2011 Coastal Stewardship Awards
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On Friday, May 6, 2011, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana recognized seven award recipients as outstanding stewards of Louisiana's coast at the sixteenth annual Coastal Stewardship Awards Banquet held at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center.
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Sherwood "Woody" Gagliano- Lifetime Achievement Award
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Dr. Sherwood “Woody” Gagliano is the 2011 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Gagliano has been a champion of Louisiana’s wetlands for over 50 years. His paper entitled “Shaping & Re-Shaping a Delta” published in 1970 was the first document that provided a quantitative assessment of land loss rates in coastal Louisiana. Since that time Dr. Gagliano has continued to serve as a leading advocate and expert on the architecture of the delta and coastal restoration.
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Sue Hawes Memorial Coastal Stewardship Award
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The Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration (OCPR) and the United State Army Corps of Engineers (USCAE) LCA-6 projects team served as an example of what can be accomplished when there is a shared vision and shared priorities between state and federal entities. These two groups worked together to complete 6 feasibility studies in 18 months (an unprecedented feat). The six LCA projects are (1) Medium Diversion at White Ditch, (2) Convey Atchafalaya to Northern Terrebonne Marshes, (3) Multipurpose Operation of the Houma Navigation Canal Lock, (4) Small Diversion at Convent/Blind River, (5) Amite River Diversion Canal Modifications, and (6) Terrebonne Basin Barrier Shoreline. Program Managers include Bren Haase and Jammie Favorite (OCPR) and Darrel Broussard, Mark Wingate, Tim Axtman and Greg Miller (USACE).
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Coastal Stewardship Awards
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Mr. Mark Shirley is the founder of 4-H Marsh Maneuvers which gives high school 4-H members an in-depth understanding of the issues facing the Louisiana coast with a week-long adventure in the coastal wetlands of Cameron Parish, LA. For almost three decades Louisiana’s youth have benefited from Mr. Shirley’s extensive knowledge and been inspired to become stewards of Louisiana’s fragile coast.
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Ms. Marietta Herr has been a champion of Louisiana’s coastal wetland for over 25 years. Her efforts helped pass legislation expanding the Barataria Preserve of the Jean Lafitte National Part to 23,000 acres of protected wetlands. She also worked to advance acquisition of land for the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans.
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Dr. Pam Blanchard is one of the founders of Louisiana State University’s Coastal Roots Program. Through this program, Dr. Blanchard works with teachers and students throughout coastal Louisiana to grow native plants for coastal wetland restoration. There are currently 38 schools across 18 parishes participating in the program. Under Dr. Blanchard’s direction, the students have grown and planted over 42,000 tree seedlings and grass plugs on more than 120 restoration planting trips.
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Mr. Mel Landry is the public involvement coordinator for the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program. Through this position, Mr. Landry has shown indefatigable dedication to giving volunteers the opportunity to take action in the fight to save coastal Louisiana. Following the BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Mr. Landry worked with several partners to form GRIT – Louisiana’s Gulf Response Involvement Team – through which he worked to identify the needs and resources to address volunteer opportunities for the disaster.
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Ms. Ashley Mullens currently serves as the manager of the LSU AgCenter’s Youth Wetlands Education and Outreach Program. Through the Youth Wetlands Program, Ms. Mullens has helped mold the next generation of coastal conservationists, reaching over 181,000 students and nearly 3000 teachers from all 64 parishes in Louisiana. Under her leadership, in 2010 participants installed over 50,000 wetland plants across coastal Louisiana.
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For their sustained and significant commitment to the protection and restoration of coastal Louisiana the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana recognized Mignon Faget.
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Guest Speaker- Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne
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This year’s keynote speaker was Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne. Prior to his election in November 2010, he previously served four years as Secretary of State and fifteen years in the State Senate. During his legislative service, he chaired the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee. In 2003, he was named National Republican Legislator of the Year.
He is an active community volunteer, having hosted the Jerry Lewis Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for more than twenty five years. He is an attorney and a graduate of Baton Rouge High School, Louisiana State University and the LSU Law Center.
He is married to the former Cathy McDonald. They have two grown sons, John and Matthew.
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