Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana seeks nominations for Coastal Stewardship Awards

Recipients of prestigious recognition will be honored at Baton Rouge event this fall

JuNE 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is seeking nominations for its annual Coastal Stewardship Awards, which recognize people, companies, organizations and communities whose achievements in coastal restoration and protection are exemplary. Winners of awards will be honored at a celebration Nov. 13 in Baton Rouge.

CRCL has given the awards annually since 1996. The nonprofit organization also honors its Friend of CRCL, Volunteer of the Year and Emerging Steward during the awards event. Last year’s winners include Lifetime Achievement Award winner Steve Cochran, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Master Plan team and Kenneth Bahlinger of the LA Coastal Vegetative Planting Program. A complete list of previous winners can be found online.

“Great progress has been made in restoring Louisiana’s coast, and CRCL is proud to recognize those who are leading the way,” said Kimberely Reyher, executive director at the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. “Candidates for our Coastal Stewardship Awards are making things happen on the ground, and they’re also inspiring others. They are building legacies that will be remembered for generations to come.”

Nominations can be submitted online. Required materials include letters of support, narrative descriptions explaining why an award is deserved and items such as news articles, photographs and videos. An anonymous awards selection committee chooses the winners. The nomination deadline is August 3.

Companies and other entities can sponsor the awards. The sponsorship prospectus can be found online.

CRCL was Louisiana’s first statewide nonprofit dedicated to confronting coastal land loss. The organization has planted more than 1 million plants and grasses and returned more than 15 million pounds of oyster shell to the water to create living shorelines. The organization also trains college students through its Future Coastal Leaders program and educates professionals through the Coastal Leadership Institute. The organization recently hosted its eighth State of the Coast conference. 

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The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to unite people in action to achieve a thriving, sustainable Louisiana coast for all.