Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council approves Initial Comprehensive Plan
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By Estelle Robichaux, Environmental Defense Fund Last week, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council held a public meeting in New Orleans to vote on its Initial Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy. The RESTORE Act, signed into law in July 2012, established the Council and tasked it with, among other duties, creating a long-term ecosystem restoration plan for the Gulf Coast region in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In his opening remarks, Louisiana Governor …
Study shows how coastal habitats help provide protection from storms, sea level rise
By Alisha Renfro, Coastal Scientist, National Wildlife Federation Coastal communities throughout the U.S. are increasingly threatened by rising sea levels and extreme weather events. The conventional approach for protecting people and property along the coast has relied on engineering solutions such as levees, seawalls and bulkheads, which “harden” shorelines. However, not only can these structures be expensive to build and difficult to maintain, but in some cases, they can also increase erosion, impair the recreational uses of the area and …
Tagged ReportsKatrina and Isaac anniversaries remind us of urgent need for coastal restoration
By Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation This week marks the anniversaries of Hurricanes Katrina and Isaac. As we take time to remember and commemorate, we must also look to the future and commit to preparing for the next storm and protecting our communities. Even eight years after Katrina, it’s hard to forget the storms. Recovery and rebuilding remain an everyday reality in coastal Louisiana. Levees and home elevation are some of the more immediate ways to protect ourselves, but these …
A review of the RESTORE Council's Initial Comprehensive Plan
By Whit Remer and Elizabeth Weiner, Environmental Defense Fund Last week, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council released the “Initial Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy” for implementing parts of the RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act, which was enacted into law in 2012 in response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council was created by the RESTORE Act and comprises officials from five Gulf Coast states and six federal agencies. The …
Tagged ReportsRESTORE Council Releases Initial Gulf Coast Restoration Plan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: Erin Greeson, National Audubon Society, 503.913.8978, egreeson@audubon.org Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, eskree@edf.org RESTORE Council Releases Initial Gulf Coast Restoration Plan Groups urge Council to prioritize ecosystem restoration, Louisiana Coastal Master Plan in final plan (New Orleans, LA – August 21, 2013) Today, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council released its Initial Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy. Leading national and local conservation and …
Joint Ocean Commission Initiative report underscores importance of coastal restoration
By Rachel Schott, Environmental Defense Fund In June, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative, a bipartisan 16-member council representing diverse ocean interests, released a new report, “Charting the Course: Securing the Future of America’s Oceans.” The report outlines important ocean reform and coastal restoration recommendations for Congress and the Obama Administration. Being an “ocean nation,” the health of the U.S. economy is closely tied to health of its oceans. For Gulf Coast residents, this specifically means the Gulf of Mexico. The …
Tagged Economics, ReportsProfiles in Coastal Restoration: Allied Concrete Company
By Will Lindsey, Environmental Defense Fund Allied Concrete Company, a 68-year-old firm based in Charlottesville, Va., is creating new business opportunities by partnering with conservation groups to deploy miles of new oyster reefs along the Gulf Coast. These reefs are composed of an innovative concrete product and create both a restored ecosystem habitat as well as a new business opportunity for Allied Concrete. In 2011, the 100-1000 Coalition began implementing a project to build 100 miles of oyster reefs in …
Tagged EconomicsProfiles in Coastal Restoration: HESCO Bastion
By Will Lindsey, Environmental Defense Fund Louisiana-based company HESCO Bastion Environmental, Inc. is at the forefront of business innovations in response to the growing market for coastal restoration projects. Finding new uses for established products, the company is now involved in creating artificial oyster reefs and protective structures for wetlands. This arena of work is expected to expand and create more jobs in coastal communities as the RESTORE Act funds and other monies from the BP oil spill begin to …
New oil spill money released for Gulf Coast restoration
By Mordechai Treiger, Environmental Defense Fund Last month, Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustees from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill incident announced Phase III of their Early Restoration efforts. The NRDA Trustees include representatives from the five Gulf Coast states and four federal agencies who are charged with assessing damage to natural resources, such as marshes, sea grasses, birds and marine mammals, stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Phase III represents the largest collection of NRDA proposals to date, encompassing 28 proposals …
Take action: Tell the RESTORE Council to prioritize ecosystem restoration
By Rachel Schott, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign The period to publicly comment on the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council’s Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan ends soon, and we need you to submit your public comments to ensure the Council’s plan prioritizes environmental restoration. Per the RESTORE Act enacted in 2012, the Council is tasked with distributing BP oil spill funds across the five Gulf Coast states for restoration. However, many important decisions regarding spending and projects have yet to be …
Hurricane Season 2013: Let’s prepare our coast!
By Rachel Schott, Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign Preparation for hurricane season is second nature to most Louisianans. From gathering supplies to boarding up windows to mapping out evacuation routes, coastal residents acknowledge their tenuous positioning on the Gulf and the uncertain weather conditions that come from June to November. Yet with all this preparation, a question remains: Is the Louisiana coast as prepared as its residents? With the beginning of another hurricane season, the need for restoring the Mississippi River Delta …
May 3 Telebriefing: Next Steps for Increased Funding for Coastal Restoration
Coast Builders Coalition and the Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign will host a telebriefing on Friday, May 3, 2013 at 11 a.m. EST. Businesses and business associations seeking an update on the RESTORE Act, Deepwater Horizon settlement and the Gulf Council are encouraged to register. These issues will impact a wide range of businesses, from the coastal restoration companies that can expect to see increased demand for their services to the tourism companies that depend on a healthy Gulf ecosystem. …
Tagged EconomicsStudy demonstrates importance of sediment diversions for building land in the Mississippi River Delta
By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, National Wildlife Federation Last week, an independent scientific panel comprised of prominent scientists from throughout the U.S. released a report, “Mississippi River Freshwater Diversions in Southern Louisiana: Effects of Wetland Vegetation, Soils, and Elevation,” which examines some of the ecological effects of freshwater river diversions. The panel concluded that there is little evidence suggesting that the existing freshwater diversions in Louisiana have appreciably reversed the rate of land loss in the region, and …
Secretary Salazar: Putting Restoration on Steroids
By Amanda Moore, Greater New Orleans Program Manager, National Wildlife Federation On Wednesday, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar visited Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Lacombe, La. for what possibly could be his last public meeting outside of Washington, D.C. Salazar said he was proud to hold the meeting in the Mississippi River Delta, adding that it is “a world-class conservation area for hunting and fishing.” State and local government officials, fishermen and women, and non-profit leaders turned out …
City of New Orleans, National Wildlife Federation host coastal restoration public forum
By Amanda Moore, Greater New Orleans Program Manager, National Wildlife Federation Last Thursday evening, the City of New Orleans hosted their 2nd in a series of coastal restoration public forums. Community members came to hear Drue Banta, Counsel to the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities, talk about ways to advance coastal restoration in Louisiana through use of BP oil disaster funds. Ms. Banta spoke to a crowd of about 75 people, including neighborhood leaders, parish officials, landowners, fishermen, legislators, …