Salvaging Solutions: Knowing the Ropes

Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels (ADVs) is a monthly online webinar series hosted by the NOAA Marine Debris Program. The goal of the series is to help communities through sharing perspectives from across the country on common abandoned and derelict vessel issues and solutions. Each webinar features experts from federal, state, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, universities, and industry, who discuss topics about communications, funding, policy, and successes and challenges under blue skies and storm conditions. To learn more and see a schedule of upcoming webinars, please visit the Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Webinar Series webpage.

Knowing the Ropes

This Salvaging Solutions webinar provided an overview of ADV issues and efforts to address these issues from the national, regional, state, and local levels.

Speakers

Nancy Wallace, Director - NOAA Marine Debris Program
The NOAA Marine Debris Program supports ADV prevention and removal efforts across our coastal states and the Great Lakes through financial support, coordination, and resources to educate and inform boat owners and the public. Nancy kicked off the Salvaging Solutions webinar series, shared perspectives on the nationwide issue, and provided an overview of NOAA’s role in addressing ADVs.

Hilary Wilkinson, Principal and Co-Founder - Veda Environmental
As part of the Executive Coordinator Team for the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, Hilary has chaired the Task Force’s ADV Workgroup, comprised of ADV experts from state agencies across the west coast and the Province of British Columbia. Hilary shared key findings and recommendations from the ADV Workgroup’s latest publication: Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Blue-Ribbon Program for Western U.S. States.

Ben Soloman, Environmental Specialist - North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
As the grant coordinator for the Inland Clean Vessel Act program, Ben manages the Inland Clean Marina Program, and monitors environmental issues at state owned shooting ranges. Ben’s recent work involved coordinating vessel removal efforts for the Wildlife Resources Commission’s new abandoned and derelict vessel removal program. Ben provided a brief overview of the process to develop a statewide ADV program.

Paula Gillikin, Central Sites Manager - North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve, Division of Coastal Management
Paula serves as the Division of Coastal Management's technical expert on marine debris and abandoned vessels and is part of the leadership team of the North Carolina Marine Debris Action Plan. As a boat captain and avid sailor, Paula has a passion for providing safe and navigable waterways. In the wake of Hurricane Florence (2018), she co-developed a workshop to increase awareness of communities to pass ADV ordinances necessary for establishing the authority to remove vessels with available funds. Paula shared more about this effort and the lessons learned.