TRENTON, N.J. — Superstorm Sandy survivors who have storm-related damages in New Jersey have just two days left to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Residents must register for disaster assistance by midnight (EDT), May 1.

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TRENTON, N.J. — Disaster assistance to New Jersey survivors of Superstorm Sandy by the numbers as of April 29:

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TRENTON, N.J. — In the six months since Superstorm Sandy hit the shores of New Jersey, survivors have been rebuilding their communities with more than $1.1 billion in federal funding.

The picture is vastly different from the days following landfall on October 29, 2012.  Many homes have been repaired or are in the process of being rebuilt.  Businesses have re-opened and the boardwalks are already teeming with weekend tourists.

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FEMA Corps team Gold 4 participated in the Seattle Mariners ‘Salute to Volunteers’ night Thursday, April 25th, 2013. The Gold 4 team talked to baseball fans about the importance of disaster preparedness. FEMA Corps members gave out information on how to create a disaster kit, start thinking about a disaster plan, and information on what to have on hand for pet owners in times of natural disaster.

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The report and maps are available online.

AUGUSTA, Maine – More than 800 acres of uplands in and near Acadia National Park will likely be flooded by the ocean if sea level rises 2 feet during this century, leaving 75 percent of the saltwater marshes along this part of central Maine's rugged coast with very little upland area to migrate into, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study and maps.

If plant material and sediments can accumulate in Maine's salt marshes fast enough to keep pace with sea-level rise, the uplands could provide areas for new salt marsh habitat.  But that would require faster accumulation rates than those observed in the last century.

"The precise amount of sea-level rise that we should expect this century is not known," said USGS scientist Martha Nielsen, who led the study. "This report and maps are intended to inform decision makers with science to assist in planning for an uncertain future. By identifying the uplands that could support new salt marshes ahead of time, we hope to aid land management and preservation efforts to sustain marsh ecosystems in the area."

The study, done in cooperation with the National Park Service, identified more than 40 potential barriers that, in addition to rugged topography, would further restrict inland migration of some marshes. The barriers are mostly roads that limit water and sediment movement. This study is intended to help managers proactively plan for mitigation of those barriers.

Salt marshes provide significant ecological value and aesthetic beauty to Maine's coasts. Their ecological functions include nursery and breeding habitat for many fish, shellfish, and wildlife species; storm, flood, and erosion protection; organic-matter production that feeds many commercially and recreationally valuable species; and filtration for sediments and contaminants.

The study area included all coastal areas in Maine from the eastern half of Penobscot Bay to the eastern edge of the Schoodic Peninsula.  The 114 saltwater marshes included in the study range in size from larger than half an acre, up to 128 acres.

The analysis was based on high-resolution elevation data collected for coastal New England in 2010 with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funding.  The data were independently assessed for accuracy, and the maps show the expected inundation around each marsh to a 95 percent confidence interval.  The manmade barriers to migration identified in the study are also shown.

All Hands on Deck

Reporters: Do you want to accompany field crews as they tag yellow perch on Lake Erie during the week of April 29th? Please contact Holly Muir at 734-214-9318 or hmuir@usgs.gov.

Sandusky, Ohio – With help from local anglers and fishermen, the U.S. Geological Survey and Ohio Department of Natural Resources will kick-start a five-year collaborative fish-tagging effort this week to better understand movement of yellow perch across Lake Erie.

Biologists are tagging adult yellow perch with tiny devices called Passive Integrated Transponders, or PIT tags, to track fish migration, and are asking for assistance from anglers and commercial fishermen to make fish available for scanning. Throughout the spring, summer, and fall fishing seasons, the USGS and ODNR biologists will frequent recreational access points, such as boat ramps and fish-cleaning stations, in order to interview anglers and scan fish. Commercial fishermen will be contacted based on the real-time information they provide to the ODNR catch reporting system.

"We are excited to be working with the ODNR to enhance scientific information on fish movement patterns," said Dr. Richard Kraus, chief of the USGS Lake Erie Biological Station. "Our Canadian partners in the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources are also tagging yellow perch with PIT tags, so there will be mutual benefits for both countries with the potential to detect north-south movements."

PIT tags are a miniaturized version of the electronic toll-collection technology used on turnpikes. Each tag is about the size of a grain of rice and is uniquely coded per specific fish. It is placed in an inedible portion of the fish, so it does not affect the ability of the fish to be eaten. The scanning process only takes several seconds per cooler or 100-pound fish box, which hold 300-400 fish each.  The angler interviews, or creel surveys, are critical to collecting data because it is impossible to tell if a fish is tagged without scanning it.

Tagging will occur from the ODNR’s 43-foot Research Vessel Grandon with other small agency vessels assisting the Grandon during the effort. 

"The ODNR is pleased to be pursuing this collaborative research project with USGS, the Lake Erie Committee agencies, and stakeholder groups," said Jeff Tyson, ODNR, administrator for the Division of Wildlife Lake Erie Program. "Movement patterns of yellow perch have been identified as an information gap by resource management agencies and stakeholder groups, and this research will help the Lake Erie Committee agencies responsibly manage the valuable Lake Erie yellow perch resources."

This work is funded through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act and administered through the ODNR, Division of Wildlife. The Sport Fish Restoration Program was created to restore and better manage fishery resources with funds originating from excise taxes on fishing equipment, motorboat, and small engine fuels.

Study Offers First Look at Green Sea Turtle Habitat Use in the Dry Tortugas

Additional Contact: Kristen Hart, Mobile Phone: 954-650-0336

DRY TORTUGAS, Fla. – Nesting green sea turtles are benefiting from marine protected areas by using habitats found within their boundaries, according to a U.S. Geological Survey study that is the first to track the federally protected turtles in Dry Tortugas National Park.

Green turtles are listed as endangered in Florida and threatened throughout the rest of their range, and the habits of green sea turtles after their forays to nest on beaches in the Southeast U.S. have long remained a mystery. Until now, it was not clear whether the turtles made use of existing protected areas, and few details were available as to whether they were suited for supporting the green sea turtle’s survival.

U.S. Geological Survey researchers confirmed the turtles' use of the protected areas by tracking nesting turtles with satellite tags and analyzing their movement patterns after they left beaches.

 "Our goal was to better understand what types of habitats they used at sea and whether they were in fact putting these designated areas to use. This study not only shows managers that these designated protected areas are already being used by turtles, but provides insight into the types of habitats they use most," said the study’s lead author, Kristen Hart, who works as a research ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey.

Hart's team made the discovery by fitting green sea turtle mothers with satellite tags after they came onto beaches within Dry Tortugas National Park to nest. After tracking their movements and analyzing their time at sea, the team located the areas turtles used between their nesting events and determined where turtles traveled after the nesting season was over.

They found green sea turtles spending much of their time in protected sites within both Dry Tortugas National Park and the surrounding areas of the Florida Keys Marine National Sanctuary. 

"We were thrilled to find that these turtles used some areas already under 'protected' status. The ultimate goal is to help managers understand where these endangered turtles are spending their time both during the breeding period and then when they are at feeding areas. Given that worldwide declines in seagrasses – one of the most important habitats they rely on for food – has already been documented, this type of data is critical for managers," said Hart.

The team learned about the turtle's habitat needs during the nesting season by using ATRIS, a georeferenced, underwater camera system developed by the USGS to collect over 195,000 seafloor images. Researchers surveyed the areas frequented by turtles within Dry Tortugas National Park by photographing the seafloor in a series of parallel lines totaling 70 kilometers (over 43 miles).  Using a habitat map derived from those images, they found that the turtles most commonly used shallow seagrass beds and degraded coral reefs that have been overgrown by a mixed assemblage of other organisms, such as sea fans, sponges, and fire coral.

"Our synergistic approach of combining satellite telemetry data with an extensive habitat map proved to be an effective way to find out exactly what habitats these nesting turtles were using in the Park," said Dave Zawada, a USGS research oceanographer and co-author on the study.

The Dry Tortugas' population made shorter migrations than that typically seen among other green turtle populations around the world; this was only the second published study showing green turtles taking up residence at feeding grounds located quite near their breeding grounds.

"We hope to keep pushing the frontier of what is known about in-water sea turtle habitat use, as this type of scientific information is vital for understanding whether conservation measures are effective," said Hart.

The study, "Habitat use of breeding green turtles Chelonia mydas tagged in Dry Tortugas National Park: Making use of local and regional MPAs," was published this week in the journal Biological Conservation.

About Green Sea Turtles

Although their young feed on jellyfish and other invertebrates, adult green sea turtles feed on seagrasses and algae, making them the only herbivorous (vegetarian) species of sea turtle. In fact, their name comes from their greenish colored fat, which is thought to be caused by their diet.

Green sea turtles are found around the world in three main types of habitat: nesting beaches, open ocean, and shallow water such as lagoons and shoals where they feed on marine grasses and algae found on the seafloor (‘benthic’ habitat). Within the U.S., green sea turtles are found from North Carolina to Florida, Hawaii, and the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Their breeding populations in Florida are listed as endangered, but all other populations are listed as threatened.

The nesting season for green turtles lasts throughout the summer, but is most concentrated in June and July. During nesting season, females nest at roughly two-week intervals, producing an average of five nests or "clutches." Each clutch contains an average of 135 eggs, which will hatch after incubating for about 2 months.

NEW YORK – Hurricane Sandy survivors have until April 30 to visit four Disaster Recovery Centers in New York City.

Specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration are available to provide:

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DOVER (April 26, 2013) – To achieve public compliance through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Enforcement agents between April 16-23 made 597 contacts with hunters, anglers and boaters, and other members of the public,

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s emergency declaration issued for North Dakota.

Assistance for the State and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the State of North Dakota to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from flooding beginning on April 22, 2013 and continuing.

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NEW YORK – Four Disaster Recovery Centers in Nassau and Suffolk counties will become Disaster Loan Outreach Centers beginning at 9 a.m., Wednesday, May 1.

The centers, operated by the U.S. Small Business Administration, will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama's disaster declaration issued for the State of Kansas.

Assistance for the State and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Kansas to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a snowstorm during the period of February 20-23, 2013.

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ניו יארק - אין די 6 מאנאטן זינט האריקעין סענדי האט אנגעפאלן אום אקטאבער 29 2012, איז געמאכט געווארן ערנסטע פארשריט אין די ניו יארקער ערהוילונג.

כמעט אלע אפפאל איז שוין אוועקגענומען געווארן. מערערע איבערלעבער האבן זיך שוין צוריקגעקערט צו זייערע היימען און האבן פאראכטן אדער ערזעצט געשעדיגטע אדער פארניכטעטע פערזענליכע פראפערטי. ביזנעסער עפענען זיך צוריק אויף. 

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TRENTON, N.J. — Superstorm Sandy survivors who had storm-related damages in New Jersey have just five days left to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Residents must register for disaster assistance by midnight (EDT), May 1.

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TRENTON, N.J. — The White House honored five New Jersey residents and organizations on Wednesday, April 24th, as Superstorm Sandy “Champions of Change” for their involvement in response and recovery efforts following Superstorm Sandy.

In all, the program recognized 17 hidden heroes from across the nation for their efforts in implementing innovative, collaborative solutions to meet the unique needs of communities and neighborhoods as they worked to rebuild after the devastating effects of this disaster. 

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ניו יורק - המושל אנדרו קומו  הכריז היום כי כתגובה לבקשתה של מדינת ניו יורק, אשרה סוכנות ניהול האסון הפדרלית הוספה של ארבעה שבועות לתכנית סיוע דיור זמני במגורים, המאפשרת לניצולים זכאים מהוריקן סנדי, שאינם יכולים לחזור לבתיהם, להישאר בבתי מלון או מוטלים בהשתתפות כיסוי העלויות.

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NEW YORK – The Federal Emergency Management Agency, at the request of the State of New York, has approved a 28-day extension to the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which allows eligible survivors from Hurricane Sandy who cannot return to their homes to stay in participating hotels.

The TSA checkout date, which previously had been extended to May 1, has been extended again to May 29. FEMA will be calling applicants eligible for the new extension to notify them of the checkout date.

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NEW YORK – Hurricane Sandy survivors have until April 30 to visit four Disaster Recovery Centers in New York City.

Specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration are available to provide:

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