Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Nov. 18, 2013

Former swamp to teach about wetlands restoration
By The Associated Press. Friday, Nov. 15, 2013.
“The governor’s coastal restoration czar, Garret Graves, is among officials coming to New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward to unveil signs at a platform overlooking 440 acres of brackish water dotted with cypress stumps…” (read more)

New tool educates on wetlands loss (+Video)
By Mike Hoss, WWL TV (New Orleans, La.). Nov. 15, 2013.
“The daily loss of its coastline is well documented, but now the state is unveiling a new tool, one that’s educating people just how important winning the battle is to this area…” (read more)

New signs explain importance of restoring cypress in Bayou Bienvenue Wetlands Triangle next to the Lower 9th Ward (+Video) 
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). Nov. 15, 2013.
“…The signs were erected through the joint efforts of the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development and the Mississippi River Delta Restoration Coalition, which incudes the Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation…” (read more)

New signs help visitors understand wetlands restoration in Lower Ninth Ward (+Audio)
By Eileen Fleming, WWNO Radio (New Orleans, La.). Nov. 18, 2013.
“A viewing platform on the edge of the Lower Ninth Ward can now offer visitors a chance to see the damage done to wetlands by saltwater intrusion. They can also watch through new interactive signs as restoration projects try to repair the damage at Bayou Bienvenue…” (read more)

Projects are a positive step
By The Daily Comet (Lafourche Parish, La.), Editorial. Nov. 16, 2013.
“Local coastal projects in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes are benefitting from $14 million in fine money from BP and Transocean due to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf…” (read more)

Environmental groups create ‘Green Army’ to take on key La. issues
By Amy Wold, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). Nov. 17, 2013.
“Saltwater intrusion in the aquifer that serves Baton Rouge, the sinkhole at Bayou Corne, Louisiana coastal erosion and concerns about additional drilling of more underground natural gas storage caverns at Lake Peigneur are issues that got environmental leaders from south Louisiana together in Baton Rouge on Friday to talk about common goals…” (read more)

Russel Honore’s ‘Green Army’ discusses legislative agenda in Baton Rouge
By Lauren McGaughy, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.). Nov. 15, 2013.
“The ‘Ragin’ Cajun’ Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, ex-New Orleans levee board member John Barry and other environmental activists met in Baton Rouge on Friday to discuss issues around which to build legislation ahead of the 2014 session…” (read more)

Coastal litigation could spark reform
By Kelly Connelly, The Daily Comet (Lafourche Parish, La.). Nov. 16, 2013.
“Now that Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes’ lawsuits against oil-and-gas companies have joined other litigation sparked by coastal issues, industry leaders are eyeing reforms for the Legislature’s next session…” (read more)

No surprise: Local levee board knew months ago that state would cut funding
By Bob Marshall, The Lens (New Orleans, La.). Nov. 15, 2013.
“Although officials with the local Flood Protection Authority said last week they were surprised to learn they would not get state funding this year, the agency’s own documents show they have known for months that funding was ending…” (read more)

State never promised money to area flood authority, president says
By Jeff Adelson, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). Nov. 17, 2013.
“The head of the New Orleans area’s East Bank levee board said Friday that he and other officials were relying on bad information when they said last week the state had offered assurances they would receive a half-million-dollar subsidy in the coming year…” (read more)

Plaquemines seeks optimum shoreline options
By Amy Wold, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). Nov. 17, 2013.
“At first glance, it’s a typical south Louisiana marina, with boat slips, worn wooden docks and buildings perched high on pilings. But the Buras marina in Plaquemines Parish also is a laboratory of sorts, a testing ground for methods to combat the erosion that is relentlessly erasing the coast…” (read more)

Levee District develops new app
By Mary Kilpatrick, The Houma Courier (Houma, La.). Nov. 11, 2013.
”Boating in Terrebonne Parish just got digital. The Terrebonne Levee District has designed a new phone application that will allow mariners to check floodgate closures, Parish Administrative Manager Angela Rains said…” (read more)