Help Count Birds for Science during Audubon’s Annual Christmas Bird Count
← Older postsHelp Count Birds for Science during Audubon’s Annual Christmas Bird Count
The National Audubon Society invites birdwatchers to participate in the longest-running citizen science survey, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC). From December 14 through January 5, birders and nature enthusiasts in Louisiana will take part in this tradition, many rising before dawn to participate. “Louisiana is home to millions of birds each winter, including waterfowl, shorebirds, and songbirds. Understanding how the populations of these birds are changing is revealed through CBC efforts, which is critical for knowing how to …
New sediment counter shows amount of uncaptured sediment passing through LA every second
There’s less sediment moving down the Mississippi River than there used to be. Much of that missing material is trapped behind dams built upriver of Louisiana. Despite the reduction in sediment it carries, the Mississippi is still mighty with approximately 90 million tons of sediment passing the city of Belle Chasse, La. each year1. Tragically, much of that mud and sand will be carried past the sediment-starved wetlands and barrier islands of the delta – where it could have great …
Job Openings: The Water Institute of the Gulf
The Water Institute of the Gulf is a not-for-profit, independent applied research institute dedicated to providing advanced understanding and technical expertise to support management of coastal, deltaic and water systems, within Louisiana, the Gulf Coast and around the world. Its mission supports the practical application of innovative science and engineering, providing solutions that benefit society. Interested in working for the Water Institute? Good news, they are currently hiring for the following positions. Click on each position for more information on …
Tagged EconomicsLatest Mississippi River Delta News: November 30, 2015
Tons of recycled oyster shells from New Orleans area restaurants could help protect the coast *features Kim Reyher, CRCL By Amy Wold, The Advocate. November 25, 2015 “Restaurant workers and oil company employees rolled up their sleeves one day last week and shoveled ton after ton of oyster shells into bags as part of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s oyster shell recycling program.” (Read More) Private companies restoring wetlands in Plaquemines Parish are employing mitigation bank process By Amy …
2015 Brings Momentum for the Louisiana Coast
By Emily Guidry Schatzel, Senior Communications Manager, Mississippi River Delta Restoration, National Wildlife Federation Louisiana’s Mississippi River Delta is a region in dire need of comprehensive restoration. We all know the harrowing statistic facing coastal Louisiana: every hour, a football field of land vanishes off the coast. According to historical averages, Louisiana loses 16 to 25 square miles per year. The rest of the Gulf, which is in many places still working to rebound economically and ecologically from the 2010 Gulf oil disaster, …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: November 23, 2015
Jindal cuts spare higher ed, but cut coastal dollars (video) *features Steve Cochran, MRD By John Snell, WVUE. November 20, 2015 “The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority said the money could still be spent on projects in future years, but environmental groups believe it sets a bad precedent to use coastal restoration dollars to balance Louisiana’s frequent budget crises.” (Read More) Also featured on following stations: WDAM WSFA Groups decry using coastal money to balance budget *features MRD statement By …
Governor Jindal’s Proposed Budget Cuts Threaten Coastal Restoration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Governor Jindal’s Proposed Budget Cuts Threaten Coastal Restoration Conservation groups urge legislature to use rainy day fund, not coastal dollars, to fill gaps (New Orleans, LA – November 20, 2015) Today, the joint budget committee of the Louisiana state legislature held a hearing to discuss the state’s mid-year budget cuts to reduce a budget deficit. Proposed cuts include a more than $6 million reduction of the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s budget – more than seven …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: November 20, 2015
Jindal’s proposed budget cuts include $6.4 million from coastal agency *features Steve Cochran, MRD By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. November 19, 2015 “Coastal restoration dollars should be used to build land and protect communities – not fill holes in the state’s budget,” said Steve Cochran, who also is an associate vice president of the Environmental Defense Fund. “We have a rainy day fund for that exact purpose – let’s use it and not sell restoration short.” (Read More) Concerns over …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: November 19, 2015
Edwards, Vitter say they’ll protect coastal restoration funding *features MRD By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. November 18, 2015 “Both state Rep. John Bel Edwards and U.S. Sen. David Vitter said they will protect funding for Louisiana coastal restoration projects from cuts in the midst of the major budget challenges they will face if elected governor, according to responses released Wednesday (Nov. 18) by a consortium of environmental and business groups.” (Read More) Private funding helps project to stabilize canal in …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: November 18, 2015
Edwards, Vitter answer questions on coastal restoration *features MRD By David Hammer, WWL-TV. November 18, 2015 “The Restore the Mississippi Delta Coalition and the Coast Builders Coalition sent two questions to Democrat John Bel Edwards and Republican David Vitter. The first asked what the candidates would do to pay back the state’s $1.8 billion debt to the federal government for the New Orleans area flood protection system, a debt that is now structured with payments of $93 million a year …
Press Release: La’s Gubernatorial Candidates Declare Positions on Coastal Restoration Fiscal Issues
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Louisiana’s Gubernatorial Candidates Declare Positions on Key Coastal Restoration Fiscal Issues Coastal Restoration Groups Publish Position Statements by Vitter, Edwards (New Orleans, LA – November 18, 2015) Earlier today, the Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition – comprised of national and regional conservation groups Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation – in partnership with Coast Builders Coalition, published position statements by Louisiana’s gubernatorial candidates …
Louisiana’s Gubernatorial Candidates Declare Positions on Key Coastal Restoration Fiscal Issues
Louisiana’s next governor will face two important fiscal issues related to coastal restoration early in his term. The Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition, in partnership with Coast Builders Coalition, delivered the below letter to both candidates on November 9, in which our groups asked the candidates to provide their positions on how they would handle two key coastal issues once in office. The first question involves the payback of Greater New Orleans Area Hurricane Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) by …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: November 16, 2015
Corps of Engineers needs big-scale coastal plan, state official says *features David Muth, NWF By Cain Burdeau, AP, The Times-Picayune. November 13, 2015 “The federal government’s lack of an overarching plan on how to fight land loss in Louisiana is wasting money that could be spent on fixing the state’s problems, a top Louisiana coastal official told a congressional panel on Friday (Nov. 13). Kyle Graham, executive director of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said Louisiana’s “largest stumbling …
What We Know Now About the BP Oil Disaster
This post has been cross-posted from the National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Promise blog. It’s been more than five years since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded. Since that time, a council of federal and state Trustees have been extensively investigating the impacts of the disaster on wildlife and habitats, but that information has been kept under wraps—for use in litigation against BP. Now that the case has settled, this research has finally been made public in a draft Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan. …
Job Opening: Communications Associate, Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition
Position: Communications Associate, Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition, National Audubon Society Location: New Orleans, LA Overview: Now in its second century, Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Audubon’s mission is engaging people in bird conservation on a hemispheric scale through science, policy, education and on-the-ground conservation action. By mobilizing and aligning its network of Chapters, Centers, State and Important Bird Area programs in the four major migratory flyways in the …
Tagged Economics