Latest Mississippi River Delta News: November 19, 2015
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Edwards, Vitter say they’ll protect coastal restoration funding *features MRD By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. November 18, 2015 “Both state Rep. John Bel Edwards and U.S. Sen. David Vitter said they will protect funding for Louisiana coastal restoration projects from cuts in the midst of the major budget challenges they will face if elected governor, according to responses released Wednesday (Nov. 18) by a consortium of environmental and business groups.” (Read More) Private funding helps project to stabilize canal in …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: November 18, 2015
Edwards, Vitter answer questions on coastal restoration *features MRD By David Hammer, WWL-TV. November 18, 2015 “The Restore the Mississippi Delta Coalition and the Coast Builders Coalition sent two questions to Democrat John Bel Edwards and Republican David Vitter. The first asked what the candidates would do to pay back the state’s $1.8 billion debt to the federal government for the New Orleans area flood protection system, a debt that is now structured with payments of $93 million a year …
Press Release: La’s Gubernatorial Candidates Declare Positions on Coastal Restoration Fiscal Issues
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Louisiana’s Gubernatorial Candidates Declare Positions on Key Coastal Restoration Fiscal Issues Coastal Restoration Groups Publish Position Statements by Vitter, Edwards (New Orleans, LA – November 18, 2015) Earlier today, the Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition – comprised of national and regional conservation groups Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation – in partnership with Coast Builders Coalition, published position statements by Louisiana’s gubernatorial candidates …
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: November 16, 2015
Corps of Engineers needs big-scale coastal plan, state official says *features David Muth, NWF By Cain Burdeau, AP, The Times-Picayune. November 13, 2015 “The federal government’s lack of an overarching plan on how to fight land loss in Louisiana is wasting money that could be spent on fixing the state’s problems, a top Louisiana coastal official told a congressional panel on Friday (Nov. 13). Kyle Graham, executive director of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said Louisiana’s “largest stumbling …
Job Opening: Communications Associate, Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition
Position: Communications Associate, Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition, National Audubon Society Location: New Orleans, LA Overview: Now in its second century, Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Audubon’s mission is engaging people in bird conservation on a hemispheric scale through science, policy, education and on-the-ground conservation action. By mobilizing and aligning its network of Chapters, Centers, State and Important Bird Area programs in the four major migratory flyways in the …
Tagged EconomicsJob Opening: Mississippi River Delta and Natural Infrastructure Economist, EDF
Position: Mississippi River Delta & Natural Infrastructure Economist (2-year Post-doctoral Position) Location: Washington, DC (New York, NY or Boston, MA) With world attention focused on both the environment and the economy, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is where policymakers and business leaders turn for win-win solutions. This leading green group, with programs from Boston to Beijing, has tripled in size over the past decade by focusing on strong science, uncommon partnerships and market-based approaches. You can be part of a vibrant …
Tagged EconomicsLatest Mississippi River Delta news: November 13, 2015
BP settlement brings unprecedented money to coastal restoration efforts *features David Muth, NWF By Bob Marshall, The Lens. November 12, 2015 “As he looked at the amount of money coming to Louisiana from BP’s settlement of the Deepwater Horizon pollution disaster, David Muth shook his head in wonder. He saw tens of millions going to rebuild dolphin populations, hundreds of millions for birds and fish and — best of all — billions for restoring coastal wetlands.” (Read More)
Latest Mississippi River Delta news: Nov. 12, 2015
Louisiana can again hold the ducks it used to, guide says By Todd Masson, The Times-Picayune. Nov. 11, 2015. “South Louisiana hunters have seen a consistent decline in recent years in the numbers of ducks that overwinter in the region, and Ryan Lambert says it’s due to one reason: The birds don’t have enough to eat. ‘We’ve lost 2,000 square miles of land. Ducks don’t eat land, but we’ve probably lost 10,000 square miles of habitat,’ he said. ‘That’s millions …
Latest Mississippi River Delta news: Nov. 11, 2015
Underground map of La. to help fight coastal loss at sea level By John Snell, FOX 8 (New Orleans). Nov. 10, 2015. “A study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ranks parts of South Louisiana among the most rapidly sinking spots on earth. While opinions are sharply divided about the causes, McLindon argues the primary culprits of subsidence in the Delta are underground faults…” (read more). BP oil spill dispersants hindered rather than helped, study says By Beatrice Gitau, …
Latest Mississippi River Delta news: Nov. 10, 2015
Louisiana simply must find the money to finish coastal master plan: Editorial By The Editorial Board, The Times-Picayune. Nov. 9, 2015. “South Louisianians know how vulnerable we are because of the erosion of our coast. But a new study emphasizes how quickly we must act to reverse that trend and the urgent need for more money to pay for the restoration work…” (read more). La. coastal plan $71 billion short, report says by Jacob Batte, The Houma Courier. Nov. 7, …
Latest Mississippi River Delta news: Nov. 9, 2015
More money needed, but coastal plan on track, official says By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). Nov. 6, 2015. “It’s clear that much more money will be needed to complete Louisiana’s 50-year, $50 billion hurricane protection and coastal restoration master plan. But the state’s senior coastal official said Friday (Nov. 6) that Louisiana already is on its way to implementing a sustainable program to build and maintain the projects…” (read more). Louisiana’s plan for coastal restoration and protection will …
Latest Mississippi River Delta news: Nov. 6, 2015
Louisiana’s 50-year coastal master plan seen as $71 billion short By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune. Nov. 6, 2015. “Louisiana’s projections for funding its 50-year master plan for coastal restoration and hurricane storm surge protection are at least $71 billion short of the inflation-adjusted $91.7 billion price tag, according to a study released Friday (Nov. 6) by the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy…” (read more). BP engineer involved in 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill expected to change plea …
Coast 2050’s Lasting Impacts on Coastal Restoration
This post is part of a series on early restoration planning in Louisiana. Be sure to check out our previous posts: part one, part two and part three. Since the early 1990’s, the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Preservation, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) has been providing a steady funding stream for Louisiana coastal restoration, averaging about $45 million per year. Yet despite this funding commitment, at the time, there was still a void in actionable, systematic restoration planning for coastal Louisiana. Seeing …
Latest Mississippi River Delta news: Nov. 5, 2015
$15 million from BP settlement goes to Jefferson coastal work By Diana Samuels, The Times-Picayune. Nov. 4, 2015. “Jefferson Parish’s coastal communities will get at least $15 million — and possibly as much as $60 million — for flood protection and coastal restoration. Breaking a months-long stalemate, the Parish Council voted unanimously Wednesday (Nov. 4) to divide about $35 million in BP settlement money it received for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and oil disaster…” (read more). Levee taxes …
Latest Mississippi River Delta news: Nov. 4, 2015
Mississippi’s Gold Dust: Can Sediment Save Louisiana’s Disappearing Coastline? By Richard Grant, Al Jazeera America. Nov. 1, 2015. “A hulking old engineering boat moves slowly up the mile-wide Mississippi River. The Dredge Jadwin operates like a gigantic vacuum cleaner, sucking up sediment from the riverbed and spewing it out to the side through a long pipe. “For us, sediment it’s basically a problem,” says Randy Stockton, master of the Jadwin, built in 1933. “It clogs up the shipping channel. It …