A View From Above: The Unintentional Land Building Success Story of Caernarvon
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The scale of Louisiana’s land loss crisis – and the work being done to preserve it – can be hard to grasp from the ground. One of the best education and advocacy tools for coastal restoration is to fly people over the coast to see the scale and impacts of our land loss crisis. While we can’t bring everyone up on a plane, we can do our best to bring that perspective to you here. In this blog series, we …
Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Greenlighted with Final Permits
Record of Decision advances largest ecosystem restoration project in U.S. history NEW ORLEANS (Dec. 16, 2022) – Today, Louisiana’s Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion reached a momentous milestone as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a Record of Decision and permits authorizing the project’s advancement. The decision – decades in the making and backed by the best available, world-class science and modeling – signifies a crucial step in turning the tide on the state’s land loss crisis. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion …
A View from Above: Large-Scale Restoration at New Orleans’ Doorstep
The scale of Louisiana’s land loss crisis – and the work being done to preserve it – can be hard to grasp from the ground. One of the best education and advocacy tools for coastal restoration is to fly people over the coast to see the scale and impacts of our land loss crisis. While we can’t bring everyone up on a plane, we can do our best to bring that perspective to you here. In this blog series, we …
Join the Conversation: Coastal Master Plan 2023
Everyone at the table leaned in to listen while an impassioned resident of Plaquemines Parish thoughtfully explained her question. “I want to know what maintenance of these projects is going to look like. The projects in the new Master Plan are going to be built, but what will happen to the projects that have already been built?” she wondered. A coastal scientist with CPRA was sitting at the table, ready to answer, “Maintenance costs are included in the plan. CPRA …
A Crucial Moment for Louisiana’s Future as Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Advances
Project will build land, provide storm protection and protect communities from a changing future NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 23, 2022) — Following a comprehensive evaluation and public comment period, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued their Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project. In conjunction with this release, the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group also released the Final Restoration Plan which proposes investing Deepwater Horizon oil spill fines to construct the project. As the single largest ecosystem restoration …
RISEE Act Would Provide Much Needed Long-term Funding for Louisiana’s Coast
Media Statement of Restore the Mississippi River Delta Leaders (New Orleans, LA.- July 21, 2022) Today the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources advanced the Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems (RISEE) Act. This act would direct funding to the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund from revenue generated by offshore wind production, and would expand restoration funding for the Mississippi River Delta and the Gulf Coast by eliminating the revenue sharing cap under the 2006 Gulf of …
Battered by Recent Hurricanes, Southwest Louisiana Benefits from New Coastal Restoration Projects
This is the third blog in a series focused on coastal restoration projects advancing across Louisiana’s coast. You can read the Southeast blog here, and the Central Coast blog here. In August of 2020, Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Cameron, Louisiana, located along the state’s southwest coast. Less than 45 days later, Hurricane Delta made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane just east of Cameron in Creole, Louisiana. These storms devastated the people and communities …
Delta Dispatches: Exploring a Living Lab on Louisiana’s Coast
Listen Now: Christopher Esposito, Ph.D., Research Scientist with The Water Institute of the Gulf, joins the podcast to discuss his journey from being an educator in a New Orleans math classroom to a leading scientist helping understand and inform coastal restoration efforts on Louisiana’s coast. Chris discusses the newly-launched Bay Denesse Living Lab Initiative, a physical site in Plaquemines Parish where scientific research is combined with active restoration, as well as other projects from coastal science to river management.
Delta Dispatches: “River Hero” Arthur J. Johnson on Community Resilience and Coastal Restoration
Listen Now: On this week’s podcast, Jacques is joined by Arthur J. Johnson, CEO, of the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED). Arthur was recently recognized by the River Network for his leadership and impact on communities along the Mississippi River. Arthur discusses new programs at CSED, including glass recycling for coastal restoration and a new young leadership cohort. Arthur also reflects on the need for restoration of the MRGO Ecosystem to support people and nature …
Louisiana Legislature Approves Historic Investment in Louisiana’s Coast
Rep. Bourriaque and Restore the Mississippi River Delta respond to milestone achievement (BATON ROUGE, La. – May 24, 2022) Today, the Louisiana Senate approved the state’s Fiscal Year 2023 Coastal Annual Plan, finalizing its full passage by the Louisiana Legislature. The annual plan outlines nearly $1.3 billion in funding over a one-year period and $3.5 billion over the next three years for protection and restoration projects. It also describes the short-term and long-term restoration work that communities can expect to …
Coastal Restoration is More Important Than Ever for Communities Across Louisiana’s Central Coast
This is the second blog in a series focused on coastal restoration projects advancing across Louisiana’s coast. You can read the Southeast blog here, and the Southwest Coast blog here. As communities across Louisiana continue to recover from the devastation of the last two hurricane seasons, it’s difficult to think that another hurricane season is about to begin. In 2020, five storms made landfall in Louisiana – the most ever – with Hurricanes Laura and Delta devastating the southwest portion …
R. King Milling Recognized for Impact on Louisiana Coast and Communities
Statement of Restore the Mississippi River Delta on CRCL Lifetime Achievement Award Winner (New Orleans, LA — May 10, 2022) Restore the Mississippi River Delta commends R. King Milling on his Lifetime Achievement Award from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. This honor is one of the most prestigious in coastal restoration. Milling, the retired president of Whitney National Bank in New Orleans, will be recognized May 12 at the Coastal Stewardship Awards reception in Baton Rouge. “Louisiana is remarkably …
This natural storm buffer helps protect Greater New Orleans. A new restoration project will prevent it from disappearing.
Recent hurricanes have demonstrated how vulnerable our region is to growing flood risk, and a recent technical report by NOAA underscores the threats posed by sea level rise. As seas rise, storms strengthen in intensity and wetlands disappear, Louisiana is in a race against time to maintain and restore coastal wetlands as critical natural buffers and lines of defense for communities and vital infrastructure. Thankfully, a major coastal restoration project to restore and preserve one vital natural line of defense …
Project to Restore Maurepas Swamp Takes One Important Step Forward
Army Corps releases plan selecting Maurepas restoration project as mitigation for nearby levee construction. Overview of Maurepas Swamp As one of the largest forested wetlands in the nation, Maurepas Swamp provides important ecological and socioeconomic benefits to southeast Louisiana. The swamp not only improves water quality and habitat for many species of conservation importance, but also increases resilience against storms for coastal communities from the Greater New Orleans region to the River Parishes and up into Greater Baton Rouge. However, …
Delta Dispatches: Bren Haase Highlights A Milestone Investment in Louisiana’s Coast
On today’s Delta Dispatches, we chat with long-time friend of the show and Executive Director of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Bren Haase! Bren talks through an exciting year for Louisiana’s coast with the largest Annual Plan to date, with over $1.35B in expenditures and 92 projects in construction. You can read the Annual Plan and use CPRA’s interactive map on their website: https://ap23.coastal.la.gov/. Bren also talks us through the upcoming Coastal Day at the Louisiana Legislature on …