Estuaries 101: 3 things to know about this important ecosystem
← Older postsEstuaries 101: 3 things to know about this important ecosystem
Help Us Celebrate National Estuaries Week 2017 September 16-23 is National Estuaries Week! Learn more about events in your area and other ways to get involved at www.estuaries.org/national-estuaries-week. 1. What is an estuary? Estuaries are transition zones between fresh and salty waterbodies. Estuaries are bodies of water, as well the surrounding coastal wetlands, that are generally found where a river meets the sea – like the Mississippi River Delta. Because estuaries exist where two different types of waterbodies meet, they …
This Tool Lets You See Flood Risk to Your Own Home
Want to know more about flood risk in your own backyard, zeroing in on your very address? Want to know more about Louisiana Coastal Master Plan projects that will help reduce that risk? Then check out the best kept secret in coastal Louisiana: the Master Plan Data Viewer launched by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. Click here to see the Master Plan Data Viewer The easy-to-use viewer displays information on coastal land change, flood risk and impacts to communities. This …
New Orleans Top Chefs Tour New “Catch of the Day” Habitat
Originally posted on November 10, 2016 on National Wildlife Federation’s Blog. The group used airboats to tour Lake Cataouatche and Davis Pond in upper Barataria Bay. Photo by Samantha Carter In the fight to save the wetlands that protect and provide for the ways of life in Southern Louisiana, the National Wildlife Federation is enlisting the help of New Orleans’ chefs to support the long-term sustainability of the delta and the coast. The National Wildlife Federation arranged a tour of …
Coastal Crisis, Conflicting Ideas: How a Complex Restoration Plan Found Success
This blog originally appeared on EDF Voices. Delta systems such as coastal Louisiana are beautiful and unique intersections of communities, ecosystems and industry. But the wide variety of interests in these areas can also lead to discord as we plan for the future of our often-vulnerable coastal regions. As complex restoration projects are implemented, how do we balance the needs of the ecosystem and communities? How do we reduce negative impacts to fisheries and industry, and make sure certain wildlife won’t …
Conservation Heroes of the Mississippi River Delta Profiled in New Book
In her recent book, “Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman: Conservation Heroes of the American Heartland”, author and EDF writer Miriam Horn takes a close look at unlikely conservationists living in one of the largest and most economically productive ecosystems in the world: the Mississippi River watershed. Horn spent more than three years researching and writing this book, and it shows in her personal descriptions of these heroes and deep knowledge of the environmental issues that concern them. Despite their disparate locations, backgrounds …
19th Annual Wild Things Festival
On October 15, outreach staff from Restore the Mississippi River Delta attended the 19th Annual Wild Things Festival in Lacombe, LA. The fun-filled day included nature walks, a wildlife youth art show, live animal exhibits, and much more. To encourage spending time outside and creating backyard wildlife habitats at home, our team worked with hundreds of children and families to make bird feeder tree ornaments out of easy-to-find household snacks. Staff also led discussions and answered questions about coastal restoration …
Louisiana Oil Spill Trustees Fund $22.3 Million in Restoration Projects
Draft plan advances key restoration projects, sets stage for future sediment diversions (New Orleans — Oct. 20, 2016) Today, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), along with the other state and federal agencies comprising the Louisiana Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustee Implementation Group, announced the release of its first Draft Restoration Plan. This plan proposes $22.3 million in restoration projects in Louisiana to address environmental damages resulting from the 2010 Gulf oil disaster and lays out a vision …
Conservation Groups Say White House’s New Guidance Will Help Fast Track Gulf Restoration
Obama administration prioritizes Gulf restoration by enabling coordination among agencies and programs (Washington, D.C. – Thursday, October 20, 2016) Today, the Office of Management and Budget and the White House Council on Environmental Quality released guidelines for federal agencies to use in the review and permitting of restoration projects for the Gulf Coast. These guidelines will be used as a blueprint for the Gulf Coast Interagency Environmental Working Group, which is the coordinating body for federal agencies working on restoration …
Getting Down to the Basics of Sea Level Rise
In the news and in studies, we often hear a lot about sea level rise, mainly in the form of estimated numbers of future sea level rise and other predictions of how it will affect coastal communities, like in Louisiana. To cut through some of this noise, we thought it would be helpful to break down the basics of sea level rise and discuss what this means specifically here in Louisiana. In this first part, Alisha Renfro explains historical sea …
State of Louisiana Advances Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion
CPRA Issues EIS Public Notice for crucial restoration project (New Orleans, LA – October 12, 2016) Today, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) announced that it is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Mid-Barataria sediment diversion. With this move, CPRA advances this key restoration project through the federally-mandated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, which will provide opportunities for the public and stakeholders to learn more about the project and provide feedback into how the project …
CPRA Hosts Community Conversations About 2017 Coastal Master Plan
The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority – in partnership with Restore or Retreat – is hosting a series of six Community Conversations during October to update residents on the 2017 Coastal Master Plan and allow attendees to give feedback that will be used in developing the draft plan, which will be released in January 2017 for formal public comment and review. Find a Community Conversation in your area: Buras: Oct. 4, Buras Community Center 36342 Highway 11, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. RSVP here Dulac: Oct. 6, Dulac Community Center 125 Coast …
U.S. Senate Race Coastal Issues Forum
Join our partner, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, at their 2016 U.S. Senate Race Coastal Issues Forum on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 6:00pm at the LSU Union Theater in Baton Rouge. Coastal land loss is one of the most important issues facing our state, and this forum is an opportunity to hear firsthand how five candidates running for U.S. Senate plan to deal with challenges and opportunities related to coastal restoration. The candidates participating in the forum include Charles …
Louisiana Restoration and Protection Efforts Should Be Authorized by Congress
Coalition Supports U.S. House Efforts to Include Southwest Louisiana Coastal Feasibility Study in WRDA (New Orleans – Sept. 27, 2016) Language to be added to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to authorize a signed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chief’s Report for the Southwest Coastal Louisiana Feasibility Study should be adopted, according to Restore the Mississippi River Delta – a coalition of national and statewide conservation organizations working in Louisiana. The study recommends more than $3 billion in investments …
Estuaries 102: Louisiana Estuaries & Restoration
This is part two of our National Estuaries Week blog! See part one here. Learn more about events in your area and other ways to get involved at www.estuaries.org/national-estuaries-week. There are lots of wetlands in the United States – more than 110 million acres! With so many wetlands, why do we focus so much on coastal wetlands and estuaries? In our previous post, we discussed how important estuaries are to wildlife and humans, despite the fact that estuarine and marine wetlands …
4th Annual Downriver Fest: Oysters & the Restoration of our Coast!
Saturday, Sept. 10 was the 4th annual Downriver Festival at the New Orleans French Market! The festival featured lectures, live music and culinary demonstrations that celebrated all aspects of the Mississippi River’s influences. The theme this year was “Oysters and the Future of our Coast,” and Restore the Mississippi River Delta was lucky enough to be a partner for the first time. We sponsored the symposium section of the event, featuring many presentations from “What Makes a Tasty Oyster” to …