Rebuilding coastal Louisiana, using the natural power of the mighty Mississippi
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This was originally posted by Environmental Defense Fund on EDF Voices. By Estelle Robichaux, Restoration Project Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund Soon after my flyover of the Mississippi River Delta, I joined Dr. John Lopez of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) on a boat ride down the Bohemia Spillway to Mardi Gras Pass. As we sped down the spillway canal, beautiful swamp lilies and purple morning glories popped out against a backdrop of lush, green plants. Once we reached our destination, …
Expert panel discusses diversions as a coastal restoration tool
By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation Last week in Baton Rouge, The Water Institute of the Gulf hosted the inaugural meeting of the Expert Panel on Diversion Planning and Implementation. The panel – comprised of 12 experts in natural and social sciences, engineering and economics – was selected from more than 60 nominees from across the country. Panel members are all from outside Louisiana, in order to foster critical and constructive review of work being led by Louisiana-based …
When it comes to restoration, let nature fill in the details
This was originally posted by Environmental Defense Fund on EDF Voices: People on the Planet. By David Festa, Vice President, West Coast & Land, Water & Wildlife, Environmental Defense Fund I was struck by a line in an article in the new issue of Scientific American. It called the loss of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands “the greatest environmental, economic and cultural tragedy on the North American continent.” It’s easy to see why they would say that. Since the 1930s, efforts to control the Mississippi …
Deepwater Horizon Trustees release environmental plans for $627 million in restoration projects
By Whit Remer and Estelle Robichaux, Environmental Defense Fund On December 6, the U.S. Department of Interior, on behalf of the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage (NRDA) Trustees, released a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for approximately $627 million of early restoration projects across the Gulf Coast. While the projects were initially proposed in May, over the past six months, the Trustees have been preparing a PEIS to evaluate the broad impacts of the projects. The PEIS includes $318 …
The Billion Dollar Question: Who pays for MRGO ecosystem restoration?
By Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation Last Tuesday, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority authorized the state attorney general to file suit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in an effort to get the federal government to pick up 100 percent of the expense for the federal plan for ecosystem restoration of damage caused by the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO). Since 2008, there has been an ongoing dispute between the state and the Corps involving interpretation of …
Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle signs teach visitors about need for coastal restoration
By Amanda Moore (National Wildlife Federation) and Elizabeth Skree (Environmental Defense Fund) Excitement filled the air last Friday as community members, government officials, students and staff from local and national conservation organizations gathered on the Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle viewing platform in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward to celebrate the unveiling of new educational, interactive signs. These signs help interpret an important story for visitors as they look out over the open water and ghostly remains of a former healthy …
Mississippi River Delta Restoration Coalition submits comments on proposed RESTORE Act Treasury regulations
By Whit Remer and Elizabeth Weiner, Environmental Defense Fund Earlier this month, the Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition submitted public comments to the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) on a proposed rule governing disbursements from the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Trust Fund. The Trust Fund was established by the RESTORE Act, enacted in 2012, and is funded by 80 percent of the civil Clean Water Act penalties that have been, and will be, paid by the parties responsible for …
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Announces Nearly $68 Million for Louisiana Restoration Projects
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: 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 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Announces Nearly $68 Million for Louisiana Restoration Projects $40.4 million dedicated to Mid-Barataria Diversion, a critical project to comprehensive coastal restoration (New Orleans, LA – November 14, 2013) Today, leading national and local conservation and restoration organizations – Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the …
Media Advisory: Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle Signage Unveiling and Press Conference
Media Advisory for Friday, November 15, 2013 Contact: Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, eskree@edf.org Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org Erin Greeson, National Audubon Society, 503.913-8978, egreeson@audubon.org Arthur Johnson, The Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, 504.421.9643, ajohnson@sustainthenine.org Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle Signage Unveiling and Press Conference New educational, interactive signs teach visitors about need for coastal restoration Each year, thousands of people visit the Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle viewing platform in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward. …
Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign volunteers plant 250 trees in Big Mar basin
By Theryn Henkel, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation Since 2009, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) has been actively documenting the development of an emergent delta in the receiving basin, Big Mar, of the Caernarvon Diversion outfall canal on the east side of the Mississippi River south of New Orleans. Since October 2010, in partnership with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), LPBF has conducted tree plantings within Big Mar as part of a Restore the Earth Foundation grant-funded reforestation …
Basics of the Basin research symposium discusses past, present and future of the Pontchartrain Basin
By Shannon Hood and Estelle S. Robichaux, Environmental Defense Fund On October 24-25, 2013, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) hosted its 11th Basics of the Basin research symposium. Scientists and researchers from academia, non-profit organizations, private consulting groups and federal and state agencies gathered at the University of New Orleans (UNO) on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain to discuss the past, present and future issues of the Pontchartrain Basin. LPBF has hosted these biennial symposiums since 1992, providing an …
Recap of Wednesday's Mississippi River Hydrodynamic and Delta Management Study Technical Meeting
By Alisha Renfro, Coastal Scientist, National Wildlife Federation The Mississippi River is one of the most managed river systems in the world. However, that management has focused on navigation and flood control needs to the detriment of the economically and ecologically important coastal Louisiana landscape. This week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) hosted a public meeting in New Orleans to present information and preliminary results of their joint effort on the …
Conservation Groups Respond to Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Environmental Impact Statement Launch
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 Conservation Groups Respond to Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Environmental Impact Statement Launch Corps’ intention to conduct EIS seen as crucial step forward (New Orleans, LA – October 8, 2013) Today, a coalition of leading national and local conservation and restoration organizations – Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Coalition to Restore Coastal …
Treasury releases RESTORE Act regulations, restoration process advances
By Whit Remer, Policy Analyst, Environmental Defense Fund On September 6, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) proposed draft regulations for disbursing funds under the RESTORE Act. Treasury is responsible for developing compliance measures, an auditing process and guidelines for grant distribution under the law. The release of the regulations enables the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to advance some of its work, and the final regulations will outline the process for Gulf Coast states to acquire their RESTORE …
Conservation Groups Issue Statement on New Timeline for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion
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 Conservation Groups Issue Statement on New Timeline for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion (New Orleans, LA – September 20, 2013) Today, leading national and local conservation and restoration organizations – Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation – released the following joint statement: …