On the third anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon incident, a diverse group of researchers gathered at Louisiana State University for a conference to discuss “Louisiana Research Perspectives on the Deepwater Horizon 2010 Spill: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” Presenters included ecologists, geologists, physicists, sociologists, public health experts, economists, and fishermen, among others, who discussed research generated from the oil spill to date, with a strong focus on what has been learned and what new research questions the current knowledge has generated.
At the start of the conference, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) scientists, Dr. Chris Reddy and Dr. John Teal, addressed attendees as the conference’s keynote speakers.Dr. Chris Reddy is a senior scientist in the WHOI's Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry. Since April 2010, he has devoted much of his research efforts to studying the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He has studied numerous other oil spills around the world. Dr. John Teal, a well-known coastal wetland ecologist is Scientist Emeritus at WHOI. In addition to his numerous years of coastal marsh research, Dr. Teal has investigated the effects of hydrostatic pressure on deepsea animals, the physiology of large, warm-blooded fishes, bird migration over oceans, wastewater treatment, and oil pollution.
CRCL and Brown University welcomed 19 high school students from across the country to Louisiana in March, conducting the first successful pilot run of a week-long curriculum for students focused on Louisiana coastal restoration. These gifted high school students spent their spring break immersed in Mississippi River Delta culture, examining the causes of and solutions to our coastal crisis, and focusing on large-scale restoration. The pilot program teams Brown University’s Environmental Leadership Lab (BELL) with CRCL’s Louisiana knowledge and expertise, creating a unique educational experience that leaves an impression on future leaders headed to college.
During the week-long course, students heard from leading experts in the region on subsidence, delta formation, flood protection and the state master plan. They went on boat tours given by long-time residents and coastal land managers. They spoke with community organizers about issues facing communities like New Orleans East, the Lower Ninth Ward and Grand Bayou, and the importance of coastal restoration to the culture and economy of each. They toured Port Fourchon, learning about the amount of oil and gas going through Louisiana’s ports. At the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), in Cocodrie, students did basic science involving plankton and blue crab sampling, as well as some good old fashioned kayaking in salt marsh. Not unimportantly, students were able to sample some south Louisiana favorites, including po-boys and red beans and rice.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar held his last meeting outside of Washington D.C. here in Louisiana on March 21, 2013 at Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge. Salazar was there to celebrate Gulf Coast restoration and generally end his term a high note. Salazar announced in January of this year that he would be retiring in order to return to his native Colorado. Sally Jewel, chief executive of REI, is expected to be confirmed within the next week. The Secretary had a busy day attending the sale of a 38 million acre Outer Continental Shelf oil lease in the morning and touring a CWPPRA project in Goose Bayou before the meeting at Big Branch at 1:30 p.m. David Viker, regional chief of the National Wildlife Refuge system, presented Salazar with a before and after picture of a grass planting project Salazar participated in back in the early 2000’s which was located on the Big Branch Refuge and organized by CRCL.
Salazar reflected on the trials and tribulations Louisiana has faced over the years saying that “from tragedy, great things arise sometimes” and that he has a “great sense of possibility in Louisiana.” He acknowledged that he made some unpopular decisions, including the moratorium on offshore leases, but described the action as a necessary reset allowing administering agencies, such as the Mineral Management Service to reorganize and become more effective than before. During Salazar’s term, a portion of royalties from production in offshore oil leases was allocated to fund coastal restoration starting in 2017. The formula for how this will be calculated will be devised under Salazar’s successor. Additionally, the nation has reduced its reliance on imported oil from 60% to 40%. Salazar believes that reducing that percentage further will require an “all of the above solution” to include increasing domestic oil production, renewable energy sources, and increasing efficiency.
CRCL is proud to announce the five individuals and four organizations receiving Coastal Stewardship Awards for 2013. Now in its 18th year, CRCL’s Coastal Stewardship Awards are the highest form of recognition offered by CRCL to those who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the coast, and have made significant contributions to the preservation and restoration of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands.
CRCL will honor these coastal champions at its 2013 Stewardship Awards Banquet, to be held Friday, May 10, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center.
CRCL would like to thank one of our outstanding supporters, Gertrude Pfost, for hosting a special reception for our organization at Tulane University’s James W. Wilson, Jr. Center Hall of Fame Room on March 7, 2013 in New Orleans. More than 40 guests, including many who were not yet CRCL members, attended to learn about CRCL’s mission of preserving and restoring the Louisiana coast.
Guests were treated to the generous hospitality offered by Ms. Pfost and Tulane. CRCL Executive Director Steven Peyronnin gave a presentation about the past and future of Louisiana’s coast, and demonstrated how CRCL works every day to restore the priceless habitat and resource that is coastal Louisiana. CRCL Board Members in attendance included Board Chair Wally Gundlach, Woody Crews, Pierre Conner, Keith Colvin and Tricia Weeks.
These events are a very important and meaningful way for CRCL to spread the word about the issue of Louisiana’s vanishing coastline. By informing new audiences about how they can join CRCL in restoring our wetlands, we bring new voices and new energy to our mission. If you would like to host a gathering at your home, CRCL would be very happy to work with you. Contact our development director Chuck Simmons at chucks@crcl.org for more information.
The fourth annual Building Resilience Workshop was held this month at the Lindy C. Boggs International Conference Center at the University of New Orleans. This year’s theme, Adapting to Uncertainty: Implementing Resilience in Times of Change, highlights the crucial realization that coastal Louisiana is preparing to face an ecosystem new from anything in the past. The goal of the Building Resilience Workshop is to bring together expert scientists, community leaders with generational knowledge, influential government officials, and a mix of fresh new thought necessary for the type of collaborative effort that gives Louisiana the best chance for a sustainable coast.
Elizabeth English started the first day by reviewing concepts of non-structural mitigation from past workshops including everything from floating foundations, to having storm resistant community structures that allow residents to shelter in place. The panel Advancing Resilience When the Sun Shines discussed how to maintain focus and momentum on storm preparation outside of times of crisis. Most agreed that although there have been many crises to keep storm preparation in the public view in recent years, the main objective should be fostering community ownership and a sense of personal responsibility for emergency planning.
In a series of three meetings last week, south Louisiana coastal citizens got their first opportunity to make public comments on CPRA’s FY 2014 Annual Plan and address the federal council that will determine how RESTORE Act funds will be allotted.
Abita Beer and CRCL are teaming up once more for barrier island restoration in the Grand Isle area, and we are inviting you to be a part of it all on March 1 and 2! This time our “Save Our Shores: Volunteer for the Coast” project will be bigger and better than ever, with a special restoration site and not one, but two events thanking all our volunteers for signing up to restore the coast.
CRCL and Abita Beer began teaming up in 2011, creating the “Save Our Shores: Volunteer for the Coast” projects based on our mutual goals of protecting and restoring the Louisiana coast, and promoting our coastal culture and way of life. This project pulls all of those goals together into one weekend you won’t soon forget.
CRCL and Brown University welcomed 19 high school students from across the country to Louisiana in March, conducting the first successful pilot run of a week-long curriculum for students focused on Louisiana coastal restoration. These gifted high school students spent their spring break immersed in Mississippi River Delta culture, examining the causes of and solutions to our coastal crisis, and focusing on large-scale restoration. The pilot program teams Brown University’s Environmental Leadership Lab (BELL) with CRCL’s Louisiana knowledge and expertise, creating a unique educational experience that leaves an impression on future leaders headed to college. 
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar held his last meeting outside of Washington D.C. here in Louisiana on March 21, 2013 at Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge. Salazar was there to celebrate Gulf Coast restoration and generally end his term a high note. Salazar announced in January of this year that he would be retiring in order to return to his native Colorado. Sally Jewel, chief executive of REI, is expected to be confirmed within the next week. The Secretary had a busy day attending the sale of a 38 million acre Outer Continental Shelf oil lease in the morning and touring a CWPPRA project in Goose Bayou before the meeting at Big Branch at 1:30 p.m. David Viker, regional chief of the National Wildlife Refuge system, presented Salazar with a before and after picture of a grass planting project Salazar participated in back in the early 2000’s which was located on the Big Branch Refuge and organized by CRCL.
CRCL would like to thank one of our outstanding supporters, Gertrude Pfost, for hosting a special reception for our organization at Tulane University’s James W. Wilson, Jr. Center Hall of Fame Room on March 7, 2013 in New Orleans. More than 40 guests, including many who were not yet CRCL members, attended to learn about CRCL’s mission of preserving and restoring the Louisiana coast.
In a series of three meetings last week, south Louisiana coastal citizens got their first opportunity to make public comments on CPRA’s FY 2014 Annual Plan and address the federal council that will determine how RESTORE Act funds will be allotted.