The latest coastal news, events and more from the Barataria & Terrebonne Basins
November 2020
Restore or Retreat assists with Queen Bess fall planting

ROR worked with partners to plant over 6000 plants on the state's premiere pelican nesting site

Imagine Louisiana without its iconic symbol and state bird, the brown pelican. Much like the people of the Bayou Region, the brown pelican has exhibited immense resiliency in the face of numerous challenges, similarly so has Queen Bess Island.

On November 12 and 13, sixty eager coastal enthusiasts, including local students, faculty, athletes, biologists, engineers and more, gathered at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Research Lab in Grand Isle to await their boat ride to Queen Bess Island with one goal in mind—restoring our coast! As a partnership between Restore or Retreat, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, Shell, Jefferson Parish and Nicholls State University, the 2020 Queen Bess Island Planting provided an opportunity for area volunteers to transplant a combination of over 6,000 black mangrove and matrimony vine plants to help reinforce nesting sites on the recently restored 37 acres of Queen Bess Island. On looking pelicans curiously observed, as they squawked and sat on nearly rocks, while planting participants efficiently dug, scooped, placed, covered and patted the dirt and moved from one plot to the next.

ROR joins Port Fourchon and Lafourche Parish for hurricane damage assessment with Governor and CPRA
Impacts to the port and parish were discussed, as well as active restoration projects in the region
This month, Governor John Bel Edwards visited the Emergency Operations Center of Port Fourchon, joined by Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson, Port Director Chett Chiasson, and CPRA Chairman Chip Kline, to assess damages to the port, parish and coastal projects in the region.

Days prior, Hurricane Zeta made landfall just to the west of Port Fourchon, but taking such a direction that the Port and surrounding projects in West Belle Pass and Caminada took a direct hit. The village of Leeville also sustained substantial damage, and LA 1 was once again closed due to high water.

The port attributed its success to being fully operational within days to the amount of coastal protection it has been provided by projects like West Belle Pass and Caminada. 
Chairman Kline and Executive Director Bren Haase gave a detailed report to the governor, port officials, elected officials and industry representatives on the active projects which were impacted by this active hurricane season.  Officials from the US Army Corps of Engineers were also on hand to talk about the emergency work being prepared for Grand Isle, and Coast Guard officials were also present to talk about the port's navigational channel which was impacted by the storm.

"There’s no substitute for being on the ground and seeing things with your own eyes and having that personal interaction with folks so they can explain to you not just what you’re seeing but what all the consequences and the implications of the damage that will present problems for some period of time,” said Edwards after returning from a boat tour with Lafourche, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) officials to survey the area. 

Click here to read about the visit: Houma Times and Fox 8.
Getting to Know ROR!
We continue our series and get a little help from some friends
We're still #GettingToKnowROR! Nicholls President and ROR Board Member Dr. Jay Clune joined us as he shared his thoughts on ROR and #OurCoast. Check out his video here.

ROR Vice President and Port Fourchon's Executive Director Chett Chiasson also joined us about the importance of restoring our coast and what the port is doing on the coastal front as well. Check out his video here.

Also, our friends at LWCC helped us to get to know ROR a little better by featuring Executive Director Simone Maloz as a Champion of Louisiana for her work with Restore or Retreat. Check out the Louisiana Loyal page, including a video with beautiful coastal shots you can also see by clicking below.
Lunch and Learn
Restore or Retreat is offering the upcoming webinar as part of our COAST project partnership with BHP, Louisiana Sea Grant and the Water Institute
Watch previous COAST webinars on the Louisiana Sea Grant You Tube page here!

Topics include:
  • LA Environmental Law
  • Fisheries, including a discussion with Congressman Garret Graves
  • Hurricane Preparedness
Coastal News
Wax Lake Aerial
In the Field
ROR visited USACE's ERDC campus in Vicksburg with CPRA, Lafourche Parish Government, Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District and T. Baker Smith to view their innovative work and learn how we can bring it #ClosesttotheCoast.
ROR is working on an exciting project with partners Chevron, Ducks Unlimited, and Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana which we hope to debut in the new year-- check out a sunset over the DU terraces from our shoot day!
ROR was honored to join a panel for Junior League of New Orleans' women's summit which highlighted how their members can get more involved in conservation-- thank you for the invitation!
Achieving comprehensive coastal restoration since 2000
Restore or Retreat is a non-profit coastal advocacy group created by coastal Louisiana residents and stakeholders who recognize that the Barataria and Terrebonne basins are the two most rapidly eroding estuaries on earth, and that this erosion represents an economic and ecological crisis. With a growing membership businesses and individuals, ROR seeks to identify and expedite the implementation of aggressive, large-scale restoration projects to protect this irreplaceable region.
Restore or Retreat, Inc. | 985.448.4485 | www.restoreorretreat.org