Gulf Groups Applaud Landmark Agreement for $1 Billion Down Payment of Restoration Funds
← Older posts Newer posts →Gulf Groups Applaud Landmark Agreement for $1 Billion Down Payment of Restoration Funds
News broke yesterday that BP has agreed to provide $1 billion toward early restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico under an unprecedented agreement announced today by the Natural Resource Trustees for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) down payment is a significant first step toward restoration in the Gulf. The Gulf Renewal Project – a coalition of environmental, economic and community groups – released the following statement: “This is a good day for the Gulf and …
On BP Oil Disaster Anniversary, Groups Urge Congress to Use Fines to Restore Gulf Environment and Economy
On the first anniversary of the BP oil well blowout, regional and national leaders urged Congress to hold BP accountable by passing legislation to dedicate BP’s Clean Water Act (CWA) fines to restoring the Gulf’s damaged environment and economy. Under current law, fines paid by BP and others responsible for the spill automatically will be deposited into the Federal Treasury, instead of being used to help restore the Gulf region. U.S. Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and David Vitter (R-La.), Sen. …
BP Oil Disaster 1st Anniversary Event to Urge Congress to Get Together and Get Gulf Restoration Done
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR APRIL 20 BP Oil Disaster 1st Anniversary Event to Urge Congress to Get Together and Get Gulf Restoration Done Guided Tours Will Show Oil Spill Damage to Degraded Wetlands, How to Revitalize Them What: News conference and guided boat tours one year after the BP oil disaster, which caused major damage to wildlife and the fishing and tourism industries in coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, and Florida. The oil spill could cost the Gulf tourism industry alone …
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Tells Story of the Mississippi River Delta in New Video
Guest post by Marc Dantzker, Multimedia Producer – Cornell Lab of Ornithology httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWRGvGv1vps Soon after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded last year, I was part of a multimedia team from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that spent nearly three months documenting the resulting spill’s effects on bird life. While many months have passed, the experience is still fresh: the sight of beach-bound pelicans struggling against a blanket of heavy oil, the smell of newly surfaced oil pressing into pristine salt marsh, the …
As BP Oil Spill Anniversary Looms, Gulf Restoration Groups Laud Introduction of RESTORE Act
A coalition of environmental, economic and social equity organizations yesterday praised the Senate introduction of a bipartisan bill to ensure that 80 percent of the Clean Water Act (CWA) penalties to be paid by BP and others responsible for last year’s Gulf oil disaster will be used to restore the communities, economies and ecosystems of the Gulf region directly. Under current law, BP penalties for the oil spill will be deposited into the federal treasury instead of being used to …
Audubon Reports from the Gulf: Oil Persists, and So Do Concerns about Birds
One year after the BP oil disaster began in the Gulf of Mexico, Audubon experts report that oil can still be found in gulf marshes and beaches that provide critical habitat for at-risk birds. Recent trips through Louisiana’s Barataria Bay revealed tar balls on beaches and oil oozing through marsh grasses, a discouraging sight as the breeding season begins for dozens of Gulf Coast bird species. “One thing I’m very concerned about now, as we begin a new breeding season, …
One Year After the Gulf Oil Spill, Report Finds Wildlife and Wetlands Still Vulnerable Without Restoration
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) issued a new report yesterday examining the health of the Gulf’s wildlife and wetlands one year after the spill. The findings show that while some species hit hard by the Gulf oil disaster show signs of recovery, others will need the combined efforts of scientists, policymakers and regulators to recover. The Long Road to Recovery: Wetlands and Wildlife One Year Into the Gulf Oil Disaster was written by NWF’s Senior Scientist Dr. Doug Inkley and …
B.A.S.S. Backs Vanishing Paradise's Coastal Louisiana Restoration Efforts
The 2011 Bassmaster Classic, which begins today (Feb. 18) in New Orleans and continues through Sunday (Feb. 20), will showcase more than 50 of the world’s best bass anglers. It also will draw attention to important efforts to revitalize what the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) calls a “Vanishing Paradise.” B.A.S.S. LLC, a Florida-based membership organization with more than 500,000 bass anglers, which conducts the annual world championship of bass fishing, is partnering with the Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) and NWF in campaigns …
We Agree: Use Oil Spill Fines to Restore the Gulf
Dedicating Clean Water Act penalties from the Deepwater Horizon disaster to Gulf Coast restoration is one of the most important short-term steps Congress can take as the one-year anniversary of the catastrophic Macondo blowout approaches. In recent days, two newspaper editorials have tackled the topic. On January 31, the Scranton [Pennsylvania] Times-Tribune wrote: “It’s a great idea not just because the Gulf Coast suffered the environmental consequences of the disaster, but because it would help to address a host of …
New Orleans Ranked First in Decade-Long Population Loss Due to Natural Disasters, Not Economic Decline
Guest post by Seyi Fayanju, Environmental Defense Fund Seyi works on the coastal Louisiana restoration project at Environmental Defense Fund. He is a contributor to EDF’s Restoration and Resilience blog, in which he writes about the links between hazard mitigation, environmental rehabilitation, and economic recovery in the Mississippi River Delta. Between 2000 and 2009, New Orleans lost more than a quarter of its residents, outpacing Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and other struggling “Rust Belt” cities in its pace of population loss. This decline …
Tagged EconomicsVanishing Paradise Unveils New Website, Educates Sportsmen on Importance of Coastal Louisiana Restoration
By Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation In a joint effort to educate and unite sportsmen across the country on the critical need to restore coastal Louisiana, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Ducks Unlimited have unveiled a brand new website for Vanishing Paradise. The updated website offers new giveaways, opportunities to take action, and enhanced educational resources for hunters and anglers interested in joining the cause to help revive and recover a region damaged by decades of mismanagement and, more …
Oil Spill Commission Forum Stresses Need for Tougher Industry Standards, Better Safety Practices, and Coastal Restoration
The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling held a public forum yesterday (Jan. 12) in New Orleans to discuss the commission’s final report that was released the day before with approximately 250 interested members of the public. Representatives from the National Wildlife Federation’s coastal Louisiana restoration team and oil spill commission members Donald F. Boesch and Frances G. Beinecke attended the public meeting. The commission members summarized the report’s findings and recommendations, including the …
Groups Urge Congress to Heed Oil Spill Commission Recommendation to Use Clean Water Act Fines for Gulf Restoration
Eight non-profit groups today called on Congress to heed a key recommendation in the final report from the bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. The recommendation is that “Congress should dedicate 80 percent of the Clean Water Act penalties to long-term restoration of the Gulf of Mexico” (see page 280 of report). “The oil spill commission recognizes that we cannot compound one tragedy with another,” said a joint statement by the Coalition to Restore Coastal …
A Partridge in a Pear Tree: National Audubon Society's 111th Annual Christmas Bird Count
By David J. Ringer, National Audubon Society The National Audubon Society wrapped up its 111th Christmas Bird Count (CBC) this week. The survey sends tens of thousands of volunteers into the field across the Western Hemisphere each year. Their mission: to count all the birds – both number of species and individuals – that they can find in 15-mile-wide circular study sites. Over time, all of this data has proved to be a valuable indicator of bird population trends. In coastal …
Let Your Voice Be Heard: Public Comment Period for MRGO Draft Restoration Plan Is Underway
By Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation Update to our previous post: The 60-day public comment period is open for the Army Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) Draft Restoration Plan. The restoration of the ecosystem along the MRGO will help to protect the City of New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish by providing a coastal buffer to storm surge and waves. In addition, restoration will increase coastal resiliency to subsidence and sea level rise and keep our estuaries healthy …