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Tripp to Task Force: Mississippi River Delta Restoration Must Be a Top Priority

By Jim Wyerman, Environmental Defense Fund

Environmental Defense Fund's Senior Counsel Jim Tripp Monday delivered an impassioned plea at the Galveston, Texas public meeting of the President's Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, calling on the multi-agency group to prioritize restoration of the Mississippi River Delta as key to ecological and economic recovery of the region. After working more than 35 years on Louisiana coastal issues, Tripp brought a seasoned vantage point to the big question of what the task force must do to reverse decades of destruction of our coastal ecosystems.

The meeting was led by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, who said a top priority – as well as one of the biggest challenges – of the group will be using the Mississippi River sediment to rebuild Louisiana's wetlands. Some of the $1 billion BP has designated for Gulf restoration will be used to jump start sediment projects in the Mississippi River Delta, said Jackson. This will help reconnect the river to its neighboring wetlands, rebuild wildlife habitat and provide storm protection.

Although 83% of the public support allocation of BP oil spill penalties to Gulf restoration, very few people understand the extent to which the Gulf's environment and economy are dependent on the Mississippi River Delta. Tripp explained how Gulf tourism, oil and gas infrastructure, shipping lanes and commercial fisheries all suffer from the continued degradation of the Mississippi River Delta and its wetlands. These industries will all benefit from a comprehensive restoration program that reintroduces Mississippi River freshwater and sediment into the Delta's sediment-starved wetlands.

Continue reading this story here.

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Sportsmen Tell Congress: Restore the Mississippi River Delta

This piece was originally posted on the National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Promise blog.

Outdoor industry leaders from across the country were in DC mid-June, asking Congress to dedicate BP’s Clean Water Act fines from the oil spill to Gulf restoration.

The oil spill hit the Mississippi River Delta particularly hard. The Delta hosts as many as 10 million ducks and geese during the winter and is famed for its diverse fishing opportunities. But this region was in trouble even before the spill. Over the past eight decades, the Delta has lost an area of wetlands almost as large as the state of Delaware.

“These folks know how critical restoration of the Gulf and the Delta is to the future of waterfowl hunting in this country,” said Land Tawney, National Wildlife Federation's Senior Manager for Sportsmen’s Leadership. “It just makes sense to do right by the Gulf and direct the Clean Water Act penalties back to the places where the damage occurred.”

Continue reading this story here.

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Audubon Honors 50 Influential "Women of the Gulf"

By Margo Ludmer, National Audubon Society

On May 23, Audubon’s Women in Conservation program recognized 50 women for their outstanding efforts in the wake of the last summer's BP oil disaster. Confronted with the worst spill in U.S. history, this distinguished group of women conservationists took immediate action to relieve and restore important ecosystems along the Gulf Coast. The veritable army of women leaders worked tirelessly along the front lines, making invaluable contributions to the recovery process through volunteering, grassroots outreach, faith-based organizing, governmental aid, media communication and non-profit work.

The special recognition of the Women of the Gulf took place during Audubon’s 8th Annual Women in Conservation luncheon at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Among the celebrated Gulf Coast heroines was National Audubon Society's Melanie Driscoll, Director of Bird Conservation for the Louisiana Coastal Initiative, who served as a crucial interface between the localized relief effort and the general public. Also recognized was Dr. Angelina Freeman , a coastal scientist at Environmental Defense Fund, who worked on restoring natural system functioning of the Mississippi River Delta. The National Wildlife Federation was represented by three exceptional Women of the Gulf activists: Amanda Moore, Emily Guidry Schatzel and Maura Wood. You can see profiles of all 50 award recipients here.

Continue reading this story here.

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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 the area for almost my entire life. I grew up and went to school in the Lower 9th Ward and attended college at Tulane. I live in Arabi, but I also own Sebastopol Plantation in Poydras (both in St. Bernard Parish).

What does south Louisiana mean to you? When I think of South Louisiana, I don’t immediately see industry. I remember the area more from the past – special people and a lifestyle based upon living off the land and water and all of the good things that come from that – cooking, festivals, and families being together. Happiness and joy: trees, animals, birds were all a part of our lives. We were very connected to the environment.

What are your favorite things about the area? Much of what was addressed above. Also, Mardi Gras! My family has always been very involved in the festival and traditions that come with it, like making the king cake dolls.

How has coastal land loss impacted your life? The impact began when I was a child – crossing the industrial canal bridge – which separated two historic neighborhoods. The canal was built and introduced saltwater to a freshwater ecosystem and caused degradation. The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet crystallized the damage and failed to be used to the extent promised by the government, and the community invested in the dredging and maintenance of that channel for many decades.

Continue reading Alberta's story here.