Latest Mississippi River Delta News: October 16, 2015

Stop Gov. Jindal from spending BP fines on a bridge: A letter to the editor
*features CRCL Board Chairs, Pierre Conner & Wally Gundlach
By Letters to the Editor, The Times-Picayune. October 15, 2015
“We are writing to oppose Gov.  Bobby Jindal’s attempt to back-peddle on his commitment to preserve coastal funds for coastal restoration by funding a highway project using Restore Act funds. As lifelong outdoorsmen with deep roots across Louisiana, we understand the urgency of coastal restoration. We have seen firsthand how quickly we are losing land.” (Read More)

Spending $16.5 billion BP spill money will require careful planning, officials say
*features David Muth, NWF
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. October 15, 2015
“With $16.5 billion in BP oil spill money about to be funneled into dozens of environmental restoration projects in Louisiana and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, there’s a danger that money will be lost or projects delayed by a lack of planning at the local, state and federal level, a coastal engineer and a representative of a national environmental group said Thursday (Oct. 15).” (Read More)

The Federal Government Says Billions of Animals Died From the BP Disaster
*features David Muth, NWF
By Matt Smith, Vice News. October 15, 2015
“What we have been saying, and what a lot of others have been saying for the last five years, is that the damage was extensive, and many, many, many resources — birds and mammals and turtles — were severely affected by the spill,” said David Muth, the Gulf restoration program director for the National Wildlife Federation. “That’s borne out by the fact that BP agreed to an $8 billion settlement, which is unprecedented.” (Read More)

Feds, state show off Caminada restoration to celebrate 25 years of coastal restoration program
By Mark Schliefstein, The Times-Picayune. October 14, 2015
“Thousands of pounds of sand from the Gulf of Mexico spewed from a pipe Wednesday (Oct. 14) onto the re-growing beach and dunes that makes up the Caminada Headlands, the southernmost edge of Jefferson and Lafourche parishes that protects both rich wetlands just to its north and the nationally important Port Fourchon, jumping off point for deepwater drilling.” (Read More)

Q&A on coastal restoration with the candidates for governor
*features Changing Course
By Cain Burdeau,AP,  KATC. October 15, 2015
“The Associated Press asked the four major candidates for governor – the three Republicans, Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, U.S. Sen. David Vitter, Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle and Democrat John Bel Edwards – questions about how they would approach restoring Louisiana’s badly damaged coast should they become the next Louisiana governor.” (Read More)

Wetlands being rebuilt in Plaquemines via privately funded project
By Rob Masson, WVUE-FOX8. October 15, 2015
“It’s a first of it’s kind project, just below Belle Chasse. Dozens of acres of new wetlands are being created in an area, that was once thriving, thanks to a unique new approach that could be implemented in other damaged coastal areas.” (Read More)

Cooperation is key to federal program to save coast
By Meredith Burns, Houma Courier. October 14, 2015
“We’ve learned that for the comprehensive coastal protection and restoration program to be successfully administered and implemented, the whole federal, state and local entities, or the whole spectrum, have to work together as a team, and that’s what CWPPRA has allowed us to do.” (Read More)