Louisiana has a Choice: In response to “‘We’re screwed’ in the New Orleans Advocate
In response to “‘We’re screwed’: The only question is how quickly Louisiana wetlands will vanish, study says” published May 22, 2020 by Mark Schlefstein
.png)
Protect Clean Water
One Lake Sponsors Play Hide and Seek with Project Costs and Benefits
Economic justification for the One Lake project will be tough to examine if Corps agency technical reviews and independent peer reviews of the project are not released when the Final Environmental Impact Statement is published later this year. The Rankin Hinds Drainage District has jealously guarded access to these reviews so far.
Disappointments and small wins: the 2020 FL Legislature
This was the year. The one in which the Florida legislature was going to get serious about fixing the state’s toxic algae crisis. Actually, I said that last year, when Florida’s elected officials convened on the heels of a devastating 15 months of blue green algae and red tide fouling waterways on both the Gulf …
Disappointments and small wins: the 2020 FL Legislature Read More »
Pearl River One Lake Sponsors Keep Information Tight as Final Project Review Begins
A recently released document from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service goes into detail about why a lake dredging alternative for flood control on the Pearl River in Jackson Mississippi is the most environmentally damaging alternative the project sponsor could choose. Yet it is pushing this plan forward for approval by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Florida residents say no to offshore fish farm
Two weeks ago, I attended a very spirited and well-attended demonstration and public hearing on the proposed Kampachi Farms offshore industrial fish farm’s water pollution permit. The project off the coast of Sarasota involves the concentrated cultivation of finfish in net pens, pods, and cages…
How about the gift of clean water?
The holidays are upon us, and I’m asking the Florida Legislature to give a gift to our state’s waterways and environment. It’s a gift of finally taking action to solve the problems of toxic algae, bacterial contamination, loss of forests and open space, and myriad other maladies that threaten the very essence of life in …
Protecting the Sponge: Community meetings on Floodplain Resilience in the Pontchartrain Basin
The last of three Floodplain Resilience presentations was given in Madisonville, La. to engage citizens and decision makers about the 2014-2018 wetland loss trends in the Parishes in the Lake Pontchartrain drainage basin.
Help protect people and wildlife from toxic algae blooms
Toxic algae is getting worse in Florida’s waterways, putting people, pets, and wildlife at risk. Now there’s a chance to protect public health and the environment from these dangerous outbreaks. Join with fellow Floridians in demanding that Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) protect environmental and human health by including limits on blue green algae …
Help protect people and wildlife from toxic algae blooms Read More »
Healthy Gulf joins Focus on St. Tammany Forum: A Panel on Flooding and Development Issues
Healthy Gulf Participated in the “Focus on St. Tammany” forum last Friday night and addressed floodplain and wetland issues on a panel of speakers.
Floodplain Resilience Presentation Debut in Hammond, La.
The first of two community meetings on wetlands and floodplain resiliency was held in Hammond at the old train depot. Wetland fill permit data from the past 5 years for St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Livingston, East Baton Rouge, St. John and St. James Parishes was presented in a series of maps showing where impacts have been most intense. We also looked at available mitigation banks to offset those fill permits. Possible restoration of sand and gravel mines was also presented as a way to stabilize river floodplains and restore riverine wetlands above population centers along the Interstate 12 Corridor along the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.