Meet Shannon Cunniff
Newer posts →Meet Shannon Cunniff
Shannon is the deputy director for the Mississippi River Delta Restoration and Resilience Project at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Working closely with the senior director, Shannon focuses on improving strategic and tactical effectiveness of the EDF team. She works on setting team goals, objectives and strategies; translating those into work plans; and evaluating progress to ensure timely, high-quality products. She manages staff scientists, policy analysts and consultants to solve complex problems and execute tasks. Shannon is no stranger to flood …
Study looks at sediment and water flow through Mississippi River, helps scientists plan effective restoration projects
By Alisha A. Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation The sediment and water transported by the Mississippi River built much of the ecologically-rich Mississippi River Delta and Louisiana coastline. But over the last decade, manmade modifications throughout the river basin to improve navigation and flood protection have disconnected the river from its delta. This has reduced the amount of sediment carried by the river and severed the connection between the river and the adjacent wetlands it naturally built. Sediment is a …
Tagged ReportsLatest news: April 18, 2012
The Big Spill, Two Years Later Editorial, The New York Times. April 17, 2012. “Friday is the second anniversary of the explosion at BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig that killed 11 workers and spilled upwards of five million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico…” (Read more) Transportation bill would direct BP fine funds to La. By Jordan Blum, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). April 18, 2012. “WASHINGTON — The U.S. House could pass its 90-day transportation extension bill Wednesday. …
Report: Reengineer Mississippi River Delta To Protect Nation’s Economic, Ecological Assets
Scientists call for “immediate action” to address disintegration of delta News Release (Baton Rouge, La.—April 11, 2012) Building a series of engineered structures called diversions along the lower Mississippi River will yield tens of billions of dollars in net annual benefits to the nation and hedge against future disasters, according to a new report co-authored by 22 prominent scientists and engineers. The report, “Answering 10 Fundamental Questions about the Mississippi River Delta,” makes a scientific and economic case for restoring the …
Tagged ReportsBassmaster Classic returns to the Mississippi River Delta
This story was originally posted the Vanishing Paradise blog. By Lacey McCormick, National Wildlife Federation The Mississippi River Delta is one of the best places on earth to catch monster largemouth bass. If America’s anglers didn’t know that before, they certainly discovered it last year when Kevin van Dam shattered the previous Bassmaster Classic stringer record at the 2011 Bassmaster Classic. Last night, the Vanishing Paradise team was honored to have the opportunity to make a presentation to executives at B.A.S.S. and …
Latest news: February 24, 2012
“Because My Pa Pa Works There” By Irit Tamer, OxFam. Feb. 23, 2012. “As Mardi Gras wraps up in New Orleans, it is a pivotal moment for the Gulf region. On February 27th, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill trial is set to begin and may be the largest litigation in environmental history. The trial could result in BP having to pay billions of dollars in fines and damages for their negligence in the oil spill that left thousands without livelihoods …
Latest news: February 14, 2012
A Valentine for the Gulf By Sue Sturgis, The Institute for Southern Studies. February 14, 2012. “There’s speculation on the Gulf Coast that BP could soon reach a settlement in the civil suit over its 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. Opening arguments in the historic case, which has been dubbed the “trial of the century,” are set to begin on Feb. 27 in New Orleans. But rumor has it that a settlement could be announced as soon as Feb. 21 …
Tonight: Documentary Examines Solutions to “Turning the Tide” on Mississippi River Delta Collapse
Tonight, Nov. 30 at 8 p.m., Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) premiers Turning the Tide, a powerful new documentary about restoring America’s disappearing Mississippi River Delta. The film includes many voices, including experts from the organizations collaborating in the Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign. Tune in tonight to this must-see film. Here’s more from LPB’s announcement: “Turning the Tide, a new 90-minute documentary from Louisiana Public Broadcasting, presents an in-depth examination of proposed solutions, proven strategies and bold engineering that can …
Nickelodeon Video Highlights Chalmette Students' Coastal Restoration Efforts
By Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation Nickelodeon’s “The Big Help” teamed up with National Wildlife Federation (NWF) for Earth Day 2011 to spotlight outstanding students making a difference in their communities through environmental stewardship. Sure enough, the search for awesome kids ended in St. Bernard Parish, where students in Chalmette High School’s Leadership Initiative have planted over 50,000 cypress trees since Hurricane Katrina. The students, who experienced first-hand the massive destruction of Katrina and the BP oil disaster, are very much …
Wonders in the Wax Lake Delta
This piece was originally posted on the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s Coast Currents blog. By Scott Madere, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana The first clue that things were going to be different today was the blue rectangle under the “No Parking” sign at the boat launch. “Beware of Bears,” it read. I’ve lived my whole life in Louisiana and I’ve never seen one of those. But it was only one of many firsts for me as we headed into …
New report studies river diversions as an important restoration tool
By Alisha Renfro, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation Since 1932, almost 1,900 square miles of ecologically and economically important land has been lost in coastal Louisiana. Historically, flooding from the Mississippi River built and maintained these coastal wetlands, but the construction of flood protection levees and upstream dams have cut off the connection between the river and its delta. River diversions direct water, nutrients and sediment back into the deteriorating wetlands and serve as an important restoration tool in the Mississippi …
Tagged ReportsUnshackling the Mighty Mississippi: New Video Shows How Working With Nature—Not Against It—Can Build New Land at Myrtle Grove
By Amanda Moore (National Wildlife Federation) and Brian Jackson (Environmental Defense Fund) The Mississippi River built 7,000 square miles of beautiful, rich deltaic wetlands, but over the last century, the natural land-building processes that constructed that land have been largely shut off. Flipping that land-building switch back on is crucial for success in restoring the Mississippi River Delta and the communities, wildlife and economies that depend on it. A critical project that will build land and jumpstart restoration is the …
Faces of the Delta: Alberta Lewis
In the third installment of our Faces of the Delta series, you will meet Alberta Lewis: long-time New Orleans-area resident, plantation owner, delta restoration advocate, and king cake doll creator. Name: Alberta Lewis Location: Arabi/Poydras, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana Occupation: Retired business owner, miniature porcelain artist (designs king cake dolls for a well-known bakery), plantation owner and community activist. Tell me about your connection to south Louisiana. I was born in the 9th Ward of New Orleans in 1923 and lived in …
Mississippi River Diversions Workshop Tackles Difficult Scientific Questions
By Angelina Freeman (Environmental Defense Fund), David Muth (National Wildlife Federation), and Bryan Piazza (The Nature Conservancy) The Louisiana Coastal Area Program (LCA) Science and Technology Office and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) convened a meeting Feb. 23-24 on the technical issues of freshwater river diversions and the response of wetland soils and vegetation. The plants in coastal wetlands will drown if they cannot keep up with rising water levels. This fact is especially evident in Louisiana, where …