Spotlight
55 Leading Scientists Express Overwhelming Support for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion
Press Release: A group of more than 55 natural and physical scientists, engineers and social scientists with a combined 1,300 years of research and technical experience related to Louisiana’s coast have co-authored and signed a letter voicing support based on their scientific knowledge and expertise for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, the single largest ecosystem restoration project in U.S. history. The group’s collective interdisciplinary work has informed the state’s efforts on the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan and other coastal restoration and protection efforts.
John Bel Edwards: We need the Mid-Barataria diversion to help save our coast
The first of those sediment diversions projects is the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. This is not just a lifeline for an ecosystem nearing collapse, but a necessary protection for the residents, businesses, and the irreplaceable culture that populates every mile of our coastal and inland regions. The project is a commitment to future generations who, without our immediate action, will face “unsurvivable” conditions with increasing frequency.
While we have made and will continue to make massive strides through dredging, it cannot address the extent of the problems we’re facing. This process, while effective in building land, doesn’t sustain itself long-term and results in a continuous need for more time, money, and sediment to sustain these projects.
This is about the survival of our state — and the people of Louisiana deserve forward-thinking leadership and the peace of mind that decisions are being made to protect them today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.
Earned Media
Bayou Rebirth: Fixing a century-old mistake that robbed Louisiana of land and a scenic waterway
Features Simone Maloz, ROR
To protect bottlenose dolphins, group wants changes to $2 billion sediment diversion plan
Mentions scientist letter
Louisiana to spend $1 billion on these coastal restoration, hurricane protection projects
Mentions CRCL, State of the Coast
Final webinar on the Mid-Barataria project - Dredging Today
The final community conversation webinar on the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project will take place on Tuesday, May 25 at 6:00 p.m.
These six factors explain why Louisiana is rapidly losing land; see graphics
Here are the main reasons Louisiana’s coast is disappearing and has become more susceptible to erosion and storms, and why projects like the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion plan to reverse some of the losses.
Climate change-fueled flooding could hit Louisiana the hardest. Can it be stopped?
References MRD poll: "Surveys show that the majority of Louisianians support climate change mitigation efforts. One 2019 poll of 1,000 voters conducted for Restore the Mississippi River Delta found that 71% believed in climate change and 96% said elected officials should prioritize coastal land loss."
Scientists Express Support for Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion - Biz New Orleans
A group of more than 55 natural and physical scientists, engineers and social scientists with a combined 1,300 years of research and technical experience related to Louisiana’s coast have co-authored and signed a letter voicing support based on their scientific knowledge and expertise for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, an ecosystem restoration project. The group’s collective interdisciplinary work has informed the state’s efforts on the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan and other coastal restoration and protection efforts.
Salt, Soil, & Supper Q&A with Samantha Carter and Corey Miller
Features Samantha Carter, NWF; Corey Miller, CRCL
New Poll: Louisiana Respondents Strongly Support Infrastructure Investments in American Jobs Plan to Build Resilience, Lower Costs of Hurricanes and Flooding
The poll gauges the opinions of people living in Louisiana on hurricanes and flooding, their costs and the solutions federal and state governments can implement to help mitigate the devastating impact of disasters and build long-term resilience.
News
Photos: Thousands of Christmas trees dumped by helicopters into vulnerable marsh in New Orleans East
Commercial fishing community opposes Mid-Barataria Freshwater Diversion
The comment period for the public to weigh in on this freshwater flood project closes on June 3. We respectfully request that all who share our concerns about the detrimental, unintended but very real consequences of this $2 billion folly make their voices heard by commenting at CEMVN-Midbarataria@usace.army.mil.
Voters to pick candidate to fill U.S. Rep. Troy Carter's state Senate seat on Saturday
The contenders for Senate District 7 are Democrat Joanna Cappiello-Leopold, Democratic state Rep. Gary Carter Jr., Democratic state Rep. Mack Cormier and Republican Patricia “Patty” McCarty, who founded a transportation and security firm.
As Cappiello-Leopold, Cormier and McCarty all hail from Belle Chasse, the issue of the freshwater diversion the state has proposed to build coastal land — which has drawn the ire of some residents and those who make their living from seafood from the Gulf of Mexico — has emerged as a top issue in the race.
This Louisiana neighborhood is retreating in the face of climate change
What’s happening in Lake Charles is a situation that millions of Americans may soon face — the decision to retreat from rising waters. Between 4 and 13 million Americans live in coastal areas that could be flooded by 2100, and buyouts are one of the few policy levers that governments have for enacting managed retreat — the coordinated movement of communities away from climate threats such as rising seas and fires. But historically, buyouts have been “a very small proportion of disaster risk reduction,” says Linda Shi, assistant professor of city and regional planning at Cornell University. So far, between 1989 and 2017 only 40,000 households took advantage of buyouts funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the agency which oversees most of the nation’s buyouts.