Latest news: May 3, 2012
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Commentary: RESTORE Act, Coastal Master Plan are crucial for Gulf Coast By David Yarnold, president and CEO of the National Audubon Society, for The Town Talk (Alexandria, La.). May 1, 2012. “Two years after the BP oil spill, the Louisiana Gulf Coast has reached a tipping point. It is on the cusp of the most ambitious conservation and economic restoration effort in its history…” (Read more) The Restore Act may be in trouble By Nikki Buskey, the Houma (La.) Courier. …
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 …
Latest news: May 2, 2012
Tide is changing for the good Editorial, The Daily Comet (Lafourche Parish, La.). April 30, 2012. “The bad news is all too familiar. Louisiana’s coast and the Gulf of Mexico continue to feel the effects of the 2010 BP oil spill as nearby residents wonder what the full impact of that catastrophic spill will be…” (Read more) Jindal asks corps to increase flow into Atchafalaya Basin Associated Press. May 1, 2012. “BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is asking …
Louisiana State Senate passes Coastal Master Plan
Yesterday, the Louisiana State Senate unanimously approved the 2012 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan (SCR 46) as well as the Annual State Coastal Protection and Restoration Plan (SCR 41). The Coastal Master Plan lays out a 50-year vision for protecting and restoring Louisiana’s coastal resources and communities. In April, both the Senate Transportation and Natural Resources Committees also unanimously approved the plan. Now that that it has passed the Senate, the Coastal Master Plan will go on to the House Transportation …
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: May 1, 2012
Shelby will be instrumental in steering RESTORE money southward (Editorial) Editorial, The Press-Register (Mobile, Ala.). April 30, 2012. “IT’S REASSURING to know that Alabama’s Sen. Richard Shelby, a Republican from Tuscaloosa, will be looking out for Gulf Coast interests by insisting that the RESTORE Act remain in the federal transportation bill…” (Read more) Restoration aid for state approved By Nikki Buskey, The Daily Comet (Lafourche Parish, La.). May 1, 2012. “Louisiana could gain millions for restoration, levee work and dredging …
Latest news: April 30, 2012
Saving Louisiana’s coast is vital for jobs and safety: An editorial Editorial, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). April 29, 2012. “Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen says that the appropriations subcommittee he chairs is investing in navigation and flood control, “the activities most critical to public safety, jobs and the economy” in making funding decisions for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers…” (Read more) Coast has an advocate in the fight for the RESTORE Act (editorial) Editorial, The (Pascagoula) Mississippi Press. April 30, 2012. …
RESTORE Act passes with House transportation vote, now moves to conference
By Whit Remer, Environmental Defense Fund Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives included Rep. Steve Scalise’s (R-La.) RESTORE Act amendment in their final version of the Surface Transportation Extension Act. The RESTORE Act is legislation that would dedicate 80 percent of Clean Water Act fines from the BP gulf oil spill towards Gulf Coast restoration. Both the U.S. House and Senate have passed versions of bill. The House passed the transportation bill by a vote of 293-127, setting up a …
Latest news: April 27, 2012
Preserve the gulf’s environment By James L. Cummins, executive director of Wildlife Mississippi, for the Clinton (Miss.) News. April 26, 2012. “Last month, the U.S. Senate demonstrated its commitment to restoring the Gulf of Mexico’s economy and environment by approving the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies (RESTORE) of the Gulf Coast Act (S. 1400) as an amendment to the Senate transportation bill…” (Read more) Gulf oil spill recovery continues By Rep. Jo Bonner for the Atmore …
Conservation Groups Laud Funding for Restoration Efforts from Senate
Federal funds will support critical restoration construction projects, jobs in Louisiana FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, eskree@edf.org Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, guidrye@nwf.org Kevin Chandler, National Audubon Society, 202.596.0960, kchandler@audubon.org (Washington, D.C.—April 26, 2011) Today, five national and local conservation groups praised the Senate Appropriations Committee for approving funding for critical restoration projects in Louisiana, including an effort to use sediment dredged from navigation waterways to recreate critical wetlands. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would …
Latest news: April 25, 2012
Congress headed to showdown over coastal restoration money By Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). April 24, 2012. “Washington– The Senate and House are heading for conflict over whether to release the first federal construction money for the Louisiana Coastal Area Program that Congress approved five years ago. A Democratic-controlled Senate appropriations subcommittee Tuesday voted to allocate $16.8 million for the work, as requested by President Barack Obama…” (Read more) Fishing guides say their businesses are gasping for air two …
Latest news: April 24, 2012
Politicians, scientists, environmental groups comment on BP oil spill anniversary By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). April 23, 2012. “A variety of individuals and organizations addressed the second anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which occurred on Friday…” (Read more) Is Gulf Coast seafood safe to eat? By Tara Herrschaft, WALB-News (Albany, Ga.). April 23, 2012. “ALBANY, GA – Bo Henry owns several restaurants in Albany, including The Catch, which is known for serving seafood…” (Read more) …
Job opening: Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) is a non-profit advocacy organization established in 1988 to unite business interests, scientists, landowners, national and local conservation groups, local governments, hunters, anglers and a broad spectrum of concerned citizens in a shared mission of restoring and protecting a sustainable coastal Louisiana. CRCL seeks to hire a Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator to coordinate three distinct stakeholder engagement initiatives designed to build support for comprehensive restoration of the Mississippi River Delta region. The Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator …
Tagged EconomicsLatest news: April 23, 2012
RESTORE Act closer to becoming law By Deborah Barfield Berry, Gannet. April 20, 2012. “WASHINGTON — Two years after the BP oil spill devastated livelihoods, fragile ecosystems and local economies along the Gulf Coast, supporters say Congress is close to passing a measure that could send billions to the region for restoration efforts…” (Read more) Restore Act may be threatened by amendments By Bruce Alpert and Jonathan Tilove, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). April 21, 2012. “Some environmental groups are criticizing …
Latest news: April 20, 2012
RESTORE Act: Proper approach to long-term recovery (Op-Ed) By U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo for the (Pascagoula) Mississippi Press. April 19, 2012. “Two years ago this week, the largest manmade disaster in our nation’s history occurred just off our Gulf Coast shores. On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico took the lives of 11 workers, including four Mississippians, and injured 17 others…” (Read more) 2 years later: What’s latest on Gulf oil spill? Associated Press. …