"We are in a Race Against Time" 
C laiming that "time has run out for repairing our eroding coast and we are ready and must start," Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards challenged coastal leaders to restore 20,000 acres of wetlands by 2020 at the second of two leadership roundtables this October hosted by the America's WETLAND Foundation and the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. The discussions focused on financing the State's master plan for coastal restoration and protection and on making the plan operational.
"We all know some will ask why spend the money in the first place if the coast is in so much trouble?" Governor Edwards said, "The answer is because we have communities there now and industries and cultural resources and I am open to creative solutions. We all have to be."
Johnny Bradberry, CPRA chairman, closed the meeting noting that he has taken plans to immediately implement some of the recommendations from the two-day sessions, including:
  • Determining if a declaration of emergency is possible for Louisiana in light of dramatic land loss and consequences;
  • Assessing new options to raise funds by carving out a demonstration project for private financing and reviewing the procurement process;
  • Adjusting his organization to fit with the new master plan strategies and priorities;
  • Establishing rationales for a 2017 legislative agenda;
  • Citing lessons learned, better project design and implementation;
  • Building and presenting the case for moving debt obligation relief for the repayment of $100 million for hurricane protection following Hurricane Katrina.

   
Top left: Governor John Bel Edwards, R. King Milling and Val Marmillion; Top right: Rep. Walt Leger and Sen. Norby Chabert; Bottom right: Former Sen. Robert Adley, Charles Sutcliff, GOCA and Rep. Jerome Zeringue.

The leadership roundtables precede the announcement of an updated master plan for coastal restoration and protection to be considered by the Louisiana Legislature and the upcoming Summit on the National Implications of Louisiana's Coastal Master Plan to be held in late January.

The sessions are all being held in cooperation with leading state and national organizations including, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Environmental Defense Fund, the Mississippi River Delta Coalition, the Louisiana Nature Conservancy, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Restore or Retreat, and the Louisiana Offshore Terminal Authority. The events are being made possible through the financial support of Entergy, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Ducks Unlimited and Louisiana Sea Grant. 

NOTICE: RESTORATION AND PROTECTION SUMMIT SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 7TH IS POSTPONED UNTIL LATE JANUARY, DATE TBD.


Spreading the Word 
 
Social media, live streaming, video news releases and strong media outreach brought many outside the room to the table at the two Coastal Restoration and Protection Leadership Roundtables.  
 
Media coverage was outstanding, with sound coverage by the Times Picayune, The Baton Rouge Advocate, Houma Courier and many others. You can see all the clips in the "In the Media' section of this newsletter below.

Opening sessions from both days of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Roundtables
were streamed live via the Foundation's Facebook page. You can watch them  here.

Also, special one-on-one interviews and highlights from both days are available. Watch highlights
from October 24th here . Watch highlights from October 25th here. 

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook @AmericasWetland to get the latest on Foundation events.


Video: Mitigation Banking  
The Foundation encourages innovative financing scenarios for wetland restoration, including private investment in large-scale mitigation banking.

Mitigation banking is a possible alternative funding stream that allows private capital to be used to meet government standards for restoration and, at the same time, provide a fair rate of return on
investment.  
 
This video shows the construction crew that has been restoring Ecosystem Investment Partner's Lake Superior Mitigation Bank. The video focuses on the history of the site, the scope of the work and the ecological benefit of the project.
 
 
Stunning Map Shows Every River Basin in the U.S. 
The Daily Mail posted a stunning map that shows the complex network of rivers and streams in the contiguous United States.
 
There are 18 major river basins in the 4 8 states of the contiguous US, but much of the map is dominated by the massive catchment area for the Mississippi River, including the Upper and Lower Mississippi River Basins, along with Missouri River Basin and the Arkansas-White-Red Basin as seen in pink.
 
   
   
Creative Conservation Financing 
Recently the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council released an update to its Comprehensive Plan to restore the ecosystem and the economy of the Gulf Coast region. The America's WETLAND Foundation applauds the approach of "Creative Conservation Financing" that was highlighted in the updated proposed RESTORE plan.  AWF has long advocated for public-private partnerships as a mechanism to increase restoration funding through innovative financing and business models to pay for transitional projects to protect the coast and ensure the success of long-term, large-scale wetland restoration projects.
 
"We have worked with agencies at the federal, state and local levels and with the private sector to establish new models for restoring the coast through innovative products and a process that makes good business sense," said Val Marmillion, AWF managing director.  "We need to move quickly and in a cost effective manner to promote projects that will stop the onslaught of salt water into fresh water marshes like the Foundation's work that centers on shoring up embankments that have been compromised along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, the line of demarcation between salt and fresh water."
 
From the Council's Report:
Creative Conservation Financing
Successfully combating all of the ecological stressors in the Gulf is a complex challenge that greatly exceeds existing and expected restoration funding. The Council is committed to maximizing the effectiveness of funds within its purview, while also trying to help identify and leverage new sources of funding to support current and future restoration work. In addition to our existing restoration partners discussed in this Comprehensive Plan update, there are other parties that have a growing interest in participating in ecosystem restoration. For example, private sector and non-profit entities are actively exploring new and innovative ways to bring capital to restoration activities. Given its own limitations relative to the size and scope of the Gulf restoration challenge, the Council welcomes these potential partners and is interested in exploring ways in which such endeavors can potentially help the Council advance its mission. The Council is committed to open dialogue and future collaboration with such partners in this emerging aren a.


Give the Gift of America's WETLAND 
As the holiday season approaches, give the gift of America's WETLAND. You'll be helping to save one of the nation's most valuable assets, so future generations will continue to benefit from this incredibly productive and fragile coastal area and all that is rooted here, culturally, environmentally, and economically. 

Amazon Smile: You shop. Amazon gives. When you shop at Amazon Smile, Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase to America's WETLAND Foundation. 
 
Ebay Giving : Are you an Ebay seller? Why not give a portion of your sales to benefit America's WETLAND Foundation? Get started here.
 
Purchase an America's WETLAND Foundation License Plate : Order your own America's WETLAND Foundation license plate today! Call (225) 925-6371 for more information.
 
Text to Give : Text WETLAND to 20222 to give $10.00. A one-time donation of $10.00 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. All donations must be authorized by the account holder.

Membership
: Join the America's WETLAND Foundation Home Team at americaswetland.com, and become a member today! With your online donation, you will become a vital partner in the Foundation's public education efforts, habitat restoration projects and our roster of successful grassroots initiatives to save the coast for future generations. You can also give the gift of a membership to love ones! 
   
In the News 
In case you missed it, below is a compilation of some of the most interesting news stories in recent weeks

Our Views: A lot of work ahead on coast's recovery

Baton Rouge Advocate

October 29, 2016

 
While there is good news, along the lines of a big check for coastal restoration from the BP oil spill settlement, Louisiana leaders ought to continue to stress that we're a long way from the goals of hurricane safety, marsh restoration and sustainability for Louisiana's coastline.

From the governor on down, state leaders gathering at LSU in Baton Rouge affirmed the urgency of our continuing coastal crisis, even if there are significant new dollars available for expensive projects that would divert river sediments into marshes or otherwise have an impact on land loss. Read more... 

 

 

Our opinion: Governor has right emphasis on coast

Houma Courier
October 27, 2016
 
Gov. John Bel Edwards is insisting that Louisiana move forward with urgency and commitment to restore much of our damaged coastal wetlands.
He is absolutely right to do so. Read more... 


Officials, advocates discuss strategy for saving Louisiana's coast
Houma Courier
October 26, 2016

Gov. John Bel Edwards challenged Louisiana officials this week to restore at least 20,000 acres of eroded wetlands by 2020.

"We all know some will ask why spend the money in the first place if the coast is in so much trouble?" Edwards told dozens of public officials and coastal advocates Tuesday in the last of a two-day conference at LSU in Baton Rouge. "The answer is because we have communities there now and industries and cultural resources and I am open to creative solutions. We all have to be." Read more...


Louisiana's Governor Says 'We Are In A Race Against Time'
Stopping Coastal Erosion Requires Urgency and Action
Water Online
October 26, 2016

Claiming that time has run out for repairing our eroding coast and that we are ready and must start, Louisiana's Governor John Bel Edwards challenged coastal leaders to restore 20,000 acres of wetlands by 2020. The Governor opened the second of two leadership roundtables recently in Baton Rouge hosted by the America's WETLAND Foundation (AWF) and the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), with a focus on financing the State's master plan for coastal restoration and protection.

Introduced by former Governor Kathleen Blanco as the new and highly capable State's steward of our coast, Governor Edwards encouraged coastal leaders to think creatively. "We have monies to get started but we need new ways of funding to get the job done."


Louisiana Governor Races to Restore Eroding Coast
Environmental News Service
October 26, 2016
 
Warning that time has run out for repairing Louisiana's eroding coastline, Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, this week challenged coastal leaders to restore 20,000 acres of wetlands by 2020.

Tuesday in Baton Rouge Governor Edwards opened the second of two leadership roundtables hosted by the America's Wetland Foundation and the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, with a focus on financing the state's Master Plan for coastal restoration and protection. Read more....

$10.7 billion available for coastal master plan's first 15 years
The Times-Picayune  
October 25, 2016
 
Louisiana expects to have at least $10.7 billion for coastal master plan projects during the first 15 years of the 2017 rewrite of the plan, state officials said Tuesday (Oct. 25). But the state must still clear a variety of financial hurdles to be able to turn that money into projects, and must identify ways to pay the remainder of the 50 year plan's expected $50 billion price tag.
That's the conclusion of a variety of state officials, university researchers and business leaders who attended the second day of the coastal protection and restoration leadership roundtable cosponsored by the state.  Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the  America's WETLAND Foundation at the Lod Cook Alumni Center on the Louisiana State University Campus in Baton Rouge. Read more... 
 
Urgency in rebuilding coastal wetlands stressed in master plan discussion
The Times-Picayune  
October 24, 2016
Louisiana's senior coastal official on Monday (Oct. 24) called the upcoming approval of the 2017 rewrite of the state's master plan for coastal restoration and storm surge protection "the issue of a lifetime" because of the urgency surrounding the need to begin building major restoration projects.
"The coastal crisis will affect every aspect of the economy and every constituency, and yet this plan is not political or devised to give something to every interest," Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Chairman Johnny Bradberry told dozens of participants in a roundtable on the plan sponsored by CPRA and the America's WETLAND Foundation. "Instead it is a plan for our collective future and for the common interest. The stakes are extremely high." Read more..      

State leaders gather for 2-day coastal protection, restoration roundtable
WAFB
October 24, 2016
Current and former state leaders gathered on LSU's campus Monday to discuss coastal restoration and preservation. 
 
The America's Wetland Foundation (AWF) and Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) are hosting a two-day roundtable discussion at the Lod Cook Alumni Center on campus. Read more...  
 
 
The America's WETLAND Foundation is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization that has acted as a neutral arbiter for coastal interests since its inception in 2002, elevating issues facing the Gulf Coast, specifically those of coastal land loss, to regional and national attention. The Foundation is supported by a growing coalition of world, national and state conservation and environmental organizations and has drawn private support from businesses that see wetlands protection as a key to economic growth. For more information, visit americaswetland.com and follow America's WETLAND Foundation on Facebook and Twitter.