Support The American Clean Energy and Security Act

From the Gulf Restoration Network:

If you haven’t already done so (and even if you have), please take action NOW! This landmark legislation is one of many steps that must be taken to protect our coast and communities from the devastating impacts of climate change. Rising sea-levels and stronger storms pose a serious risk to our entire ecosystem. Reducing global warming pollution by investing in clean energy and green jobs will help protect vulnerable cities and communities like Lake Charles, Grand Isle, Houma, Thibodaux, New Orleans, and many, many more.

Please tell Congress to protect the coast today.

We can’t restore our coast without immediate action on climate change. This bill is our best chance. We must send a message that now is the time to act to protect ourselves and generations to come.

Cameron Parish Marsh Restored for Ducks and Fish

From lacoast.gov:

Nearly 600 acres of coastal marsh in Cameron Parish are being restored through the combined efforts of Ducks Unlimited, NOAA, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

Ducks Unlimited is constructing approximately 50,000 linear feet of marsh terraces on Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge and Miami Corporation property in Cameron Parish to restore 570 acres of coastal marsh.

“This project was made possible because of the strong group of partners,” DU Manager of Conservation Programs Bob Dew said. “We had a short window of opportunity to make this happen, and everyone pitched in to make it a reality.”

The work on Cameron Prairie NWR is being funded by a $150,000 grant from NOAA. CPRA helped by contributing $2 million towards the Black Lake Terracing project near Hackberry, Louisiana, a portion of which was used as match to secure the NOAA grant. The remaining funds from CPRA will be used as match to secure an additional $1 million of NAWCA funds in the future.

“This project is a wonderful collaboration of private and public groups coming together to implement meaningful wetland restoration in an area still very much recovering from the ravages of past hurricanes. The NOAA Community-based Restoration Program believes in helping groups like Ducks Unlimited be a vehicle for restoration within the local community,” NOAA Restoration Center’s Marine Habitat Resource Specialist Cheryl Brodnax said.

Marsh terraces – long, narrow ridges of soil built in areas of marsh loss – offset impacts of saltwater intrusion, reduce wave action that can cause additional coastal erosion, improve water quality, and spur plant growth.

The project restores and protects the natural habitat for the nation’s waterfowl that migrate to Louisiana each winter and will provide over 19 miles of marsh edge that is beneficial to coastal fisheries.

Louisiana’s coastal marshes host up to 10 million of the nation’s wintering waterfowl every year. Unfortunately, despite efforts by conservation organizations and governmental agencies, 25-30 square miles of marsh continue to be lost each year.

“The State of Louisiana is not just aiming to restore wetlands to protect communities and infrastructure, but also to preserve and protect the cultural heritage and wildlife that make our coast so important and unique,” said CPRA Chairman Garret Graves. “A project like this one, in which the state works with a conservation organization like Ducks Unlimited to provide better protection, better habitat for waterfowl, and to preserve the resources that make our state such a tremendous place to hunt and fish, is extremely valuable and a large part of our overall coastal restoration effort.”

With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with more than 12 million acres conserved. In Louisiana alone, one million acres of coastal marsh have disappeared in the last half-century, and an additional 500,000 acres are projected to be lost by 2050.

See what’s new on the Breaux Act Web site!  Visit www.LaCoast.gov

Corps of Engineers used taxpayer funds to attack its critics

From Levees.org

Please go to YouTube and watch our new short video about how the Corps of Engineers used taxpayer funds to attack its critics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZXFK8z9WXo

The more people who visit this video and comment on it, the higher it goes in the YouTube rating! Click here!

In a sworn affidavit, a former managing editor of Nola.com, New Orleans’ largest online newsource describes how the Army Corps of Engineers used significant tax payer resources to attack critics of the Corps.

According to the affidavit, a cadre of 20 people, for over 3 years, have hidden their identities and posted comments on the Times-Picayune affiliate’s articles and forums that smeared New Orleanians and obscured the facts of the Corps of Engineers’ responsibility for the failure of its flood protection.

The affidavit also described how many of the comments “appealed to racial division and at times engaged in racial slurs against African Americans.”

Levees.org discovered evidence of this activity six months ago, and early this year submitted a written request to Nola.com/Times Picayune for all the comments data.

But their lawyer, Neil Rosenhouse of Sabin, Bermant & Gould told us that, while there is no legal reason to deny us access to the comments, they still won’t give them to us.  They cited “policy.”

Don’t we, the citizens deserve to know the full extent of the Corps’ unethical behavior?

If you agree, write to Jim Amoss, Editor of the Times Picayune at this address jamoss@timespicayune.com, and say this:

“I deserve to know the full details on how the Corps of Engineers has been using my tax payer money to protect its image.  I deserve to see all the comments that came from the Corps’ computers.”

You could also leave a message on Mr. Amoss’s voice mail by calling his direct line: 504-826-3475.

In response to this disturbing information, Levees.org has filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  We requested all communications between the Corps of Engineers and its $5 million dollar PR firm Outreach Process Partners (OPP) which recently claimed on its website to play a “fundamental part” of reducing the volume of negative news stories about the Corps.

The PR firm spoke of “fostering strategic relationships” with news outlets.  The Times Picayune is one of the news outlets that OPP boasted of “providing media support.”

These revelations – the sworn affidavit, and the OPP claims  – are two more reasons we deserve the 8/29 Investigation Act, a truly independent analysis of the flood protection failures, and the organizational component, that occurred in August 2005.

WLAE-TV Launches CATEGORY 5 / WETLANDS WATCH

From Gulf Restoration Network:

WLAE-TV, a New Orleans PBS Affiliate, is proud to announce the launch of its new coastal restoration program, Category Five/Wetlands Watch. The show is an in-depth exploration into the dire state of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, the economic impact of its continued destruction, and the possible solutions that could save Louisiana.

The program will run for six months and aims to paint a large-scale portrait on the condition of Louisiana’s wetlands. The program will provide viewers with the essential knowledge needed to understand how Louisiana’s coast was formed and how it was eaten away. Subsequent episodes will explore the economic vitality of Louisiana’s wetlands to the fishing, oil and shipping industries and how its deterioration effects all of America. The series will conclude with an analysis of the various solutions proposed to slow the coast’s erosion and to rebuild America’s wetlands.

For more information please visit www.wlae.com

Help Restore the Marsh in the Chenier Plain

From the Gulf Restoration Network:

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana invites you to participate in a marsh restoration project at Rockefeller Refuge in Southwest Louisiana. Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, located in eastern Cameron and western Vermilion Parishes, has been impacted heavily by erosion and has lost nearly 10,000 acres of wetlands. Working with many partners, sponsors and volunteers, the Coalition will plant nearly 10,500 plugs of marsh cordgrass along the shorelines within the refuge.  We will be planting on multiple days and you can volunteer for one day or multiple days.

Where: Rockefeller Refuge, 5476 Grand Chenier Hwy, Grand Chenier, LA 70643
When: Starting Monday, June 22 and anticipated completion on Thursday, June 25  8:30 am to approximately 4:00 pm

All planting equipment (gloves, shovels, dibbles, etc.) will be provided. Volunteers should bring closed toe shoes (boots preferably) and a change of clothes. Lunch and drinks will be provided to all volunteers.   Please register to let us know if you plan to attend. Register Online

Landrieu says hurricane relief arbitration panel coming within weeks

From Nola.com:

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said she expects Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to announce within two weeks a new, final arbitration process for lingering disputes over federal payments for public buildings damaged in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Hundreds of projects across the Gulf Coast are affected, but the largest price tag — and perhaps the most intense dispute — comes from Charity Hospital. The Federal Emergency Management Agency remains opposed to the state’s request for $492 million that accounts for more than 40 percent of the construction budget for a replacement medical complex.

Landrieu, who sponsored the arbitration amendment in the federal economic stimulus bill in part because of the Charity case, did not divulge all the details of the new group. But she said it would comprise experts who are independent of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which remains an arm of Napolitano’s department.

The senator’s amendment, worded generally, requires that the Obama administration establish an “arbitration panel” to hear Public Assistance disputes from Hurricane Katrina or Rita for projects with a price tag of at least $500,000.

The law states: “The arbitration panel shall have sufficient authority regarding the award or denial of disputed public assistance applications for covered hurricane damage under section 403, 406, or 407 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.” No other details are included, giving discretion to the administration.

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program compensates local and state governments, along with non-profit entities, for expenses and damages related to federally declared disasters.

The senator said it is her understanding that arbitrators would have immediate jurisdiction over any Katrina or Rita disputes, regardless of where a particular project may be in the existing appeals process.

FEMA’s regional office in Texas recently rejected the state’s appeal of the agency’s $150 million offer for Charity. Under existing procedures, the next step would be hearings in front of FEMA officials in Washington, D.C. Louisiana officials have throughout the Charity dispute criticized the Stafford Act appeals process as unfair because it amounts to an agency reviewing its own decisions.

Landrieu declined to offer a time frame for when the Charity question could be settled.

In the mean time, she said she has no immediate plans to ask Congress for money to finance the hospital. Settling the Public Assistance amount, she said, will allow the state to finalize its construction budget. At that point, Landrieu said she would consider the federal appropriations process as an option should the state need additional money.

Lower 9th Ward rally focuses on lost wetlands

From Nola.com:

Marking the start of the 2009 hurricane season on Monday, elected officials and environmental leaders gathered in the Lower 9th Ward to applaud the closing of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet and encourage residents to continue demanding that the Army Corps of Engineers restore coastal wetlands.

Hosted by MR-GO Must Go, a coalition of environmental and community organizations, the “Rally For Restoration” was both a celebration of the past year’s successes and a reminder of the enormous work to be done in rebuilding Louisiana’s strongest line of defense against future storms, healthy coastal wetlands.

The rally was held at the base of the levee along Florida Avenue that separates the Lower 9th Ward from the Bayou Bienvenue Cypress Triangle, an overflow swamp dotted with dead cypress trees. Saltwater intrusion caused by the MR-GO killed those trees, along with more than 27,000 acres of wetlands, said Amanda Moore with the National Wildlife Federation.

The loss of wetlands, which act as a natural buffer against storms, increased storm surge during Hurricane Katrina, with the MR-GO helping to funnel the surge into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Industrial Canal, where it caused multiple levee breaches.

The corps formally agreed to seal off the MR-GO with a rock dam in December, and its construction is nearly done.

“Right now, as we speak, the MR-GO is being closed, ” Councilwoman Cynthia Willard-Lewis said. “That would not have happened if people had not consistently, collectively and courageously raised their voices.”

The channel’s closure, however, is just the first step, speakers said. Under the 2007 Water Resources Development Act, Congress authorized the corps to study possible wetlands restoration projects, calling for its completion by May 2008. The study has yet to be finished.

“Their deadline keeps slipping, so that’s why we’re asking people to stay involved and hold the corps accountable, ” Moore said.

Beth Galante, executive director of the New Orleans arm of the nonprofit Global Green, said: “All of us here today who have been working so hard in our communities . . . know for a fact that all our efforts will be wasted if the Corps of Engineers does not stand up and restore the wetlands.”

Clarkson said she had recently returned from a five-day trip to the Netherlands with Sen. Mary Landrieu, corps officials and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, where they visited wetlands that had been successfully reconstituted.

“We told (the corps officials) repeatedly, ‘This is what New Orleans will do, ‘ ” Clarkson said. “The Dutch reclaimed their wetlands. They reclaimed their freshwater from saltwater. And if they can do it, we can do it.”

The Dutch Meeting

From the New York Times:

“Can we actually save the Netherlands? Or should we abandon part of the country?” This is the basic question Dutch leaders were asking themselves within the context of global warming after witnessing Hurricane Katrina’s devastating blow to New Orleans in 2005.

During a visit to the Netherlands last week, a delegation from Washington and Louisiana heard that Katrina was a wake-up call for the Dutch because it showed them that levees could fail and that there could be catastrophic damages.

Partly for this reason, the Dutch government appointed a commission — the second Delta Commission — in 2007 with a broad mandate spread over a very long term (2100-2200). The commission was asked to evaluate the potential effects of climate change in the Netherlands and to propose measures to “climate-proof” the country: keep it safe from flooding, while preserving its status as an attractive place to invest in, work and live.

The commission concluded that a regional sea level rise of 0.65 to 1.3 meters (2.13 to 4.27 feet) by 2100 and of 2 to 4 meters (6.56 to 13.12 feet) by 2200 should be taken into account. The sea level along the Dutch coast has already risen by approximately 20 centimeters (7.87 inches) over the past century. “Climate change is now forcing itself upon us: a new reality that cannot be ignored,” wrote the commission in its report, published last year.

“It’s not that we believe that the sea level will rise by 2 meters, but we do need to make sure we take the necessary measures,” professor Louise Fresco, a Delta Commission member, told the American delegation, led by U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson during a briefing in The Hague on the commission’s findings.

To read the whole article, click here

Coastal money survives debate

From the DailyComet.com:

The state’s $5.3 billion spending plan for construction projects was passed by the House Friday despite debate over plans to spend millions on coastal restoration and keeping the Saints in New Orleans.

But lawmakers stopped short of adopting the companion legislation needed to pay for the work.

House Bill 2 prioritizes the construction and renovation of roads, levees, sewerage systems, buildings and other infrastructure. It also contains $300 million in surplus money assigned by Gov. Bobby Jindal for coastal restoration, a line item that came under fire during debate.

To read the whole article, click here.

Children Lend a Hand for Coastal Restoration

From LACoast.gov:

Children Lend a Hand for Coastal Restoration Louisiana Star Tab Benoit Gets the Project Rocking

WHO: Tab Benoit, National Wildlife Federation, and Louisiana Wildlife Federation

WHEN: 4:00 p.m., Sunday, April 19, 2009

WHERE: Nature & Your Neighborhood (Tent #19, Governmental Plaza, near St. Louis St.), Baton Rouge Earth Day Festival

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Benoit will appear at the Nature & Your Neighborhood tent at approximately 4:00 p.m. to help launch a banner project calling for a federal commitment to Louisiana’s coastal wetlands.  The 40+ foot banner, which reads “Our Coast.  Our Future.  Restore the Wetlands,” will be decorated with the handprints of children attending the 20th annual celebration of Louisiana Earth Day.  Benoit also plans to display the banner onstage during his 5:00-6:30 p.m. performance on the Earth Stage.  The banner will continue to be decorated by children throughout Louisiana until reaching its final destination in Washington, D.C. this fall.

Contact: Maura Wood, National Wildlife Federation (225-205-2804 or woodm@nwf.org)