Habitat Month: Introducing the Gulf Region Oyster Network

Join Restore America’s Estuaries, the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation, and our partner groups in the Gulf as we discuss the importance of intact and healthy coastal habitats to the nation’s coastal communities. We’ll also hear from NOAA staff about current and future funding opportunities through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

This event will consist of a short presentation and a roundtable question & answer session, so please come prepared with questions for our panelists.

Register Here

Panelists

Janine Harris – Marine Habitat Resource Specialist, NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation 

Janine Harris is a Federal Program Officer for the Restoration Center, a division of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation. She’s a member of the Community-based Restoration Program team responsible for administering discretionary, Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, and Inflation Reduction Act funds for fish passage and habitat restoration and resilience projects. Currently Janine is the competition manager for the Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity.

Before working with the Restoration Center, Janine focused on coastal wetlands and Essential Fish Habitat policies for the same NOAA office. Prior to working with NOAA, Janine managed oyster restoration and fish passage projects with the Natural Resources Group in the New York City Parks Department and was an Americorps VISTA volunteer in Boston, MA.  Janine has a BS in Natural Resource Management from Cornell University and a MS in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology from the University of Maryland.

Hilary Stevens – Senior Manager of Coastal Resilience, Restore America’s Estuaries

Hilary oversees the Blue Carbon and Living Shorelines programs at RAE. She is a geologist and environmental scientist with extensive experience in coastal resource management. Hilary has worked on coastal issues and climate change adaptation around the US and globally, with an emphasis on using best-available science to address community needs and improve resource management. She has a particular affinity for island communities, stemming from her time working in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, and as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines. She holds a master’s from Yale University and a B.S. from Wesleyan University.

Haille Leija – Habitat Restoration Manager, Galveston Bay Foundation

Haille has a B.S. in Ocean and Coastal Resources from Texas A&M University at Galveston and a M.S. in Coastal Zone Management from Nova SE University. She has over 10 years of experience in natural resource management and habitat restoration. Her work experience includes a regulatory internship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District, environmental education and non-profit work in Florida, and working in the private industry as an environmental consultant in Texas. Haille has worked with the Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) since 2015 as the Habitat Restoration Manager and recently transitioned into a new role as the Director of Program Operations. For the last eight years, Haille has managed GBF’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program and implemented oyster reef restoration as well as living shoreline projects.

Mike Biros – Restoration Programs Director, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana

Michael Biros is a landscape architect who has over 10 years of experience working across coastal Louisiana on projects including adaptation planning, stormwater management and natural resource damage assessments. He holds a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Dickinson College.