Leading Conservation Groups Praise Passage of HCR1, Funding 2015-2016 Coastal Annual Plan
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org Jacques Hebert, National Audubon Society, 504.264.6849, jhebert@audubon.org Elizabeth Van Cleve, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, evancleve@edf.org HCR1 Passes Legislature, Funding 2015-2016 Coastal Annual Plan Leading Conservation Groups Praise Passage as Recognition of Coastal Restoration Priorities (New Orleans, LA—May 19, 2015) Today, House Concurrent Resolution 1 (HCR 1) – the funding vehicle for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s 2015-2016 annual plan for integrated coastal protection and restoration – made …
Following the oil spill, new science and research efforts develop in the Gulf of Mexico
By Estelle Robichaux, Restoration Project Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund This is the final post in a series about Gulf oil spill early coastal restoration funding and projects. Be sure to check out parts one, two and three. In addition to environmental restoration projects and programs, four different science programs have been created through oil-spill related funding streams. See the info boxes for details on each program. Because these programs began developing around the same time and around the same general …
In Ads Across State, Leading Wildlife & Fisheries Biologists Endorse Sediment Diversions
By Natalie Peyronnin, Director of Science Policy, Mississippi River Delta Restoration, Environmental Defense Fund Twenty-seven leading wildlife and fisheries biologists and other wetlands professionals are urging Louisiana’s citizens to support the construction of sediment diversions to restore marshes vital for protecting Louisiana’s diminishing coast and the people and wildlife it supports. In full-page ads that will begin appearing in Louisiana media, including the state’s largest newspapers, this Sunday, May 3, the experts write: “Louisiana urgently needs to restore a better …
8th Graders Present Project to Louisiana House on Coastal Restoration
By Eden Davis, Outreach Coordinator, Louisiana Wildlife Federation This was originally posted on the LA Camo Coalition blog. On April 29, a group of 8th graders from Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Belle Chasse presented to the Louisiana House Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment about the importance of coastal restoration. The Committee diligently listened as the 8th graders used Cat Island as a call to action on the urgency for restoring our coast. Cat Island, located in Plaquemines Parish, …
A tradition worth building – Collectively sustaining and stewarding our coast
By Maura Wood, Partnership Manager, National Wildlife Federation On April 20, several members of the Restore the Mississippi River Delta campaign gathered with community members in Davant, Louisiana, to commemorate the 5th anniversary since the BP oil spill with testimony and discussion about how the terrible oil unleashed on that day is still affecting us all. Those gathered included representatives from NGOs, fishermen, residents of coastal communities, business leaders, employees of restoration agencies and others. While there is widespread agreement …
Improving implementation of the new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard
By Shannon Cunniff, Deputy Director, Water Program, Environmental Defense Fund This is part two of a two-part series about the new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard. Hurricane Katrina and Super Storm Sandy clearly illustrated the significant effects storms and flooding can have on the nation’s economy and security. So it’s not surprising that the President tapped the National Security Council to lead an interagency team to develop additional means to reduce the impact and cost of floods to the nation. …
The new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard
By Shannon Cunniff, Deputy Director, Water Program, Environmental Defense Fund This is part one of a two-part series about the new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard. Check back tomorrow for part two. There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about the new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard established in Executive Order (EO) 13690. In this two-part series, we will shed light on the new standard as well as ways for stakeholders to get involved in the process and make …
The Science of the Spill
By Alisha Renfro, Coastal Scientist, National Wildlife Federation The blow out of the Macondo well claimed 11 lives and began the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history. It took 87 days to finally cap the well and by then at least 134 million gallons of crude oil had been expelled into the Gulf of Mexico. With the source of the oil nearly a mile below the surface of the water and at four times the size of the Exxon …
A visit to the Caminada Headland Beach & Dune Restoration project
By Estelle Robichaux, Restoration Project Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund The BP oil spill has had devastating impacts on Gulf Coast ecosystems and communities, but coastal Louisiana’s land loss crisis began decades before the disaster. The Clean Water Act fines and other money paid through settlements relating to the spill offer an unprecedented opportunity to restore Gulf Coast habitats and natural resources. Many of the early restoration projects funded in Louisiana are focused on barrier islands because of the important role they …
City of New Orleans Christmas Tree Recycling Program Celebrates 20 Years of Protecting Wetlands
By Samantha Carter, National Wildlife Federation Where does your Christmas tree go when you leave it at the curb? If you participated in the New Orleans tree recycling program this year, then as of April 2nd your tree is now in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. After your tree was picked up off of the curb in January, it was sorted and bundled by the Department of Sanitation with help from the city’s Office of Coastal and …
Five Years Later: Gulf Oil Disaster’s Impacts to Habitat and Wildlife Still Evident
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org Jacques Hebert, National Audubon Society, 504.264.6849, jhebert@audubon.org Elizabeth Van Cleve, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, evancleve@edf.org Five Years Later: Gulf Oil Disaster’s Impacts to Habitat and Wildlife Still Evident Leading Conservation Groups Highlight BP Spill’s Ongoing Effects, Continued Need for Restoration (New Orleans, LA—March 31, 2015) Five years after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, killing 11 men and spewing at least 3.19 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of …
Third and Final Phase of the BP Trial Brought to a Close on February 2, 2015
By Will Lindsey This is the second post about phase III of trial. To read part I, click here. The third and final phase of the BP trial ended on Monday, February 2, 2015. Based on the evidence presented in this phase, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier will decide the Clean Water Act civil penalty that both BP and Anadarko, a 25 percent non-operator in the Macando well, will pay. The United States is seeking the maximum Clean Water Act …
Wine & Wetlands event brings together coastal residents, advocates
Guest post by Mike Mariana, Belle Chasse, LA On January 15, my wife and I attended the Wine & Wetlands event organized by the Restore the Mississippi River Delta coalition and their outreach coordinator for Plaquemines Parish, Philip Russo. More than 50 people from across our parish attended and had the opportunity to hear from several concerned citizens, business owners and governmental representatives, all working in their own way to restore our coast. Thanks to the sponsorship of several of …
Tagged EconomicsPhase III, Week 1: Recap of the BP oil spill trial
By Will Lindsey The first week of phase III of the BP trial ended on Friday, January 23. During this phase, which is expected to last three weeks, Judge Carl Barbier will determine the amount of Clean Water Act civil penalties that BP must pay for the 2010 Gulf oil disaster. Phase III comes after two previous phases, the first of which determined that BP was 67 percent responsible for the spill, while phase II determined that 3.19 million barrels …
What is Phase III of the BP Trial?
Phase III of the BP Trial started this week. But what does this mean? Why are there “phases”, and when will this trial end? All good questions. The BP trial underway is a civil (not criminal) litigation between the U.S. Department of Justice and BP and other parties responsible for the 2010 Gulf oil spill. BP and others are being held accountable for violations of the Clean Water Act for spilling millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. …