the typical outfall but would still lend itself to added on settlement marsh type pollution abatement at its discharge end. Take a look at the wave form design via this link to a SunHerald video

https://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/harrison-county/article221204140.html

THE PAST HOLDS THE KEY TO THE FUTURE:  

  There is an incredibly scenic beach road also known as U.S. Highway 90 or the "Old Spanish Trail " that parallels miles of sand beach. That sand beach isn't what was there originally. The original landscape was more marshy and capable of absorbing and processing far more pollutants than today's sterile beaches another product of flood protection courtesy of mostly the Army Corps of Engineers.  Indeed since sunlight (available in abundance despite the high level of rainfall) has a disinfectant effect on many micro organisms including algae just slowing the flow of pollutants along the beach line would greatly reduce pollution . What is needed immediately is an inexpensive pollution mitigation system, that can be built in one or two seasons for the entire length of the beach. Given the expense of the wave form story drains already described and the high cost of the higher tech solutions you are about to read about, it is clear that what is needed fast in very inexpensive pollution mitigation system. We aren't here in proposing a storm water runoff pollution elimination system, but a mitigation system that the Coast communities can afford and produce quickly. Compare our proposal to the costs of the systems that recently won a design competition and the resulting time line for completion. The Mississippi Gulf Coast can't wait decades to seriously mitigate the present situation.
 

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INTERIM NOTES

Follow On for Helios Ruehls , Inc. Report No. 1 

We apologize for the formatting errors we are working on this but all copy did post 
and we urge everyone to read these posts as they appear, We'll gt those formatting
Errors fixed 

Typical Storm Water Run Off Pipe Mississippi Gulf Coast Photo Credit SUN HERALD

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Interim Notes Report No. 2 /post No.1

WHAT ABOUT THE LOUISIANA FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECTS?

BULWARK AGAINST THE RED TIDE 

Typical Storm Water Run Off Pipe Mississippi Gulf Coast Photo Credit SUN HERALD

 I had intended this to be a more detailed report of the permit
 processing process. However after a very recent trip to the 
Mississippi Gulf Coast I found  that the most often asked question or
 objection to our proposed system is the  fact that the
 Army Corps of Engineersand Louisiana State Authorities plan 
massive flood water  diversion projects in the New Orleans area
 with a great potential for causing serious fresh water intrusion into 
Mississippi Gulf Coast especially Mississippi Sound. Among  those 
who understand the difference between a mostly salt water estuary
 and a mostly fresh water estuary this seems to be an unmitigated
 disaster . Much of the Mississippi Gulf Coast economy depends on
 remaining a mostly salt water estuary. 

 In our view the Louisiana projects require a quite different 
approach than the storm water run off pipe pollution issue.
 Even if the estuary would change to fresh water the mini marshes
of our storm water run off system would be necessary
to mitigate beach front pollution. However some of the vegetation
might have to be  replaced as the design is salt water tolerant.However
 many native plants of the estuary have a quite large range of salt to
 fresh water that they can thrive in. The beach
storm run off pipes number about 300 and run the length of
 the beach about 23 miles. Collectively they represent a macro problem
 of pollution mitigation.Individually each  pipe could be mitigated by
the labor of a garden club or similar  organization. The cross beach
 storm water run off problem is a Macro problem
 that lends it self to micro solutions. 

By contrast the Corps of Engineers projects in Louisiana present
 a mega problem to the Mississippi Sound environment and human 
communities. The mega problem that emerges from the mega projects 
can only be addressed by mega solutions mostly to be proposed and
 demanded by Mississippi State political office holders. The state must
 stand up to the Corps and Louisiana and demand that the fresh water intrusion
 issue be dealt with. What is needed to mitigate fresh water intrusion is not
 on the order of a true mega project.The Corps can and should do the 
necessary to mitigate fresh water intrusion into Mississippi Sound from 
new flood protection and marsh restoration projects in Louisiana.

Why The Corps Can Do It:

Where does the salt water go when massive amounts of fresh water 
intrude into  an estuary? It goes down deeper into the water column. 
The water becomes layered with the fresh water  on top and the 
salt water lower. It takes a long time for it to mix. 
But an estuary like Mississippi Sound with its many openings to 
the sea never  becomes truly a fresh water estuary. When the floods
subside salinity increases . Unfortunately during the period of massive 
fresh water intrusion salt water species flee. During this last fresh water
 event every thing from pelicans to bait fish disappeared and
years of damage was done to oyster beds. The Corps may argue that 
the environment recovers over time, but will the salt water based economy
 recover enough to withstand  the next fresh water invasion? Think of the beach
 closures and the  closures of the beach rental equipment small businesses most of
which lost an entire season  to the fresh water intrusion and resulting algae blooms
and some of whom will never recover. So what might the corps do to mitigate these
 Louisiana projects negative effects on  Mississippi sound?

 First there is a direct connection between the erosion of the St. Bernard Parish
 marshes  and the fresh water intrusions into Mississippi Sound. Just pouring
fresh water into the marsh will  not grow marsh substantial enough in time enough to
stem the danger. Mississippi  must insist that in Louisiana the Corps manage the
 "Mud Budget" for maximum marsh building. Water is not enough for marsh
 building the marshes need river sediment as well. The Corps should also be 
held responsible for some "mechanical marsh building" as in Christmas tree 
soil catchers and planted emergent vegetation. Much of the flood waters if 
the Corps projects are built will flow into the remains of the
 Saint Bernard parish marshes with a straight shot at Mississippi Sound.
 The corps must build marshes almost as fast as they build flood walls and 
pumping stations. 

 There was a period in geologic time when the St. Bernard Parish marshes were
in fact the delta of the Mississippi. Then the river moved north ward and
flowed through  what is now Lake Pontchartrain. A remnant of the old river channel
can still be detected at Pass Manchac between  Lake Pontchartrain and its sister fresh
water lake,  Lake Maurepas.  Old pieces of the river channel are also detectable at the
 Pass Rigolets and  Pass Chef Menteur  and it is through these  passes that much of
the recent flood water run off from  Lake Pontchartrain travels to reach Mississippi
 Sound. The river eventually build up a natural levee that forms most of Orleans
Parish, then crossed over it and started forming the channels that would eventually
 lead to the formation of the present bird foot delta.. Every few years the river would
 flow over the natural levee and send major fresh waters into Lake Pontchartrain.
Then man came to the region and eventually  the high levees were built up
 containing river between its banks most years.  Eventually the Corps  of Engineers
 found that they had to allow plenty of run off into Lake Pontchartrain various  marshes
 and the Atchafalaya River to prevent catastrophic flooding  at New Orleans.
The resulting relief channels are generally called "Spill Ways". It was
a record long opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway into Lake Pontchartrain over the 
Spring and summer that caused the problems along the Mississippi beaches this in 2019.

 Because such opening create layered fresh water intrusions and the fresh water goes
 to the top effective barriers can be constructed or deployed to slow the intrusion.; 
Imagine what  might have happened if the Corps determined the depth of the fresh water 
column and deployed floating barriers between the Pontchartrain passes and "Lake" Borne?
 Had they done so the fresh  water intrusion into Mississippi Sound would have been less 
severe. Such booms should consist of a positively buoyant upper level with a negatively
 buoyant "skirt below. Such deployable barriers across the existing passes through the
 waters passed this year would not be expensive by Corps standards. There would be some necessary research to assure optimum performance, The unanswered question is how
 deep do the negatively buoyant "skirts" have to run at the passes in order to 
effectively impede a critical mass of fresh water? The good news is that the 
passes are not wide. so such barriers would not have to be very expensive in 
terms of length. The other good news is that such barriers wouldn't block drainage,
 simply allow more of the drainage to  consist of saltier water. 

So the the maintenance of some deployable  fresh water intrusion booms at the passes and their deployment during openings of  the Bonnet Carré Spillway could go a long way towards mitigation 
of the periodic fresh water intrusion problem. BUT the new Corps/ State of Louisiana plans are 
to create new spill ways some of which may be pointed directly at Mississippi sound 
across an inadequate marsh. It is inevitable that Mississippi sound will be affected by such projects in Louisiana. It is inescapable that Mississippi officials must pay attention and
 demand a seat at  the table when the Corps plans mega projects in Louisiana east of the Mississippi.  It is also inescapable that the voters of the Mississippi Gulf Coast need to
 hold their public officials responsible for doing that. The only citizen actions that can
 affect the fresh water intrusion from Louisiana are political. Citizens may write their 
congressional representatives, Louisiana's congressional delegation, and the Corps of Engineers;
 but the most effective action is to hold the Mississippi politicians feet to the fire for a place at the table when the Corps plans mega flood control  or navigation channel maintenance on or east of the Mississippi. 

A Few Points To Keep In Mind 

The present bird foot delta is your friend. The present delta unlike previous deltas in geologic
 time channels the river water south of Mississippi Sound and deposits it in the deep Gulf where 
the fresh water intermixes with the salt more rapidly. As long as the river isn't threatening to over top its banks the bird foot delta keeps the harmful levels of fresh water out of Mississippi,  MONITOR CAREFULLY ANY ATTEMPTS BY THE CORPS TO ABANDON THE SOUTHWEST PASS NAVIGATION CHANNEL.
A new entrance to the Mississippi north and east of SW Pass could put more fresh water in
 Mississippi Sound year round. There are groups in Louisiana advocating for such changes now. 
If it becomes inevitable that the shipping channel must be shifted north and east of the present bird 
foot delta, Mississippi should demand that the Corps establish with dredge spoils a string of marshy barrier islands from the  Chandelier Islands to near Cat Island to slow, and filter the constant fresh 
water discharge aimed at Mississippi Sound.  Dredge spoil barrier islands could also substitute for floating fresh water intrusion barriers at the Lake Pontchartrain passes .

Insist that the corps manage the mud budget in Louisiana. The St. Bernard marshes have deteriorated from lush marsh to a collection of lots of marshy islands, Some forms of fisheries
 have benefited from this condition and developed a constituency. These commercial fishermen
 should be compensated for the temporary or permanent damage to their livelihood but the
 marsh must receive replenishing mud not just fresh water all of which unslowed by marsh will 
run right into Mississippi Sound.

The new equivalents of new spill ways coming to Louisiana present a major problem
 that will not yield to garden club members wielding shovels as the storm water run
 off pipes will. This is a mega problem requiring political as well as engineering solutions .

OUR BOTTOM LINE: We have volunteered to help engineer a mitigation feature for the
 Storm Water run off pipe induced pollution along the beach. We can't really do much
 about the big  and future fresh water intrusion from major Corps projects. See 
your Mississippi State office holders. The possibility of another big fresh water intrusion
 event from Louisiana waters should in no way affect the desire to clean up the storm 
water run off problems along the beach. As we said in our first post we are proposing
 an incremental mitigation system for one problem on the Mississippi Beaches, storm water
 run off.

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BULWARK AGAINST THE RED TIDE 
 The Details of the Permitting Process

Typical Storm Water Run Off Pipe Mississippi Gulf Coast Photo Credit SUN HERALD

We are attempting to negotiate a simpler , faster permit process. As things change we will 

post relevant changes here as "Report No.2 post NO._________". Eventually there will be 

a printed and bound version of this handbook but the electronic version which you are

 reading under construction will be up for quite some time after the print version is 

distributed,

SO WHERE DOES THE PERMIT PROCESS BEGIN?

 (1) We think the smart route is to start with the Mississippi Secretary of State. The 
waters just a few yards out from the beach belong to the state and the Secretary 
of State is their "custodian" after a fashion. By obtaining a letter of "no objection"
 or better yet an endorsement from the Secretary of State FIRST any group wanting to
 build settlement marches has their way smoothed and avoids problems on the eve of
construction:
 Write to:

OFFICE OF THE MISSISSIPPI SECRETARY OF STATE P.O. BOX 136, 
JACKSON, MS 39205-0136 

ATTN: (Name of current Secretary at the time you actually write

For follow up:

Phone: (601) 359-1633 

Next: Contact The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District at phone number 
251 690 2505 or main switch board at 251 690 3208. Our preliminary contacts with the
 Corps indicate that with only a few exceptions (near regulated marshes and shipping 
channels) this activity is covered by a "National General Permit"None the less because 
there are a few exceptions you should talk with some one there in charge of permits. Then 
follow up with a letter requesting a letter of confirmation that your activity is covered by
 the "General Permit". As long as your project is not particularly near the Gulf Port 
Channel or at the extreme east or west ends of the beach where the beach is near regulated
 wet lands we doubt that you will have anything but a pleasant experience dealing with the
 Corps. It my seem like a hassle to ask for letters of no objection from agencies with
 probably no permit requirements, but it is worth the effort. All agencies listed here have 
some sort of statutory authority over the areas where you will be working.  One inspector
 who happens along your activity could halt construction for critical days while checking 
your permitted status. In making signs to put up during construction list not only all 
permits by agency with permit numbers but also letters of no objection or endorsement,
 or notice of coverage buy general permit by agency and date of letter.

Then: Contact the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources: at phone 225 523 1109. 
This agency has state wide jurisdiction over such projects. In our preliminary talks with 
them they were very helpful. Preliminary contact indicated that they viewed the project
 as a "Wildlife Enhancement" and thought no permit  would be needed. If that continues
 to be the case you will want a letter of no objection. If a permit is required  the 
application forms are simple and the fees typically around $10.

Now things change with each municipality and /or county that abuts the section of 
beach you are planning to work.  Some have regulations and even enforcement agencies 
for the beach. None claim jurisdiction seaward of the low water line. Again if there is 
no claim of jurisdiction and permits are not required we advise that you write the mayor
or other chief official requesting a letter of no objection. In the case of Long Beach there
  is literally a "Sand Beach Department " 

Long Beach,  Mississippi

Sand Beach Authority 

Phone: 226 896 0055 

Sand Beach  advised us that they do not exercise jurisdiction seaward of the low water 
mark where most of your work will be . However you will have to cross the beach to get 
the job done. Such construction would be easier if you were allowed to go on the beach
 with a light pick up truck. Sand Beach Authority can help you in Long Beach. Elsewhere 
along the beach you should exchange some phone calls with the local police and state police
 so that their watch officers know where you are and what you are doing.Keep any 
return mail and reference it on your project's signage.

And Finally: You will have to have a formal permit from the US Fish and Wild Life Service

This will be the most comprehensive permit that you will need. It will be necessary to provide
 copies of all letters of no objection or endorsement and all permits along with drawings
of the project, dimensions, of the project , precise location (include map) , and a virtual
 environmental impact statement. Be sure to include the names of all plants used 
( best to include Latin names) and it is best to use only native plants. This permit
comes with fees generally but under some circumstances these may be reduced or waived
for certain groups or types of projects .  A key word to use in all written correspondence and
 in some of your phone work is "Wildlife Enhancement Project" . We know that the
primary purpose of the settlement marsh is pollution reduction. That in and of itself
is a "wild life enhancement" but don't expect that to be sufficient. You will have to explain how
 the marsh itself once established works to  improve wild life. One example is the nursery effect
 of even a small marsh. That can be mentioned generally but be prepared to account for the
effects on typical salt marsh creatures ( by common name and Latin name) , This is the permit 
that you may need help with from a local botany or marine biology instructor. The service
 provides some fill in the blank forms but you have to create the required attachments like
project drawings , maps, environmental impact information. Be sure to negotiate the fees in
advance and send a check in with your application for permit:

Peregrine falcon, Nantucket National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Amanda Boyd / USFWS

Peregrine falcon, Nantucket National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Amanda Boyd / USFWS  

HERE IS WHAT THE USFW HAD POSTED ON THEIR WEBSITE ABOUT 
PERMITS IN IN GENERAL AS OF OCTOBER OF 2019 

"The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service issues permits under various wildlife laws and treaties at different offices at the national, regional, and/or wildlife port levels.  (We do not issue hunting and fishing licenses.  Instead, those are issued by State wildlife agencies.)  Permits enable the public to engage in legitimate wildlife-related activities that would otherwise be prohibited by law.  Service permit programs ensure that such activities are carried out in a manner that safeguards wildlife.  Additionally, some  permits promote conservation efforts by authorizing scientific research, generating data, or allowing wildlife management and rehabilitation activities to go forward.  Permits are handled by permitting programs in International Affairs (Management Authority), Endangered Species, Law Enforcement, and Migratory Birds. (Visit the National Wildlife Refuge web site for Special Use Permits.) For more detailed infromation, go to How to Obtain a Permit, FAQs/Facts, or Application Forms. 0 Endangered Species regional offices administer native endangered and threatened species permits under the Endangered Species Act (except permits for import and export).  Permits are issued to qualified applicants for the following types of activities:  enhancement of survival associated with Safe Harbor Agreements and Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances, incidental take associated with Habitat Conservation Plans, recovery, and interstate commerce. Permits for import and export are issued by International Affairs (Division of Management Authority) below. International Affairs(Management Authority) is responsible for administering CITES for the United States. We primarily issue permits to import and export species that are protected by CITES and by various other wildlife conservation laws. Some examples of other activities we permit are:  take of certain marine mammals; take and interstate and foreign commerce of non-native species protected by the Endangered Species Act, including a captive-bred wildlife registration; cooperative breeding programs for live exotic birds covered by the Wild Bird Conservation Act; and import and transport of injurious wildlife. Law Enforcement administers permits at regional offices and certain port locations.     A permit or license may be issued to qualified applicants for the following activities:  to engage in business as a wildlife importer or exporter; import or export wildlife at other than an designated or authorized border or special port, and export and re-export certain CITES wildlife. Migratory Bird regional offices administer permits for qualified applicants for the followingtypes of activities:  falconry, raptor propagation, scientific collecting, rehabilitation, conservation education, migratory game bird propagation, salvage, depredation control, taxidermy, and waterfowl sale and disposal.  These offices also administer permit activities involving bald and golden eagles, as authorized by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.   Broadband Connectivity in rural America. Information about regulations is available here; information about right-of-way permits is here."

Last updated: February 14, 2019

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Below is a link to their website

https://www.fws.gov/permits/

Here is the service's "How To " guidance on permits:

How to Obtain a Permit Step 1.  Does my activity involve animals or plants? •    For activities involving animals continue to Step 2. •    For any activities involving plants, continue to Step 3. Step 2.  Does my activity with animals occur only within the United States or does it involve movement across international borders? •    If your activity with animals occurs completely within the United States, continue to Step 3. •    If your activity with animals involves import, export, international travel, international mail, purchase from or sale to a foreign country, or other movement across international borders, click on International Wildlife and then return to Step 3 on this page. Step 3.  Is the species protected? •    Check all the appropriate lists to determine if the animal or plant is protected. The different lists do not include all common names for every listed species. In addition, in some lists, the scientific names of some species are not individually shown on the list or in the database. A number of the listings are not at the species level, some are by larger groups of related animals or plants. •     If you do not find the species name on one of the lists, confirm that the species is not listed by contacting a permit office (see Step 6). •     If a species is protected by more than one law or treaty, the permitting requirements of all laws apply. •     In most instances, you may submit a single application and obtain one permit when a species is protected by more than one law or treaty. Step 4.  Is the activity regulated or allowed under a permit? The following table lists the basic activities that may be authorized by a permit under different laws and treaties, and their implementing regulations. The regulations define the types of activities that require permits, and provide specific information that may help you decide if your proposed activity needs a permit. Visit the Laws/Treaties/Regulations page to access text of the laws, treaties, and regulations. If you cannot find your activity in the table below, review keywords under the Application Forms page. . Activities that may be Authorized by a Permit Law or Treaty Export CITES Endangered Species Act Marine Mammal Protection Act Migratory Bird Treaty Act Foreign Commerce Endangered Species Act Import CITES Endangered Species Act Injurious wildlife (Lacey Act) Marine Mammal Protection Act Migratory Bird Treaty Act Wild Bird Conservation Act Incidental Take Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act Endangered Species Act Marine Mammal Protection Act Interstate Commerce Endangered Species Act Possession Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act Migratory Bird Treaty Act Sale/Purchase or Offer for Sale/Purchase Endangered Species Act Migratory Bird Treaty Act Take (including salvage) Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act Endangered Species Act Marine Mammal Protection Act Migratory Bird Treaty Act Transport Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act Injurious Wildlife (Lacey Act) Marine Mammal Protection Act Migratory Bird Treaty Act Step 5.  How do I obtain and complete a permit application? •     Select the application form for the law or treaty and activity you want to conduct. •     Review the regulations that apply to the type of permit you need. •     Complete the form following the instructions. •     Attach the application fee, if applicable. •     Check that your application is completely filled out and signed. This will help avoid delays. •     Some applications may require that you have a State or foreign permit before you can obtain a Federal permit.  You may need to contact your State wildlife or plant conservation agency and/or the CITES Management Authority of the foreign importing or exporting country to determine any additional requirements. •     If you are applying for a protected species permit(s) and also for a port exception permit, submit only page 2 of the port exception permit along with your protected species application to the appropriate protected species permit office. You will only need to submit the application fee for the protected species permit. •     Contact the issuing permit office (see the top of the application form) if you have questions that are not answered in the FAQs/Facts section of this website. Step 6.  Where do I send my application?  •     The address at the top of the application form indicates where you should submit the form. •     The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has four programs that issue permits. Each program handles a different category of permits, but some types of permits may be issued by more than one program. Permit Programs Permit Activity or Purpose Law or Treaty International Affairs (Division of Management Authority) •     Cooperative breeding programs for exotic live birds •     Import or export of listed species •     Take and interstate and foreign commerce of non-native endangered and threatened species, includingCaptive-bred Wildlife Registration •     Take and transport of marine mammals •     CITES •     Endangered Species Act •     Injurious wildlife (Lacey Act) •     Marine Mammal Protection Act •     Wild Bird Conservation Act Endangered Species Most permits are issued by the regional office where the activity will take place, with the exception of Interstate Commerce permits, which are issued by the office of the "lead region" of the Fish and Wildlife Service for the affected species. To determine which region is the lead region for the species of interest, search our endangered species database and click on the species' scientific name in the search results. The Lead region will be listed under the Current Listing Status Summary heading or by contacting your closest Regional Endangered Species office. If your proposed activity will take place in multiple states that cross regional office lines, you should submit your application to the regional office that is responsible for the state in which you reside. As an example, if you reside in North Carolina, and your proposed activities will occur in Virginia, Indiana, Georgia, and Oklahoma, you would submit your application to the regional office responsible for the state of North Carolina, the Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta, Georgia. Endangered Species Act Law Enforcement •     Engage in business as a wildlife importer or exporter •     Import or export wildlife at other than a designated port or authorized border or special port •     Export and re-export of certain CITES wildlife •    CITES •    Endangered Species Act Migratory Birds •     Conservation Education •     Depredation •     Eagle Indian religious purposes •     Falconry •     Game bird propagation •     Import or export of listed species •     Raptor propagation •     Rehabilitation •     Salvage •     Scientific collecting •     Take of depredating birds •     Taxidermy •     Waterfowl sale and disposal •    Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act •    Migratory Bird Treaty Act Step 7.  When will I receive my permit? •          You should allow at least 60 days for review of most permit applications. •          However, you should allow at least 90 days for review of marine mammal or endangered species applications. •          We process applications as quickly as possible, in the order received. •          If you need to check on the status of your application, please allow at least 10 days after you have submitted it before calling. Also, if applicable, have your permit file number available.

Last updated: October 12, 2017

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WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS RIGHT HERE 
JUST SCROLL DOWN. IF THE NEXT NUMBERED POST IS NOT ABOUT PERMITTING
 WE HAVE FOUND NO CHANGES . When we do find changes we will post them on scroll
 just below this Post.  

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Living Shorelines: Plants for Salt Marshes and Semi Protected Beaches

Typical Storm Water Run Off Pipe Mississippi Gulf Coast Photo Credit SUN HERALD

The first step in establishing a storm water runoff catchment marsh is selecting, then finding a source for the plants . In the case of the Mississippi Gulf Coast mainland beaches we are interested in the salt water tolerant plants of the "Low Marsh". Given the complexity of the permit process as we explained it earlier. it is imperative that plants native to North America and specifically to the Central Gulf Coast be used.The hardier the plant to salt and wave action the better since such plants need less hard structure protection. The less hard protective structure needed the simpler the plan that has to be subjected to the National Fish and Wild Life Service. Use of native plants also simplifies the environmental impact statement that has to be submitted. Finally the creation of a native plant marsh may well be interpreted as "wildlife habitat restoration" vice "Pollution abatement". "Pollution abatement" among the bureaucracy signals hard structures and the need for an engineering review and environmental impact statement. A minimalist planting of native plants signals the type of wildlife habitat restoration project that the various agencies involved may well grant a "general permit " for, meaning once the first project is permitted there is no further need for subsequent permits or at least a greatly simplified permit process may emerge. 

 After studying some of the native plants that could be used we have determined that some of the best choices are salt marsh plants that tend to grow parallel to the shore first, then outward, but do not colonize waters deeper than 18 inches. This inability to colonize in depths greater than 18 inches is highly advantageous. A marsh consisting of such marsh plants .will catch the storm water run off that is pretty much accumulating in the waters parallel to the beach. It will eventually spread seaward enlarging the catch basin area. But it will not generally colonize water depths greater than 18 inches. The State owns the beach between the high and low water mark. 18 Inches MAY be sufficient to keep the project well within the low water mark, greatly simplifying the permit process.. We have some legal research to do. There is a difference in law and in geography between various "low water" marks such as "mean low water Line" often seen in US coastal law, and  "Low .Water Line"  as used to determine "Base Lines" for the establishment of exclusive economic zones under the UN Law of the Sea Convention. We are not sure if there is an official depth involved and that we are pretty sure would vary with localities. 

Tidal Wetland and Beach / Dune Plants

Plants in the list below have been recommended for use in   marsh plantings or to stabilize tidal brackish or saltwater shorelines. Each plant has slightly different  salinity and wetness tolerances. Before going to the time, effort and expense of planting a mini marsh the salinity of the area must be ascertained for comparison to   salinity and moisture requirements for each plant. so they will be planted in the appropriate conditions. Those species for use in salinity greater than 15 ppt are marked (*).

Salt water Saw Grass Photo Florida Department of State

Low Marsh Herbaceous

Juncus roemerianus *	Black needlerush
Peltandra virginica	Arrow arum
Pontedaria cordata	Pickerelweed
Spartina alterniflora *	Saltmarsh cordgrass
Spartina cynosuroides	Big cordgrass
Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) pungens	Three-square
Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) robustus *	Saltmarsh bulrush
Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) validus	Giant bulrush

High Marsh Shrubs

Baccharis halimifolia *	Groundsel bush
Iva frutescens *	Marsh elder
Morella (Myrica) cerifera *	Wax myrtle
Morella (Myrica) pensylvanica *	Northern bayberry

Juncus roemerianus *	Black needlerush
Peltandra virginica	Arrow arum
Pontedaria cordata	Pickerelweed
Spartina alterniflora *	Saltmarsh cordgrass
Spartina cynosuroides	Big cordgrass
Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) pungens	Three-square
Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) robustus *	Saltmarsh bulrush
Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) validus	Giant bulrush

High Marsh Shrubs

Baccharis halimifolia *	Groundsel bush
Iva frutescens *	Marsh elder
Morella (Myrica) cerifera *	Wax myrtle
Morella (Myrica) pensylvanica *	Northern bayberry

Beach/Dune Herbaceous

Ammophila breviligulata *	American beachgrass
Panicum amarum *	Bitter panicum
Panicum virgatum *	Switch grass
Uniola paniculata *	Sea oats

* salinity greater than 15 ppt

Useful Plant Links

• USDA Plants Database
• Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USFWS, 2005
• Native Plants for Conservation, Restoration, and Landscaping: Coastal Plain, VADCR, 2001

Click on each habitat zone for native plants that could grow or could be planted there.

Plants for the Upland Bank - Salt Tolerant Native Plants for Upland Banks and Riparian Buffers (tolerates wind, airborne salt, salt in soil)

Deciduous Trees

Amelanchier canadensis	Shadbush, serviceberry
Celtis laevigatus	Sugarberry
Diospyros virginiana	Persimmon
Liquidambar styraciflua	Sweet gum
Nyssa sylvatica	Black tupelo
Prunus serotina	Black cherry
Quercus alba	White oak
Quercus phellos	Willow oak
Quercus rubra	Red oak
Quercus stellata	Post oak
Quercus virginiana	Live oak
Taxodium distichum	Bald cypress

Evergreen Trees

Ilex opaca	American holly
Juniperus virginiana	Eastern red cedar
Magnolia virginiana	Sweetbay magnolia
Pinus taeda	Loblolly pine

Shrubs

Aronia arbutifolia	Red chokeberry
Baccharis halimifolia	Groundsel bush
Clethra alnifolia	Sweet pepperbush
Ilex glabra	Inkberry
Ilex vomitoria	Yaupon holly
Iva frutescens	Marsh elder
Morella cerifera	Wax Myrtle
Morella heterophylla	Southern Bayberry
Morella pennsylvanica	Northern Bayberry
Prunus maritima	Beach plum
Rhus glabra	Smooth sumac
Sambucus nigra ssp. Canadensis	Elderberry
Vaccinium corymbosum	Highbush blueberry
Viburnum dentatum	Arrowwood

Grasses

Andropogon virginicus	Broomsedge
Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'	Switch grass, tall
Panicum virgatum 'Cloud Nine'	Switch grass, short
Panicum virgatum 'Rotstrahlbusch'	Switch grass, red leaves
Schizachyrium scoparium	Little Blue Stem
Spartina patens	Saltmeadow hay

Vines

Campsis radicans	Trumpet creeper
Celastrus scandens	Bittersweet
Clematis virginiana	Virgins bower
Lonicera sempervirens	Coral honeysuckle
Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Virginia creeper
Passiflora incarnata	Passionflower

Herbaceous

Aquilegia canadensis	Columbine
Aster novae-angliae	New England aster
Asclepias tuberosa	Butterflyweed
Echinacea purpurea	Purple coneflower
Hibiscus moscheutos	Rose mallow
Kosteletzkya virginica	Seashore mallow
Liatris pilosa v. pilosa (graminifolia)	Grass-leaved blazing star
Liatris squarrosa	Blazing star
Lupinus perennis	Lupine
Opuntia humifusa	Prickly pear cactus
Rosa carolina	Carolina rose
Rosa palustris	Swamp rose
Rudbeckia hirta	Black-eyed susan
Rudbeckia fulgida	Orange coneflower
Solidago sempervirens	Seaside goldenrod
Yucca filamentosa	Common Yucca

Upland Coastal Native Plants (need some protection from wind, salt spray)

Trees

Acer rubrum	Red maple
Carya alba	Mockernut Hickory
Carya glabra	Pignut Hickory
Cercis canadensis	Eastern redbud
Cornus florida	Dogwood
Magnolia grandiflora	Southern magnolia
Sassafras albidum	Sassafras
Ulmus americanus	American elm

Shrubs

Hamamelis virginiana	Witch hazel
Ilex decidua	Possumhaw
Ilex verticillata	Winterberry
Rhus copallinum	Winged Sumac
Rhus hirta	Staghorn Sumac
Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis	Elderberry
Vaccinium corymbosum	Highbush Blueberry
Viburnum prunifolium	Black haw, sweet haw

Grasses

Bouteloua curtipendula	Sideoats Grama
Chasmanthium latifolium	River oats
Dichanthelium commutatum	Variable panic grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris	Gulf Muhly
Panicum amarum	Beach Panic Grass
Schizachyrium scoparium	Little Blue Stem
Sorghastrum nutans	Indian Grass
Spartina patens	Saltmeadow Hay
Tridens flavus	Redtop

Vines

Bignonia capreolata	Crossvine
Gelsemium sempervirens	Carolina jasmine

Herbaceous

Aster novi-belgii	New York aster
Aster patens	Late purple aster
Baptisia australis	Blue False Indigo
Chrysopsis mariana	Maryland Goldenaster
Coreopsis lanceolata	Lance-leaved Coreopsis
Coreopsis tripteris	Tall Coreopsis
Coreopsis verticillata	Coreopsis
Echinacea pallida	Pale purple coneflower
Eupatorium coelestinum	Mist flower
Eupatorium perfoliatum	Purple boneset
Eupatorium purpureum	Joe-pye-weed
Helianthus giganteus	Giant sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides	Ox-eye
Rudbeckia triloba	Thin-leaved coneflower
Sisiyrinchium angustifolium	Blue-eyed grass (iris family)
Solidago bicolor	Silver-rod
Solidago odora	Sweet goldenrod
Solidago rugosa	Rough-stemmed goldenrod
Solidago speciosa	Showy Goldenrod

 

Tidal Wetland and Beach / Dune Plants

Plants in this list can be used for marsh plantings or to stabilize tidal brackish or saltwater shorelines based on salinity and wetness tolerances. Check the salinity and moisture requirements for each plant so they will be planted in the appropriate conditions. Those species for use in salinity greater than 15 ppt are marked (*). (pdf version)

Low Marsh Herbaceous

Juncus roemerianus *	Black needlerush
Peltandra virginica	Arrow arum
Pontedaria cordata	Pickerelweed
Spartina alterniflora *	Saltmarsh cordgrass
Spartina cynosuroides	Big cordgrass
Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) pungens	Three-square
Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) robustus *	Saltmarsh bulrush
Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) validus	Giant bulrush

High Marsh Shrubs

Baccharis halimifolia *	Groundsel bush
Iva frutescens *	Marsh elder
Morella (Myrica) cerifera *	Wax myrtle
Morella (Myrica) pensylvanica *	Northern bayberry

Beach/Dune Herbaceous

Ammophila breviligulata *	American beachgrass
Panicum amarum *	Bitter panicum
Panicum virgatum *	Switch grass
Uniola paniculata *	Sea oats

* salinity greater than 15 ppt

Useful Plant Links

• USDA Plants Database
• Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USFWS, 
• 005

Here are some potential choices for a single plant marsh: 

Smooth Cordgrass: Spartina alterniflora
Is probably one of the best choices. Smooth, or salt marsh cordgrass is the most common salt marsh plant from th eouter banks to the Carolinas to the Texas Gulf Coast. The plant t forms 1- to 8-foot-tall meadows that grow in the low marsh that is regularly flooded. Lush and green in the warmer months, smooth cordgrass becomes golden-brown in the fall and dies back in the winter. 

Saw Grass: Cladium jamaicens
Often found intermixed or adjacent to Smooth Cord Grass Saw grass grows to about 6 or 7 feet tall. The plant has  long, slender, narrow leaves that look like tall blades of grass. These leaves are stiff and tough, with tiny saw teeth around the edges. The top of saw grass has many branches and branchlets.

Glasswort or Pickleweed: Salicornia spp.
Glasswort is found throughout the marsh. It can be  mixed in with cord grass or on the mud flats. Glasswort grows low to the ground (rarely over 2 feet tall) and has short fleshy green stubby spikes extending from a main stem. Glasswort looks like long green pipe cleaners attached to a long stem. Three species are found in coastal marshes, and one turns pink in the fall.

 Salt (or Spike) Grass: Distichlis spicata
Salt grass is a short, green, wiry grass that lives in irregularly flooded salt marshes, brackish marshes,which has the advantage of being short and thus being less objectionable to that portion of the public that might demand a scenic easement  from the taller grasses. Unfortunately it is not as salt or wave tolerant as the taller grasses commonly). establishing and maintaining this plant would require some hard structures and the attendant requirement for plans, drawings, environmental impact statements etc, However once a protective barrier of one or more of the taller grasses is established this grass may well colonize behind the tall grass barrier.  This plant is often  found among the salt meadow cord grass above the high tide line or in pure stands in wet depressions. Flowers from June through October. 

Salt Reed or Giant Cordgrass: Spartina cynosuroides
Salt reed is a member of the same family as salt marsh cordgrass. This grass has many features in common with salt marsh cord grass.  The  name of the plant suggests that  this grass grows taller (up to 10 feet) and thicker than Spartina alterniflora.

Turtle grass (thalassia testudinum) is a sea grass that typically grows about 16 feet into the ocean.It is mostly a bottom dweller. This plant adds depth to storm water run off applications and is mostly invisible to the casual observer.  It produces a small, yellow flower, and germination from turtle grass usually takes 14 days. Some turtle grass will grow as far as 45 feet into the ocean's floor.This plant is highly salt water tolerant. 

Awl-leaf Arrowhead: Sagittaria subulata This plant can be found along brackish water shore lines and exhibits a fair amount of resistance to salty conditions. It almost looks like a bulb plant and would be easy to plant but might need dome protection to survive. 

Check out : Mississippi Aquatic Plants Website  http://jcho.masgc.org/

 Regardless of which plants or mix of plants appeals to the planners one can only plant those plants that are readily available. In our next installment we will look at sources for plants. Sources may limit the plant choices described above.

• Native Plants for Conservation, Restoration, and Landscaping: Coastal Plain, VADCR, 20