Dear Friends,
Here we are once again – knocking at the door of another hurricane season. Regrettably, we don’t have the luxury of checking out of these seasons during any given year. We are thrust once again into offering up novenas and petitions at the many altars of faith in our Gulf Coast communities praying that we will be spared once again from devastation. And, as we know, it only takes one storm to knock a community back to the Stone Age. That storm need not be a category five, four, or three. It could be a strong category two that wrecks a community and sets it on the course of post-hurricane recovery.
In the face of politics halting our state’s priority restoration project, the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion (MBSD), the need for strong community-driven advocacy for wetland restoration is even greater. On May 12, we participated in Coastal Day at the state capitol in Baton Rouge. Scores of community leaders, university students and staff from our MRD coalition partners were on hand for the day’s activities. The overall message was of course, implement the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project NOW!
I am encouraging all of us to keep up the fight. Continue to sound all the alarms and demand that our state’s governor and CPRA BUILD MBSD NOW!!!
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Charles Allen
Engagement Director
National Audubon Society
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Coastal Day at the Capitol
On May 12th, Restore the Mississippi River Delta and our partners gathered at the Capitol for Coastal Day as usual - but this year's event was a little different. Louisianans gathered on the steps of the Capitol to hear from community leaders and show their support for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion (MBSD) in the face of opposition and delays from state officials.
Check out this article from the Louisiana Illuminator for a recap of the event. For a deeper dive into what's currently happening with MBSD's permit, check out this science.org article.
The momentum continued the week after Coastal Day, with a letter from over fifty business and civic leaders from across South Louisiana telling Jeff Landry to resume construction of MBSD to restore the Barataria Basin. Read it here.
Have you added your name to the map yet? Sign on here to support the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion and tell coastal leaders that Louisiana wants this project to move forward to protect our communities, wildlife, and economy. |
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Storm Aware & Prepare
To mark the beginning of hurricane season, Pontchartrain Conservancy will be hosting their annual Storm Aware and Prepare event this weekend on Saturday, May 31st from 9am to noon at the New Canal Lighthouse.
This free, family-friendly event will offer hurricane preparedness resources, information, and supplies for the 2025 hurricane season from local organizations and governmental departments. Pontchartrain Conservancy will provide clean-up supplies for residents to clean up streets and storm drains in their neighborhoods. Participants who log their cleanups by taking photos and tagging Pontchartrain Conservancy on Facebook or Instagram will be entered for a chance to win hurricane preparedness items like solar battery backups. Meteorologist Scot Pilie will give a 10 a.m. hurricane season forecast during the event.
Additional partners include United Way, Restore the Mississippi River Delta, Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans and Acadiana, United Way of Southeast Louisiana, New Orleans Health Department, VIET Community Resource Center, and others. Sponsors include Entergy, Citgo/Restore America’s Estuaries, and Chalmette Refining.
For more information, visit Pontchartrain Conservancy’s website or visit their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.
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State of the Coast 2025
Many of us at Restore the Mississippi River Delta (MRD) just wrapped up a successful week at the State of the Coast conference in New Orleans, where over 1,300 attendees gathered to discuss our changing coast. MRD staff presented their work, moderated panels, and chatted with conference attendees about our work at our booth in the exhibit hall (and got to meet Neuty the Nutria!).
As an extension to the conference, MRD partnered with the Bayou Culture Collaborative and The Neutral Ground Collective to put on their workshop “Planning for the People: Strategies to include the Human Dimension, Mental Health and Culture in Environmental Planning.” To learn more about the Bayou Culture Collaborative or to join a working group, click here. Learn more about the Neutral Ground Collective here. |
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Flood Risk Management Resources
Just in time for hurricane season, our partners at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) have released a new resource to help people navigate and engage with federal flood risk management. Learn how the Corps does its flood planning and how you as a community member can get involved and make your voice heard in these processes. Check out the StoryMap here! |
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