2009 Coastal Stewardship Awards
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The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana recognized ten award winners as outstanding stewards of Louisiana's coast at the fourteenth annual Coastal Stewardship Awards Banquet on May 8, 2009 at the LSU Faculty Club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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Dr. John Day- Lifetime Achievement Award
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Dr. John Day is this year’s recipient of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Day is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences and the Coastal Ecology Institute, School of the Coast & Environment at Louisiana State University. He is a world renowned wetland plant ecologist. Dr. Day has served on the graduate committee for more than 60 students of advanced degrees. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Day co-authored the “Mister Go Must Go” report, which in lay-terms described the impact of the MRGO on wetlands and on storm surge. It included a plan for restoration which is now influencing the MRGO Ecosystem Feasibility Study by the Corps. Dr. Day has been an asset to local NGO’s and typically works pro bono for them. Dr. Day has investigated the Caernarvon Diversion more than any other researcher and is largely responsible for the pulsing of discharge there and for other planned diversion. Dr. Day became very involved in a Ninth Ward project after Katrina to use treated wastewater beneficially for wetlands around Bayou Bienvenue. This project obtained $10 million in CIAP funding through the state and plans have been made for the complete construction of a $50 million project which seems likely to happen because of the wide spread support for this project. When completed, it will be the largest project of its kind in the world. It will also strategically help rebuild wetlands adjacent to the levees in Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes. Dr. Day’s dedication to coastal wetlands over his 37 year career is enormous and we are proud to be able to award him the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Mr. David Fruge- Distinguished Achievement Award
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Mr. David Fruge will receive the Coalition’s 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award. Mr. Fruge worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Lafayette for over 30 years. His last position, which he held for 20 years, was as the Louisiana Project Leader where he represented the U.S. Department of the Interior as the Task Force representative to the Coastal Wetlands, Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA). Under Mr. Fruge’s leadership, the Task Force and other CWPPRA committees successfully implemented 80 projects. Mr. Fruge also served as the Louisiana Coastal Area leader and the Endangered Species leader. His efforts helped lead these successful programs for protecting and restoring Louisiana’s coast and protecting endangered and threatened species by working with private land owners and other governmental agencies. After retiring from USFWS, Mr. Fruge continued his work on coastal issues and joined the LADNR as the Coastal Management Supervisor. In this position, he was instrumental in streamlining and improving the Coastal Permit and Management Programs. Mr. Fruge is currently the Director of Planning and Project Manager for the Governor’s Office of Protection and Restoration where he is responsible for implementation and management of the LCA program and other restoration programs. We are pleased to present Mr. Fruge with the 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award.
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Coastal Stewardship Awards
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Mrs. Angela Capello has been awarded a 2009 Coastal Stewardship Award. Mrs. Capello is a Biologist Supervisor with the LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and is a dedicated advocate for coastal restoration. She is the supervisor for the LDWF Aquatic Education Program and is responsible for hosting, through LDWF, WETSHOP, a weeklong training for educators which provides an intense look at wetland issues related to wetland habitats, botany, ecosystem, birding, history, coastal land loss and restoration, water quality, oil and gas exploration, fishing, seining, trawling and fisheries management. Angela also created, designed and coordinates a statewide outreach interdisciplinary, aquatic stewardship program called Native Fish in the Classroom. She also created, designed, and wrote an interactive hatchery coloring book “Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery and the Story of Finnie the Fingerling” to promote fisheries management for students and the public. Her long standing passion and dedication to wetland education is indeed deserving of this recognition.
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Mr. Richard DeMay has been awarded a 2009 Coastal Stewardship Award. Mr. DeMay is a Senior Scientist for the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program and has been with BTNEP since its beginning in 1991. Richard has and continues to inspire the scientific community with his commitment to coastal restoration and preservation of birding habitats while he educates the public with a variety of tools including posters, videos, magazines, pamphlets and film productions. Richard has gained much notoriety for his superb coastal birding calendars which he has produced for three consecutive years. Richard has been instrumental in working with the Port Fourchon Port Commission on a restoration project that uses pipeline sediment delivery to build not only marsh habitat but ridges as well. He has worked with a number of divergent partners on this project, to bring in funds from businesses and state and federal partners. Richard has been the driving force behind the Migratory Bird Celebration, habitat restoration and preservation, and development of the Grand Isle Birding/Nature Trail which is an important segment of the America’s Wetland-Louisiana Birding Trail. It has been said that Richard is one of the rare scientists who feels comfortable in the scientific community and is a natural leader in the public eye.
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Ms. Vickie Duffourc has been awarded a 2009 Coastal Stewardship Award for her untiring dedication to preserving our coastal wetlands and rich cultural heritage. Vickie has over twelve years of professional experience in coastal zone planning and management, wetlands permitting and coastal restoration, and environmental regulatory compliance work. Vickie founded Bayou Segnette Community and Boaters Association, Inc. in 1995 and currently serves as president. This organization works diligently to protect and preserve the environment and culture of the historic natural area adjacent to the Jean Lafitte National Park. She has worked with the National Park Service to preserve and enhance parklands and the surrounding vegetated wetlands. Vickie secured a grant through BTNEP to use a LA State University designed Marshland Upwelling System as an alternative to the typical individual treatment plant to treat onsite domestic wastewater from camps within the immediate area of Bayou Segnette in Jefferson Parish. The wastewater from a camp flows into a settling tank and on a timer is injected intermittently downward through a well while ground water forces wastewater upward through the marsh sediment providing a natural filter to help sustain a clean coastal water environment. Vickie’s current work with Shaw Coastal, Inc. has her assisting the state, several parishes and cities with their coastal management and restoration efforts.
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Mr. Allan Ensminger has been awarded a 2009 Coastal Stewardship Award. Mr. Ensminger retired from LDWF as Chief of the Fur and Refuge Division and is currently the owner and president of the Wetland and Wildlife Management Company. During his career with LDWF, he developed wetland management programs on the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in Cameron Parish to enhance the caring capacity for fish and wildlife resources. The work he accomplished at the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge became a model management system that was utilized in other coastal locations including Marsh Island Wildlife Refuge, the State Wildlife Refuge and the St. Tammany Refuge. For the past 25 years, Mr. Ensminger has provided wetland consultation services to private and public agencies to carryout wetland restoration programs and to implement Best Management Practices on the land. He serves as Supervisor on the crescent Soil and Water Conservation District and as chairman of the Wetland and Endangered Species Committee of the LA Landowners Association. He is also serving as Chairman of the Fur and Alligator Advisory Council for LDWF. He is a Life Sponsor of Ducks Unlimited and enjoys outdoor activities. Mr. Ensminger has proven to be a mentor, teacher, steward and champion of Louisiana’s priceless coastal resources.
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Mr. Jerald Horst has been awarded a 2009 Coastal Stewardship Award. Mr. Horst retired after 30 years as professor of fisheries at the LSU School of Renewable Resources and Marine Extension Specialist for LSU Sea Grant and the LSU Agricultural Center. Jerald Horst has been a prolific author with nearly 80 fisheries-related publications to his name. Mr. Horst is the president of the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association, which he describes as one of his great passions and the most rewarding professional pursuits. He is also a member and past president of the LA Association of Professional Biologists and a member of the American Fisheries Society: LA Chapter. Mr. Horst has several publications coming available in the very near future and still writes for several publications such as “Lagniappe” and the “Fisheries Newsline” for the Times Picayune.
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Dr. G. Paul Kemp has been awarded a 2009 Coastal Stewardship Award. Dr. Kemp is currently the Executive Director for the Louisiana Coastal Initiative for the National Audubon Society Office in Baton Rouge. He is a former Executive Director for CRCL and has served on the CRCL Board of Directors since his leaving CRCL as its director. Dr. Kemp has been a member of the Multiple Lines of Defense Assessment Team and one of the first to contribute to the concept. Dr. Kemp was one of the very first to be on the ground after Hurricane Katrina and documented levee failures. Dr. Kemp’s insight into storms and storm surge behavior has been critical to defining the role of the MRGO during Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Kemp has become an expert on the role of wetlands to reduce storm surge and wave energy. Dr. Kemp is known for bringing people together. His enthusiasm and vision for a sustainable Atchafalaya Basin has united a unique set of people and organizations that normally might not be at the same table. Dr. Kemp has shown an unwavering support for CRCL, the coast of Louisiana and its people.
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Mr. Greg Miller has been awarded a 2009 Coastal Stewardship Award. Mr. Miller is the Senior Project Manager for the New Orleans District Corps of Engineers. Mr. Miller has served in an exemplary manner for the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) closure and restoration and the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) initiative. Under Mr. Miller’s leadership, all schedules, public outreach and reports needed for the MRGO closure and restoration were completed in a timely and professional manner. THE MRGO Deep-Draft De-authorization Report was submitted to Congress in June of 2008. This report triggered the de-authorization of the MRGO navigation project from the GIWW to the Gulf of Mexico and authorized construction of a rock closure structure across the MRGO near Bayou La Loutre. Construction began on the rock closure structure in January of 2009 and is scheduled for completion in July 2009. Regarding the LCA project, Mr. Miller is currently overseeing the management of several Corps feasibility studies for authorized coastal restoration projects including the MRGO Ecosystem Restoration, Violet Diversion and several LCA projects.
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Ms. Rosina Philippe has been awarded a 2009 Coastal Stewardship Award. Ms. Philippe receives this award for her significant contributions as an ambassador for coastal wetlands, her work to restore Grand Bayou as a traditional coastal fishing village and her national advocacy for these issues. For over two hundred years, the residents of Grand Bayou have fished and hunted and made a living from the rich bounty of what was then forested coastal wetlands. Community members watched over time as the levees were built, salt water moved in and the forest disappeared and was replaced by grassy salt marsh. With less coastal buffer, community members were impacted by Hurricanes Andrew, Isador and then dealt a blow by Hurricane Katrina. Ms. Philippe has worked tirelessly to ensure that her community is able to rebuild on their traditional land, to advocate for restoring the coastal wetlands that protected her community, and to promote the traditional way of life that residents of Grand Bayou describe as “Paradise.” Ms. Philippe has participated in and organized wetland restoration and planting projects with several organizations and works with the University of New Orleans for Hazard Assessment, Response, and Technology. Most importantly, Ms. Philippe has served as an ambassador for her community, spreading the word about coastal wetlands by traveling to conferences and meetings, and by hosting tours that help outsiders understand the plight of Louisiana’s coast and traditional coastal communities.
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