Latest news: May 29, 2012

Advancing Louisiana’s coastal plan: An editorial
Editorial, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). May 25, 2012.
“Louisiana’s blueprint for saving our shrinking coastline was adopted by the state Legislature this week, and that’s a significant step forward in the state’s fight to survive…” (Read more)

Editorial: RESTORE Act huge step in war to save wetlands
Editorial, The American Press (Lake Charles, La.). May 25, 2012.
“Approval by the state Legislature earlier this week of the 2012 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan presents a monumental step in the war the forces that are eating away at our state’s wetlands…” (Read more)

Approval of 2012 Master Plan for the Coast is worth celebrating
By Bob Marshall, The Times-Picayune. May 27, 2012.
“Congratulations are in order today…” (Read more)

Master plan for La. coast multi-faceted
By Jeremy Alford, The Houma (La.) Courier. May 25, 2012.
“BATON ROUGE — While it’s easy to focus on local projects included in the coastal master plan the Legislature passed this week, it might be more difficult to pick apart and identify policy-related themes…” (Read more)

Working to cope with climate change: A guest column by J. Wayne Leonard and Raymond C. Offenheiser
The Times-Picayune. May 26, 2012.
“When extreme weather hits, communities suffer in myriad ways: homes are destroyed, businesses lost, ecosystems ravaged. As the heads of a national energy company and a global humanitarian organization, we’ve seen the damages first hand, and engaged in the painstaking and often dangerous work of recovery and restoration. We believe it’s time to rally together to recognize the dangers of a changing climate, and to invest in reducing risk and building resilience…” (Read more)

Local Leaders Meet to Discuss Gulf Coast Restore Act
WCTV-TV.
“Tallahassee, Florida – May 29, 2012 – More than 100 leaders from throughout the Gulf region are sending a message to Senate and House leaders. They want lawmakers to pass legislation that could mean and economic boost and more jobs for coastal areas impacted by the BP oil spill…” (Read more)

Gulf leaders want RESTORE Act passed as law
WTXL-TV. May 27, 2012.
“TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) – More than 100 leaders of cities, municipalities, counties, economic development organizations and chambers of commerce throughout the Gulf region will collectively urge legislative officials to pass the RESTORE Act as law…” (Read more)

Nearly 4 times as much sea life in Alabama, Mississippi coastal waters since 2010 Gulf oil spill
By Ben Raines, The Press-Register (Mobile, Ala.). May 26, 2012.
“MOBILE, Alabama — There were nearly four times as many fish, shrimp and crabs in Alabama waters in the fall of 2011 as there were before the BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill, according to scientific data collected by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab…” (Read more)

Women of the Storm to do virtual lobbying of House-Senate committee
By Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune. May 25, 2012.
“WASHINGTON — Since Hurricane Katrina, Women of the Storm have been regular visitors to Capitol Hill, pleading with lawmakers to help the Gulf Coast recover and more recently to ensure the state’s decimated ecosystems and wetlands are restored…” (Read more)

Warm winter contributing to growing problem in water
WVUE-TV.
“Mathews, LA – Water hyacinths are a problem on Bayou Lafourche and across southeast Louisiana and biologists say they could be particularly bad this summer…” (Read more)