The weather is great, plants are blooming and birds are migrating. I hope everyone is able to get outside and enjoy the natural beauty. This newsletter highlights some of the work being done to conserve the beauty of Louisiana’s coast. 

As the snow melts in the Mississippi River Watershed, our attention turns to the sediment-rich waters flowing through the river. The Mississippi River built the delta and the rich coastal wetlands in Louisiana, but was eventually cut off from its nearby delta. If we are to restore our disappearing coast and sustain a future, we must reconnect the river to its delta and use the river’s own land-building power to build new land.

We need the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion – a game-changing coastal restoration project that uses the power of the river itself to build and maintain land. Without projects like this one, the river’s sediment is lost into the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Bonus: the diversion will also work with other nearby projects to extend the lifespan of millions of dollars that have already been invested in marsh creation.

We’re at a pivotal moment for this project to move forward. You can voice your support for this important project now.

Information on Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion

Our Restore the Mississippi River Detla Campaign’s hub page on the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion has all the information you need. It contains details on the project, describes the Environmental Impact Statement process, and provides several ways for you to support this project. This is a good link for you to share with your friends and family so that they can get involved. We need all hands on deck for this project—it will be the largest ecosystem restoration project in U.S. history.

Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Public Meetings

Talking to – and hearing directly from – the agencies responsible for implementing the sediment diversion is a key to making the project a success. So that’s why we co-hosted Community Conversations. During these conversations, we heard about the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, learned how to write public comments, and discussed questions from the audience. If you missed these meeting, have no fear, we put a recording of them here – and there is another Community Conversation booked on April 20th. 

Official public meetings, where the United States Corps of Engineers will be accepting public comment, will be held digitally on April 6th, 7th, and 8th – Follow this link for more details, times, and registration.

Women’s History Month

In celebration of women’s history month, the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) has been highlighting some of the women restoration professionals on their Facebook page. Some of the women featured work for our coalition of restoration organizations – including the National Wildlife Federation’s scientist Alisha Renfro, Restore or Retreat’s outreach expert Victoria Segrera, and Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s policy expert Emily Vuxton. We are proud to see them receive a much-deserved celebration. 

Successful Beach Cleanup

We have no volunteer opportunities to advertise this month, but we are happy to report that the volunteer beach cleanup project recently led by Katie Barnes (another woman of the wetlands to celebrate), coastal stewardship manager for National Audubon Society, was a success! Volunteers removed thousands of pounds of hurricane debris and helped southwest Louisiana bounce back from a tough hurricane season – just in time for beach-nesting bird season. 

Restoration on a Half Shell

The State of the Coast conference is proud to offer a three-day program called Restoration on the Half Shell: a free three-part virtual series discussing how our coast functions and the challenges it faces. The program is tailored to concerned citizens who want to learn more about the problems facing our coast, plans for restoration, and other organizations that are involved. Scheduled for May 18-20th – Registration is open now!

LaNERR Virtual Road Show 

Pontchartrain Conservancy and the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce are co-hosting a Louisiana National Estuary Research Reserve (LaNERR) Virtual Roadshow. The presentation will be presented by the LaNERR Site Coordination Team that will explain what the NERR System is, how a NERR site in our coastal zone would benefit Louisiana, and the process of identifying a site that would meet the criteria for a NERR. Happening on March 31st – Register now!