Baton Rouge, LA (June 20, 2018) Earlier today, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) Board voted to move forward with legal action against Plaquemines Parish government if an agreement cannot be reached to allow the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion permitting process to proceed.
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) has been calling for sediment diversions for three decades. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is currently in Engineering & Design and undergoing robust reviews by the Army Corps of Engineer Read the full press release
The fifth biennial State of the Coast Conference, a partnership of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and The Water Institute of the Gulf, was a huge success. From May 30 to June 1, more than 1,200 people gathered to share information and ideas about the dynamic conditions of Louisiana’s coastal communities, environment, and economy.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy joined the event to highlight the importance of Louisiana’s coastal issues.
Governor Edwards opened the conference with optimism declaring, “I actually believe this is Louisiana’s moment.” He traveled to New Orleans for the event despite much activity in Baton Rouge. "There isn't much that can get me out of Baton Rouge when the Legislature is in session, but the state of the coast is that important," he stated. Read More
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), in partnership with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and The Water Institute of the Gulf, is excited to announce that Governor John Bel Edwards will open the fifth biennial State of the Coast conference (SOC18) which will be held May 30-June 1, 2018 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
This is the second time Governor Edwards has been the opening keynote speaker for the preeminent coastal conference in Louisiana. Along with Governor Edwards, SOC18 will feature Marvin Odum, Chief Recovery Officer for the City of Houston; and Dr. Jason Clay, Senior Vice President for Markets and Food for the World Wildlife Fund, as featured speakers during the two and half day conference. Read More
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2018 Coastal Stewardship Awards.
This is the 23rd year for CRCL’s Coastal Stewardship Awards, which honor individuals and organizations who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the coast and have made significant contributions to the restoration and conservation of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands.
For the first time CRCL will honor these coastal champions at our State of the Coast conference at noon Thursday, May 31, 2018 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Read More
Earlier today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Louisiana Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority announced updates to the timeline on permitting the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. The updates reflect a plan to accelerate the completion of an Environmental Impact Statement from 2022 to 2020. Additionally, the Army Corps now expects the issuance of decisions for Section 408 and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, and Clean Water Act Section 404 permits in 2020, an advancement of the timeline by two years. Read More
With the passage last session of the 2017 Coastal Master Plan, the State is in a strong position to significantly advance coastal restoration this year. Additionally, with the recommendation of the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group to invest $2 billion on key restoration projects in the Barataria Basin it is our hope that the State will claim key successes in the upcoming year in protecting and restoring our coastline. Read More
Do you know someone who goes above and beyond for coastal Louisiana? It could be a person who has worked an entire career to conserve and restore Louisiana’s wetlands, or someone who gives of their free time to lead others in this effort. We want to know who they are! Click here for more information.
Earlier today, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced the issuance of a memorandum of understanding between the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and other state and federal agencies to collaborate on permitting for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion under the guidance of Trump Executive Order 13807. Located in Plaquemines Parish, the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is a Louisiana Coastal Master Plan project that would direct sediment, freshwater and nutrients from the Mississippi River into nearby wetlands to build and maintain land in Louisiana’s Barataria Basin. Read full press release.
Restore the Mississippi River Delta has identified 17 projects in Louisiana’s 2017 Coastal Master Plan that, if prioritized and implemented quickly, will help restore and maintain as much of Louisiana’s coast as possible to achieve a resilient future for the people, wildlife and industries of this nationally-significant region. Read our Priority Projects report.
(NEW ORLEANS – November 14, 2017) Signed into law in 2006, the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) allows for the sharing of 37.5 percent of qualified Outer Continental Shelf oil drilling revenues with oil-producing Gulf Coast states. Louisiana voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment committing GOMESA funds to be used exclusively for restoration and protection activities. Now in Phase II, revenues from GOMESA to the State of Louisiana are expected to be nearly $100 million in 2018. See Full Press Release.
Through an exciting new educational initiative called “The 300,” the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana – Louisiana’s largest and oldest coastal advocacy organization - will be engaging 300 high school juniors and seniors, and teachers from throughout Louisiana this spring in a series of coastal experiential learning opportunities to coincide with the 300th anniversary of New Orleans.
Activities will include field trips, tours, workplace visits, briefings from coastal professionals and policy leaders, and will culminate with participation in the biennial State of the Coast Conference in New Orleans at the end of May. Click here for more information.
The last few weeks serve as another reminder of the tremendous power of wind and water – and the critical importance of protecting our coast.
Louisiana’s coastal wetlands provide our cities and people a critical line of defense against storms. We continue to lose these wetlands at a rate of a football field of land every 100 minutes, but we’re on the edge of action to protect ourselves. We are embarking upon what is expected to be the largest environmental restoration project in our nation’s history. The state is working to break ground on the first major project to re-connect the Mississippi River to our starving wetlands, the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, by 2020. The importance of this project cannot be overstated. Sediment diversions are the cornerstone approach of Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan. We need to start building without delay. Read Press Release. Read Report.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in conjunction with Shell Oil Company (Shell) have announced a major grant award for the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) to build its second oyster reef using recycled oyster shell from New Orleans area restaurants. The $250,000 award will be used to build a half-mile long living shoreline along the western edge of Barataria Bay.
“We have collected a mountain of oyster shell from New Orleans restaurants. With this support, CRCL will use the recycled shell—shell that would have ended up in landfills—to build another reef,” said CRCL Executive Director, Kimberly Reyher. “This is important because oyster reefs act as speed bumps for storms -- they provide an important line of defense for our city.” Click here to read full press release.
(NEW ORLEANS – June 12, 2017) Today, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released updated maps depicting net land loss and land gain in Louisiana since 1932. These maps show that the rate of land loss has slowed in recent years, largely due to decreased hurricane activity and the advancement of coastal restoration projects, such as the Lake Hermitage and Bayou Dupont wetland construction programs. While the previous USGS assessment showed Louisiana was losing an average of one football field of land every hour, the new maps show that, from 2010-2016, the state now is losing an average of one football field every 100 minutes. Since 1932, Louisiana has lost more than 2,000 square miles of land – nearly the size of the state of Delaware. See full press release
Coalition To Restore Coastal Louisiana