Summer 2009 Gulf Currents Newsletter
Inside this issue: Wetlands Victory: Jean LaFitte National Park Grows, USGS Identities Top Sources of Gulf Dead Zone Pollution, Florida’s Black Bears, New Board Member Welcome
Content
15th Anniversary Issue
Creature Feature Page 3 Spring Event Review Page 5
Summer 2009
Board Welcome Page 7
In the list of Gulf Coast National Parks, Texas has Padre Island, Florida has the Everglades, and Mississippi has the Gulf Islands National Seashore. In Louisiana, one of the best places to experience a coastal wetland environment is Jean La�itte National Park. Located south of New Orleans, Jean La�itte National Park’s Barataria Preserve is a great place to see alligators and waterfowl up close, view wild irises in bloom, or enjoy a picnic with your family. This preserve also offers one of the best opportunities to see the type of cypress swamps and marshes that are disappearing all too rapidly throughout the Gulf of Mexico and in Louisiana in particular.
Wetlands Victory: Jean La tte National Park Grows
acres and with additional purchases will grow even larger.
The Gulf Restoration Network, in addition to many other organizations such as the Sierra Club and Louisiana Audubon Council, has supported legislation to expand Jean La�itte National Best of all, Jean La�itte National Park View from Marsh Overlook Trail, Barataria Preserve Park for many years. The staff of GRN just got a little larger. On March 30, thanks all our supporters who called their members of 2009, President Obama signed a public lands bill into law that Congress to urge them to vote in favor of expanding Jean transferred 3,000 acres of cypress-tupelo swamp to the National Park, including the ecologically signi�icant Bayou aux La�itte National Park. After years of hard work, we can take Carpes swamp. In addition, the National Park Service is now pleasure in knowing that our efforts have paid off and one authorized to purchase an additional 5,857 acres of wetlands additional small slice of the Gulf Coast will be protected for future generations. from willing sellers. The Barataria Preserve now totals 28,000
Cypress-tupelo swamps are one of the best forms of natural hurricane protection, helping to reduce wind and storm surge. While Hurricane Katrina decimated many trees, the cypress-tupelo swamps were able to withstand the Hurricane relatively undamaged. The preserved swamps will help to protect areas of the West Bank of New Orleans from future hurricanes and other storms.
Photo: National Park Service
USGS Identi es Top Sources of Gulf Dead Zone Pollution
As our readers know, each summer a Dead Zone forms in the Gulf of Mexico. This New Jersey-sized Dead Zone is caused by nitrogen and phosphorus pollution that �lows down the Mississippi River. While the Gulf States are not the top contributors to the pollution problem, we most immediately feel its effects. This is why Gulf Restoration Network, along with conservation partners throughout the Mississippi River Basin, is excited to see the United States Geological Survey recently release a study identifying the top waterways that contribute to Dead Zone-causing pollution. This report demonstrates a critical point—pollution doesn’t respect state boundaries and many of the top-polluting river basins occupy multiple states. It is our hope that the new information in this report will encourage state governments and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase and strategically target funding for farm conservation to help reduce the Dead Zone.
The USGS report, “Incorporating Uncertainty into the Ranking of SPARROW Model Nutrient Yields from the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin Watersheds” is available online at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/sparrow/nutrient_yields/index.html
In a time of limited funds and an increasing number of issues, it is vital that we ensure that states, the Environmental Protection Agency, and USDA use tools like this new report to ensure that conservation and pollution control dollars are focused on the waterways that have the largest potential to both correct local pollution issues and begin to clean up the Dead Zone.
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Why Does the GRN Focus on Public Outreach?
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Hank Caddell Mobile, AL Teresa Carrillo Corpus Christi, TX Martina Cartwright Houston, TX Robert Hastings, Chair Prattville, AL Brooke Himot St. Petersburg, FL Allen McReynolds Longview, TX Jose Miranda, Treasurer New Orleans, LA Bob Schae er Sanibel, FL Louis Skrmetta Gulfport, MS Susan Spicer New Orleans, LA Robert Wiygul Ocean Springs, MS
s you read our newsletter, you may note that Gulf Restoration Network (GRN) focuses much energy to educating and engaging the public on issues that affect the Gulf of Mexico. In this issue, you will �ind summaries of the New Orleans Earth Day Festival, the Gulf Gathering, intern and volunteer activities, and our canvassing efforts. We recognize that our efforts to save the natural resources of the Gulf cannot be won by our staff alone.
Photo: Je rey Dubinsky
A
To address the threats to natural resources upon which we all depend for our lifestyle and our livelihoods, we must attain the support of individuals and citizen groups who are willing to actively and effectively participate. Without citizen involvement, even the most well intentioned politicians, government agency staff, and states will not take potentially controversial action to protect the environment. Take for example, a signi�icant victory achieved in 2008, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency vetoed the Yazoo Pumps Project, an antiquated Army Corps of Engineers project that would have destroyed over 200,000 acres of wetlands in Mississippi, including habitat for the endangered Louisiana black bear. In the words of the Fish and Wildlife Service, the pumps would have damaged “some of the richest natural resources in the nation.” This veto is the EPA’s �irst since 1990 and only the twelfth in the agency’s history. The Gulf Restoration Network and its partner groups worked for over ten years to stop the Yazoo Pumps Project. We were able to achieve victory only after more than 45,000 members of the public took time to send comments, by e-mail, postcard and petition signature, that signaled broad opposition to this project.
The GRN and its partners recognize that it will take an even larger and more active constituency calling for environmental protection and restoration to ensure the resiliency and sustainability of the Gulf’s coastal communities, particularly those in Louisiana. We work toward this by telling the stories of Katrina and Gustav to regional and nationwide audiences and by engaging them as supporters for coastal recovery and restoration efforts. You see us at venues like Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, TN and the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans, LA and knocking on doors with the canvass in communities across Louisiana and the Gulf Coast states. In 2008, GRN initiated our Call 4 the Coast text messaging campaign at the Voodoo Experience, which allowed thousands of participants to add their support to gain a federal commitment for a sustainable coast, and we also signed 90 music industry leaders onto a letter to both presidential candidates urging them to commit to a sustainable Gulf Coast recovery. The high-pro�ile support of musicians, such as The Meters, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Galactic, Fishbone, and Dr. John, has generated fantastic media attention and given us a platform to educate and engage their fans. Our success in obtaining comprehensive coastal restoration and rebuilding, and in effectively addressing all of the threats to the Gulf, lies in our ability to convince people like you that these issues are important enough to become involved—whether by texting a message, signing a petition, attending an event, or giving a donation—so our work can continue. Every citizen who takes action, no matter how small, makes a difference. Cynthia Sarthou Executive Director
STAFF
Cynthia Sarthou, Executive Director Pamela Brown, O ce Assistant Eir Danielson, Development Director Casey DeMoss Roberts, Water Resources Assistant Director Irene Dowling, O ce Manager Dan Favre, Campaign Organizer Jonathan Henderson, Louisiana Global Warming Organizer Raleigh Hoke, Mississippi Organizer Briana Kerstein, Special Projects Coordinator Joe Murphy, Florida Program Director Ellis Pickett, Texas Campaign Organizer Matt Rota, Water Resources Director Collin Fox Thomas, Campus Organizer Aaron Viles, Campaign Director
Volume 13, Issue 2
CREATURE FEATURE
Florida’s Black Bears: Creating the Umbrella for Other Wildlife
In the paved and developed Florida of theme parks and subdivisions, few people know that black bears still roam the backcountry of the sunshine state. While historical estimates put Florida’s black bear population at approximately 12,000 bears, these days there are roughly 2,500 to 3,000 Florida Black Bear’s still roaming. We are fortunate to have them in Florida, and only with grace, wisdom, and concerted conservation action will they remain.
Photo: ©2006 Ned DeLoach/Marine Life Images.com
Florida’s population in 1900 was approximately 500,000 people. Today it is rapidly approaching 19 million people. This population explosion has led to overwhelming losses of habitat and as a result Florida’s black bear populations have plummeted. Habitat loss, road kill, and hunting all pushed the Florida Black Bear to a breaking point in the late 1980s. In the 1990s, Florida began to work to conserve and protect the bears. By the mid 1990s, bear hunting was banned and large landscape acquisition programs started protecting habitat and Florida’s bears began to see the bene�its of these efforts. Their situation further improved when land acquisition programs targeted bear habitat for preservation and were linked by greenways and corridors.
Rebuilding Red Snapper in Florida and Texas
Since our last newsletter, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted to bring the state’s red snapper �ishing rules in line with federal regulations, an action that GRN worked hard to advance. The state had allowed lax management of the �ishery, making the enforcement of the federal plan to rebuild the red snapper populations more challenging.
Yet, while good things were afoot for the bears in some sectors, the building boom in Florida took subdivisions and strip malls farther into what had once been habitat for Florida Black Bears. More cars and expanded road networks led to increased mortality rates. Humans and bears, in many cases, prefer the same types of places, and humans usually win. Despite the fact that Florida Black Bears are listed as a statethreatened species, at the end of the day, the developer and the bulldozer have triumphed over the bear. The Sunwest Harbourtowne development project in coastal Pasco County is an example of what is wrong with development in Florida. This massive project, located on the Gulf Coast, will destroy or fragment thousands of acres of habitat for the Chassahowitzka population of the Florida Black Bear.
Gulf Restoration Network has been �ighting the Sunwest Harbourtowne development and other related projects to protect the Gulf Coast of Florida as well as ensure that Florida Black Bears continue to roam wild Florida and the Nature Coast for years to come. Summer 2009
Photo: Mark Cunningham, Florida Fish & Wildlife Concervation Commission
Working with our partners at the Pew Environmental Group and the Ocean Conservancy, we generated a letter of support from the Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition (a collaboration of the most powerful coastal groups in Florida) as well as sixteen sign-ons from the broader conservation community to a second coalition letter. In addition, we reached out to local conservation leaders to urge attendance at the meeting, and received an additional 100 sign-ons to a citizen's petition to the FWC. The FWC listened to the public support the coalition generated, and implemented the staff recommendation to harmonize their red snapper �ishing season with the federal season. On the other side of the Gulf, GRN is proud to report that long-time Texas coastal organizer Ellis Pickett has joined our staff as the Texas Campaign Organizer, with a focus on supporting efforts to end over�ishing in the Gulf. His �irst foray into the �ish world was quite productive, with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission following the trend set in Florida, and bringing their red snapper regulations in line with federal rules as well.
11-14
Sangamon 25 2009p.m. CentralWatershed Celebration 6–10 http://www.healthygulf.org
24 Global Warming and Wildlife Webinar 10:30 a.m. Central
JUNE
Look for the GRN table at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Manchester, Tennessee
Interns and Volunteers for a Healthy Gulf
4-7 10-13 5
Energy Webinar 22 Solar a.m. Central 10:30
8
Richland Community College, Decatur, Illinois The GRN will be presenting at this "evening of food, exhibits, music and stories from the Louisiana Bayous." For further information or to order tickets, contact Steve John, Agricultural Watershed Institute Executive Director, at 217-877-5640 or s [email protected]
JULY
Since fall 2008, the Gulf Restoration Network has worked with volunteers and student interns at dozens of events around southern Louisiana and the Gulf region. At events such as the Voice of the Wetlands, Voodoo Experience, Rhythmic Roots, New Orleans Earth Day Festival, Hip-Hop for Hope, and Freret St., Palmer, Bywater, and Broad St. Markets, our volunteers and interns ensured that the community is aware of the critical environmental issues facing the Gulf of Mexico.
Photo: Je rey Dubinsky
Global Warming and Public Health Webinar 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.healthygulf.org
AUGUST
http://www.healthygulf.org
Through our activities, GRN grows the broad constituency needed to drive state, federal, and corporate action to prioritize restoration projects in Louisiana and around the Gulf Coast. With the support of volunteers and interns using grassroots organizing to hold rallies, make phone calls, and sign petitions, GRN strives to hold government and corporations accountable for protecting and restoring the natural environment of the Gulf Coast.
Gulf of Mexico Alliance "All-Hands" Workshop Battle House Renaissance Historical Hotel Mobile, Alabama For more information, contact Ms. Terry L. Teague, Gulf of Mexico Program O ce, at 228-688-1172/3726 or [email protected] E ciency/Green Building Webinar 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.healthygulf.org 2009 Mississippi River Conference Visions of a Sustainable Mississippi River: Merging Ecological, Economic, and Cultural Values Collinsville, Illinois http://www.conferences.uiuc.edu/mississippi river/index.html
Months of hard work and dedication have resulted in: • More than 50 tabling events • 183 volunteers tabling or helping with our rallies/events • More han 605 volunteer hours • Approximately 3,775 signatures collected and at least 1,000 calls made to members to take action • Dozens of new members contributing more than $5,500 • Seventeen interns contributing to many campaign efforts, accumulating hundreds of hours
Energy Webinar 18 Wind a.m. Central 10:30
http://www.healthygulf.org
GRN intern April Wilson, and volunteers Jennifer Menge and Grant Kessler
The GRN is grateful for all the concerned citizens of the Gulf Coast who have dedicated their time and energy to uniting the community for a healthy gulf. Special thanks to the interns who have done so much this past year: Sunshine Bond, Alex Breaux, Sally Caneer, Liz Doyaga, Eva Gougian, Rachael Jeanfreau, Sarah Mackell, Laura Major, Katy McGrath, Annie Morris, Jennifer Pipitone, Megan Reed, Ian Rodericks, Lauren Thurmond, Charlie Vergos, and April Wilson.
Volume 13, Issue 2
Photos: Je rey Dubinsky
We want to thank the hundreds of coast-conscious event-goers at the New Orleans Earth Day Festival presented by the LA Bucket Brigade, in collaboration with GRN, Coalition to Restore Louisiana, and Lake Ponchartain Basin Foundation. The day included fabulous music, speakers, food and drinks, and groups spreading the word about their great work. A fantastic lineup of musicians, including Amanda Shaw (at left) & the Cute Guys, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, The Wild Mohicans, and Anders Osborne and Friends, performed on NOLA’s �irst solar powered stage.
Earth Day Festival
Photos: Je rey Dubinsky
Nearly 100 participants, representing all �ive Gulf states, attended the �irst Gulf Gathering on May 8 and 9, 2009, at Camp Beckwith on Weeks Bay, Alabama. The conference, sponsered by GRN, Sierra Club, and SouthWings, presented lectures and discussions about the many issues facing the Gulf of Mexico including wetlands and cypress swamp conservation, healthy waters, sustainable �isheries, and climate change.
Gulf Gathering 2009
Summer 2009
GULF NEWS
GRN Expands Work in Texas
by Ellis Pickett, Texas Campaign Organizer This is my �irst article in Gulf Currents and I am excited to be the Texas Campaign Organizer for Gulf Restoration Network. The new GRN Texas of�ice will focus primarily on over�ishing and advancing ecosystem �isheries management in the Gulf of Mexico. Educating the public and empowering the people are key to proper stewardship of our natural resources. This year I will network with regional and national partners to implement joint strategies to protect the western Gulf. Growing up in a small East Texas town surrounded by forests, ranches, farms, and river-bottom wetlands, I have always had a great love for nature. In 1998, Tropical Storm Frances awakened my “environmental activist” side. As a lifelong surfer, I stood in the sand the day after the storm came ashore at Surfside Beach, amid the uprooted septic tanks and debris of houses and the failed “erosion protection” structures, and realized that many of the so-called improvements made along the coast were actually the root of many of our problems. Like many Gulf Coast residents after a signi�icant storm, I decided it was time for me to make a difference. I focused on organizing surfers to form the �irst Surfrider Foundation chapter in Texas based in the Houston-Galveston area. There are now four Surfrider chapters in Texas, part of a 64 chapter network worldwide. Surfrider Foundation is a nonpro�it organization with similar goals as GRN: water quality, coastal resiliency, and environmental stewardship and public access to our natural resources. As a volunteer for ten years, I have worked with the local governments, federal agencies, Texas legislature, Texas General Land Of�ice, Coastal Coordination Council, Texas Parks and Wildlife and have networked with universities and environmental groups across the U.S on coastal issues. There is much work to be done as GRN expands efforts in Texas, including networking, coalition building, and educating and empowering the public. During this �irst year, I look forward to working with commercial and recreational �ishing interests, state and federal agencies, fellow environmental organizations, the news media, and the general public. six years of fundraising experience, having previously worked as Membership Coordinator at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and Coordinator of Friends at the Princeton University Art Museum. Casey DeMoss Roberts, Water Resources Assistant Director, has transitioned from her previous position as Special Projects Coordinator. She advocates for healthy waters and wetland protection with a primary geographic focus on the state of Mississippi. Casey received her BS in Psychology from the University of Texas, Austin with a minor in biology and her Master’s of Public Health from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
New Sta at GRN
Gulf Restoration Network welcomes new and transitioning staff, and extends thanks, best wishes, and a fond farewell to departing staff: Jeff Grimes, Jessica Netto, and Lynn Middleton. Pamela Brown, Of�ice Assistant, assists with the day-to-day management of the of�ice and helps with fundraising mailings, donor acknowledgements, and other administrative projects of our fundraising program. Pamela worked on GRN’s canvass last summer and was formerly Grants Assistant at the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and Project Coordinator with Smart, Inc.
Eir Danielson, Development Director, is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of GRN’s major donor, membership, and event fundraising. Eir has her BFA in Visual Art from the College of Santa Fe, and is currently pursuing an MBA at Loyola University, New Orleans. She comes to us with more than
Irene Dowling, Of�ice Manager, is in charge of GRN’s bookkeeping and day-to-day operations. Irene received her BA in History and AS in Computer Science from Southeastern Louisiana University. She has worked as a full charge bookkeeper for a CPA, in accounts payable for Hotel Management of New Orleans, and as an IT manager for the law �irm of Jones Walker.
Eir, Casey, Irene, and Pamela Ellis Pickett in Austin, Texas
Ellis Pickett, Texas Campaign Organizer, works to outreach to GRN members and others in Texas, and to plan, develop, and implement Texas campaigns. Ellis has ten years of experience working on coastal issues with the Surfrider Foundation, and has deep ties to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas General Land Of�ice. His work experience includes monitoring and lobbying local and state of�icials, drafting legislation and state coastal regulations, and organizing surfers and others to preserve public access to the Texas coast. Volume 13, Issue 2
GULF NEWS
Welcome New Board Members
Gulf Restoration Network is pleased to welcome �ive new board members that bring with them a diverse collection of backgrounds, knowledge, and experience. For their dedication and many contributions, GRN expresses much gratitude to outgoing board members Page Williams and Juan Parras. organizations on existing state and federal laws and policies, interacted with agencies on development of environmental justice policy, and provided instruction in applicable federal and state environmental laws. Ms. Cartwright has a JD with a concentration in International and Environmental Law from American University-Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C. and a BA from the University of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD. She is currently pursuing an MPA in Environmental Policy from the University of Houston.
Hank Caddell, Mobile, Alabama Hank Caddell is currently an attorney with Thiry & Caddell in Mobile, Alabama. From 1971–1978, he served as the Chief of the Environmental Protection Division of the Alabama Attorney General’s of�ice, and was recognized in 1978 as Alabama Air Conservationist of the Year by the National Wildlife Federation. From 19791985, he worked for Legal Services Corporation of Alabama, providing pro bono legal services to low income clients. In 1983 he founded Save Our Dunes Inc., and served as chairman until 1986. In 1993, Mr. Caddell founded the Alabama Coastal Heritage Trust, an organization that purchases, preserves, and protects Alabama’s remaining natural coastal habitats. He continues to serve as a member of their board of trustees.
Teresa Carrillo, Corpus Christi, Texas Teresa Carrillo, a former federal wildlife and �isheries biologist, is treasurer of the Coastal Bend Sierra Club and sits on the executive committee of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. She was a founder of both the Coastal Bend Land Trust and Coastal Bend Wildlife Photo Contest, and served for many years as Director of the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation, a nonpro�it dedicated to the conservation of freshwater and coastal natural resources through communication, advocacy, research, and education. As Director, Ms. Carrillo was instrumental in organizing the Foundation’s Earth Day-Bay Day event and creating their conservation awards. In November 2008, the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation awarded Ms. Carrillo a Conservation Award to acknowledge her work as immediate past director of the Foundation. Ms. Carrillo’s current volunteer efforts include holding the environmental seat on the Texas Water Advisory Committee, representing Duval County on the Alliance of Texas for Uranium Research, and serving on the Nueces Estuary Advisory Council. Martina Cartwright, Houston, Texas Martina Cartwright has taught at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law for fourteen years and is currently Managing Attorney/Clinical Instructor in the Law, Wills and Probate Clinic. Previously she was Interim Director/Clinical Instructor in the Environmental Law and Justice Center, where she outreached with community groups and Summer 2009
Photo: Je rey Dubinsky Photo: Je rey Dubinsky
Brooke Himot, St. Petersburg, Florida Brooke Himot, as Director of Operations at The Salon People (TSP), the exclusive Aveda distributor for Florida, works with a team of salon development partners. Ms. Himot is also the chief liaison with Aveda Corporation and heads up philanthropic efforts for TSP, including activities for Earth Month, Aveda’s largest fundraising campaign. Since Brooke’s leadership, the Florida territory has received international recognition for raising the most funds for Earth Month, the majority of which was donated to the Gulf Restoration Network. Prior to her work with Aveda, Brooke directed salon and spa operations with the Marriott Corporation and was a partner in Go! Fitness Solutions, a corporate �itness and wellness company. Brooke received her degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Leeds School of Business. She is a passionate advocate for health and �itness, and is a volunteer for Junior League of St. Petersburg, The Ronald McDonald House, and the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Allen McReynolds, Longview, Texas Allen McReynolds currently works with Mitigation Strategies LLC as an independent consultant and mitigation specialist developing ecologically-sound endangered species conservation banks and wetland mitigation banks. He assists in the public process and the facilitation of Habitat Conservation Plans for municipalities and develops strategic plans for ‘landscape scale’ eco-system protection and creation of complex wildlife corridor systems. Prior to this, he worked at The Old Dominion Real Estate Investments LLC, designing and building single family residential projects, focusing in coastal communities. During the Clinton administration, he served as the Special Assistant to the Secretary for Lands in the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense in the U.S. Department of the Pentagon. He also served as the Executive Vice President of The National Tree Trust, a national non-pro�it corporation created by President G.H.W. Bush to encourage the planting of trees as an environmental restoration strategy in communities across America.
Photo: Je rey Dubinsky
GULF RESTORATION
NETWORK
Gulf Restoration Network 338 Baronne Street, Suite 200 New Orleans, LA 70112 Louisiana O ce: 504.525.1528 Florida O ce: 813.468.0870 Texas O ce: 713.906.3940 www.healthygulf.org
Celebrating 15 Years of Action for a Healthy Gulf
A Healthy Gulf Is At Your Doorstep
The Gulf is dying the death of a thousand cuts, and the only way to address the myriad threats is to build a massive base of engaged citizens to take action to protect the Gulf’s natural resources. This summer, the opportunity to join GRN’s movement for a healthy Gulf will be knocking at your door.
SIGN UP FOR
GRN’s bi-weekly e-newsletter
GulfWaves
From May to September, dedicated and passionate activists will be walking in neighborhoods throughout the Gulf, recruiting residents to join GRN as Gulf Sustainers through a monthly contribution. Make certain to take advantage of the opportunity to spend a few minutes with a GRN representative to learn about the issues and then GRN Canvasser in action make a commitment to the Gulf that will have a lasting impact.
Get up-to-date news on ACTION ALERTS, EVENTS, LEGISLATION, and the HEALTH of the Gulf of Mexico that cannot wait for the quarterly newsletter.
SUBSCRIBE
Sign up at www.healthygulf.org
Photo : Je rey Dubinsky
Once you’ve signed up, let your neighbors and friends know about becoming a Gulf Sustainer, and be ready to reap the bene�its of an on-going investment in our region’s future. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Creature Feature Page 3 Spring Event Review Page 5
Summer 2009
Board Welcome Page 7
In the list of Gulf Coast National Parks, Texas has Padre Island, Florida has the Everglades, and Mississippi has the Gulf Islands National Seashore. In Louisiana, one of the best places to experience a coastal wetland environment is Jean La�itte National Park. Located south of New Orleans, Jean La�itte National Park’s Barataria Preserve is a great place to see alligators and waterfowl up close, view wild irises in bloom, or enjoy a picnic with your family. This preserve also offers one of the best opportunities to see the type of cypress swamps and marshes that are disappearing all too rapidly throughout the Gulf of Mexico and in Louisiana in particular.
Wetlands Victory: Jean La tte National Park Grows
acres and with additional purchases will grow even larger.
The Gulf Restoration Network, in addition to many other organizations such as the Sierra Club and Louisiana Audubon Council, has supported legislation to expand Jean La�itte National Best of all, Jean La�itte National Park View from Marsh Overlook Trail, Barataria Preserve Park for many years. The staff of GRN just got a little larger. On March 30, thanks all our supporters who called their members of 2009, President Obama signed a public lands bill into law that Congress to urge them to vote in favor of expanding Jean transferred 3,000 acres of cypress-tupelo swamp to the National Park, including the ecologically signi�icant Bayou aux La�itte National Park. After years of hard work, we can take Carpes swamp. In addition, the National Park Service is now pleasure in knowing that our efforts have paid off and one authorized to purchase an additional 5,857 acres of wetlands additional small slice of the Gulf Coast will be protected for future generations. from willing sellers. The Barataria Preserve now totals 28,000
Cypress-tupelo swamps are one of the best forms of natural hurricane protection, helping to reduce wind and storm surge. While Hurricane Katrina decimated many trees, the cypress-tupelo swamps were able to withstand the Hurricane relatively undamaged. The preserved swamps will help to protect areas of the West Bank of New Orleans from future hurricanes and other storms.
Photo: National Park Service
USGS Identi es Top Sources of Gulf Dead Zone Pollution
As our readers know, each summer a Dead Zone forms in the Gulf of Mexico. This New Jersey-sized Dead Zone is caused by nitrogen and phosphorus pollution that �lows down the Mississippi River. While the Gulf States are not the top contributors to the pollution problem, we most immediately feel its effects. This is why Gulf Restoration Network, along with conservation partners throughout the Mississippi River Basin, is excited to see the United States Geological Survey recently release a study identifying the top waterways that contribute to Dead Zone-causing pollution. This report demonstrates a critical point—pollution doesn’t respect state boundaries and many of the top-polluting river basins occupy multiple states. It is our hope that the new information in this report will encourage state governments and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase and strategically target funding for farm conservation to help reduce the Dead Zone.
The USGS report, “Incorporating Uncertainty into the Ranking of SPARROW Model Nutrient Yields from the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin Watersheds” is available online at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/sparrow/nutrient_yields/index.html
In a time of limited funds and an increasing number of issues, it is vital that we ensure that states, the Environmental Protection Agency, and USDA use tools like this new report to ensure that conservation and pollution control dollars are focused on the waterways that have the largest potential to both correct local pollution issues and begin to clean up the Dead Zone.
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Why Does the GRN Focus on Public Outreach?
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Hank Caddell Mobile, AL Teresa Carrillo Corpus Christi, TX Martina Cartwright Houston, TX Robert Hastings, Chair Prattville, AL Brooke Himot St. Petersburg, FL Allen McReynolds Longview, TX Jose Miranda, Treasurer New Orleans, LA Bob Schae er Sanibel, FL Louis Skrmetta Gulfport, MS Susan Spicer New Orleans, LA Robert Wiygul Ocean Springs, MS
s you read our newsletter, you may note that Gulf Restoration Network (GRN) focuses much energy to educating and engaging the public on issues that affect the Gulf of Mexico. In this issue, you will �ind summaries of the New Orleans Earth Day Festival, the Gulf Gathering, intern and volunteer activities, and our canvassing efforts. We recognize that our efforts to save the natural resources of the Gulf cannot be won by our staff alone.
Photo: Je rey Dubinsky
A
To address the threats to natural resources upon which we all depend for our lifestyle and our livelihoods, we must attain the support of individuals and citizen groups who are willing to actively and effectively participate. Without citizen involvement, even the most well intentioned politicians, government agency staff, and states will not take potentially controversial action to protect the environment. Take for example, a signi�icant victory achieved in 2008, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency vetoed the Yazoo Pumps Project, an antiquated Army Corps of Engineers project that would have destroyed over 200,000 acres of wetlands in Mississippi, including habitat for the endangered Louisiana black bear. In the words of the Fish and Wildlife Service, the pumps would have damaged “some of the richest natural resources in the nation.” This veto is the EPA’s �irst since 1990 and only the twelfth in the agency’s history. The Gulf Restoration Network and its partner groups worked for over ten years to stop the Yazoo Pumps Project. We were able to achieve victory only after more than 45,000 members of the public took time to send comments, by e-mail, postcard and petition signature, that signaled broad opposition to this project.
The GRN and its partners recognize that it will take an even larger and more active constituency calling for environmental protection and restoration to ensure the resiliency and sustainability of the Gulf’s coastal communities, particularly those in Louisiana. We work toward this by telling the stories of Katrina and Gustav to regional and nationwide audiences and by engaging them as supporters for coastal recovery and restoration efforts. You see us at venues like Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, TN and the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans, LA and knocking on doors with the canvass in communities across Louisiana and the Gulf Coast states. In 2008, GRN initiated our Call 4 the Coast text messaging campaign at the Voodoo Experience, which allowed thousands of participants to add their support to gain a federal commitment for a sustainable coast, and we also signed 90 music industry leaders onto a letter to both presidential candidates urging them to commit to a sustainable Gulf Coast recovery. The high-pro�ile support of musicians, such as The Meters, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Galactic, Fishbone, and Dr. John, has generated fantastic media attention and given us a platform to educate and engage their fans. Our success in obtaining comprehensive coastal restoration and rebuilding, and in effectively addressing all of the threats to the Gulf, lies in our ability to convince people like you that these issues are important enough to become involved—whether by texting a message, signing a petition, attending an event, or giving a donation—so our work can continue. Every citizen who takes action, no matter how small, makes a difference. Cynthia Sarthou Executive Director
STAFF
Cynthia Sarthou, Executive Director Pamela Brown, O ce Assistant Eir Danielson, Development Director Casey DeMoss Roberts, Water Resources Assistant Director Irene Dowling, O ce Manager Dan Favre, Campaign Organizer Jonathan Henderson, Louisiana Global Warming Organizer Raleigh Hoke, Mississippi Organizer Briana Kerstein, Special Projects Coordinator Joe Murphy, Florida Program Director Ellis Pickett, Texas Campaign Organizer Matt Rota, Water Resources Director Collin Fox Thomas, Campus Organizer Aaron Viles, Campaign Director
Volume 13, Issue 2
CREATURE FEATURE
Florida’s Black Bears: Creating the Umbrella for Other Wildlife
In the paved and developed Florida of theme parks and subdivisions, few people know that black bears still roam the backcountry of the sunshine state. While historical estimates put Florida’s black bear population at approximately 12,000 bears, these days there are roughly 2,500 to 3,000 Florida Black Bear’s still roaming. We are fortunate to have them in Florida, and only with grace, wisdom, and concerted conservation action will they remain.
Photo: ©2006 Ned DeLoach/Marine Life Images.com
Florida’s population in 1900 was approximately 500,000 people. Today it is rapidly approaching 19 million people. This population explosion has led to overwhelming losses of habitat and as a result Florida’s black bear populations have plummeted. Habitat loss, road kill, and hunting all pushed the Florida Black Bear to a breaking point in the late 1980s. In the 1990s, Florida began to work to conserve and protect the bears. By the mid 1990s, bear hunting was banned and large landscape acquisition programs started protecting habitat and Florida’s bears began to see the bene�its of these efforts. Their situation further improved when land acquisition programs targeted bear habitat for preservation and were linked by greenways and corridors.
Rebuilding Red Snapper in Florida and Texas
Since our last newsletter, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted to bring the state’s red snapper �ishing rules in line with federal regulations, an action that GRN worked hard to advance. The state had allowed lax management of the �ishery, making the enforcement of the federal plan to rebuild the red snapper populations more challenging.
Yet, while good things were afoot for the bears in some sectors, the building boom in Florida took subdivisions and strip malls farther into what had once been habitat for Florida Black Bears. More cars and expanded road networks led to increased mortality rates. Humans and bears, in many cases, prefer the same types of places, and humans usually win. Despite the fact that Florida Black Bears are listed as a statethreatened species, at the end of the day, the developer and the bulldozer have triumphed over the bear. The Sunwest Harbourtowne development project in coastal Pasco County is an example of what is wrong with development in Florida. This massive project, located on the Gulf Coast, will destroy or fragment thousands of acres of habitat for the Chassahowitzka population of the Florida Black Bear.
Gulf Restoration Network has been �ighting the Sunwest Harbourtowne development and other related projects to protect the Gulf Coast of Florida as well as ensure that Florida Black Bears continue to roam wild Florida and the Nature Coast for years to come. Summer 2009
Photo: Mark Cunningham, Florida Fish & Wildlife Concervation Commission
Working with our partners at the Pew Environmental Group and the Ocean Conservancy, we generated a letter of support from the Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition (a collaboration of the most powerful coastal groups in Florida) as well as sixteen sign-ons from the broader conservation community to a second coalition letter. In addition, we reached out to local conservation leaders to urge attendance at the meeting, and received an additional 100 sign-ons to a citizen's petition to the FWC. The FWC listened to the public support the coalition generated, and implemented the staff recommendation to harmonize their red snapper �ishing season with the federal season. On the other side of the Gulf, GRN is proud to report that long-time Texas coastal organizer Ellis Pickett has joined our staff as the Texas Campaign Organizer, with a focus on supporting efforts to end over�ishing in the Gulf. His �irst foray into the �ish world was quite productive, with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission following the trend set in Florida, and bringing their red snapper regulations in line with federal rules as well.
11-14
Sangamon 25 2009p.m. CentralWatershed Celebration 6–10 http://www.healthygulf.org
24 Global Warming and Wildlife Webinar 10:30 a.m. Central
JUNE
Look for the GRN table at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Manchester, Tennessee
Interns and Volunteers for a Healthy Gulf
4-7 10-13 5
Energy Webinar 22 Solar a.m. Central 10:30
8
Richland Community College, Decatur, Illinois The GRN will be presenting at this "evening of food, exhibits, music and stories from the Louisiana Bayous." For further information or to order tickets, contact Steve John, Agricultural Watershed Institute Executive Director, at 217-877-5640 or s [email protected]
JULY
Since fall 2008, the Gulf Restoration Network has worked with volunteers and student interns at dozens of events around southern Louisiana and the Gulf region. At events such as the Voice of the Wetlands, Voodoo Experience, Rhythmic Roots, New Orleans Earth Day Festival, Hip-Hop for Hope, and Freret St., Palmer, Bywater, and Broad St. Markets, our volunteers and interns ensured that the community is aware of the critical environmental issues facing the Gulf of Mexico.
Photo: Je rey Dubinsky
Global Warming and Public Health Webinar 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.healthygulf.org
AUGUST
http://www.healthygulf.org
Through our activities, GRN grows the broad constituency needed to drive state, federal, and corporate action to prioritize restoration projects in Louisiana and around the Gulf Coast. With the support of volunteers and interns using grassroots organizing to hold rallies, make phone calls, and sign petitions, GRN strives to hold government and corporations accountable for protecting and restoring the natural environment of the Gulf Coast.
Gulf of Mexico Alliance "All-Hands" Workshop Battle House Renaissance Historical Hotel Mobile, Alabama For more information, contact Ms. Terry L. Teague, Gulf of Mexico Program O ce, at 228-688-1172/3726 or [email protected] E ciency/Green Building Webinar 10:30 a.m. Central http://www.healthygulf.org 2009 Mississippi River Conference Visions of a Sustainable Mississippi River: Merging Ecological, Economic, and Cultural Values Collinsville, Illinois http://www.conferences.uiuc.edu/mississippi river/index.html
Months of hard work and dedication have resulted in: • More than 50 tabling events • 183 volunteers tabling or helping with our rallies/events • More han 605 volunteer hours • Approximately 3,775 signatures collected and at least 1,000 calls made to members to take action • Dozens of new members contributing more than $5,500 • Seventeen interns contributing to many campaign efforts, accumulating hundreds of hours
Energy Webinar 18 Wind a.m. Central 10:30
http://www.healthygulf.org
GRN intern April Wilson, and volunteers Jennifer Menge and Grant Kessler
The GRN is grateful for all the concerned citizens of the Gulf Coast who have dedicated their time and energy to uniting the community for a healthy gulf. Special thanks to the interns who have done so much this past year: Sunshine Bond, Alex Breaux, Sally Caneer, Liz Doyaga, Eva Gougian, Rachael Jeanfreau, Sarah Mackell, Laura Major, Katy McGrath, Annie Morris, Jennifer Pipitone, Megan Reed, Ian Rodericks, Lauren Thurmond, Charlie Vergos, and April Wilson.
Volume 13, Issue 2
Photos: Je rey Dubinsky
We want to thank the hundreds of coast-conscious event-goers at the New Orleans Earth Day Festival presented by the LA Bucket Brigade, in collaboration with GRN, Coalition to Restore Louisiana, and Lake Ponchartain Basin Foundation. The day included fabulous music, speakers, food and drinks, and groups spreading the word about their great work. A fantastic lineup of musicians, including Amanda Shaw (at left) & the Cute Guys, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, The Wild Mohicans, and Anders Osborne and Friends, performed on NOLA’s �irst solar powered stage.
Earth Day Festival
Photos: Je rey Dubinsky
Nearly 100 participants, representing all �ive Gulf states, attended the �irst Gulf Gathering on May 8 and 9, 2009, at Camp Beckwith on Weeks Bay, Alabama. The conference, sponsered by GRN, Sierra Club, and SouthWings, presented lectures and discussions about the many issues facing the Gulf of Mexico including wetlands and cypress swamp conservation, healthy waters, sustainable �isheries, and climate change.
Gulf Gathering 2009
Summer 2009
GULF NEWS
GRN Expands Work in Texas
by Ellis Pickett, Texas Campaign Organizer This is my �irst article in Gulf Currents and I am excited to be the Texas Campaign Organizer for Gulf Restoration Network. The new GRN Texas of�ice will focus primarily on over�ishing and advancing ecosystem �isheries management in the Gulf of Mexico. Educating the public and empowering the people are key to proper stewardship of our natural resources. This year I will network with regional and national partners to implement joint strategies to protect the western Gulf. Growing up in a small East Texas town surrounded by forests, ranches, farms, and river-bottom wetlands, I have always had a great love for nature. In 1998, Tropical Storm Frances awakened my “environmental activist” side. As a lifelong surfer, I stood in the sand the day after the storm came ashore at Surfside Beach, amid the uprooted septic tanks and debris of houses and the failed “erosion protection” structures, and realized that many of the so-called improvements made along the coast were actually the root of many of our problems. Like many Gulf Coast residents after a signi�icant storm, I decided it was time for me to make a difference. I focused on organizing surfers to form the �irst Surfrider Foundation chapter in Texas based in the Houston-Galveston area. There are now four Surfrider chapters in Texas, part of a 64 chapter network worldwide. Surfrider Foundation is a nonpro�it organization with similar goals as GRN: water quality, coastal resiliency, and environmental stewardship and public access to our natural resources. As a volunteer for ten years, I have worked with the local governments, federal agencies, Texas legislature, Texas General Land Of�ice, Coastal Coordination Council, Texas Parks and Wildlife and have networked with universities and environmental groups across the U.S on coastal issues. There is much work to be done as GRN expands efforts in Texas, including networking, coalition building, and educating and empowering the public. During this �irst year, I look forward to working with commercial and recreational �ishing interests, state and federal agencies, fellow environmental organizations, the news media, and the general public. six years of fundraising experience, having previously worked as Membership Coordinator at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and Coordinator of Friends at the Princeton University Art Museum. Casey DeMoss Roberts, Water Resources Assistant Director, has transitioned from her previous position as Special Projects Coordinator. She advocates for healthy waters and wetland protection with a primary geographic focus on the state of Mississippi. Casey received her BS in Psychology from the University of Texas, Austin with a minor in biology and her Master’s of Public Health from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
New Sta at GRN
Gulf Restoration Network welcomes new and transitioning staff, and extends thanks, best wishes, and a fond farewell to departing staff: Jeff Grimes, Jessica Netto, and Lynn Middleton. Pamela Brown, Of�ice Assistant, assists with the day-to-day management of the of�ice and helps with fundraising mailings, donor acknowledgements, and other administrative projects of our fundraising program. Pamela worked on GRN’s canvass last summer and was formerly Grants Assistant at the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and Project Coordinator with Smart, Inc.
Eir Danielson, Development Director, is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of GRN’s major donor, membership, and event fundraising. Eir has her BFA in Visual Art from the College of Santa Fe, and is currently pursuing an MBA at Loyola University, New Orleans. She comes to us with more than
Irene Dowling, Of�ice Manager, is in charge of GRN’s bookkeeping and day-to-day operations. Irene received her BA in History and AS in Computer Science from Southeastern Louisiana University. She has worked as a full charge bookkeeper for a CPA, in accounts payable for Hotel Management of New Orleans, and as an IT manager for the law �irm of Jones Walker.
Eir, Casey, Irene, and Pamela Ellis Pickett in Austin, Texas
Ellis Pickett, Texas Campaign Organizer, works to outreach to GRN members and others in Texas, and to plan, develop, and implement Texas campaigns. Ellis has ten years of experience working on coastal issues with the Surfrider Foundation, and has deep ties to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas General Land Of�ice. His work experience includes monitoring and lobbying local and state of�icials, drafting legislation and state coastal regulations, and organizing surfers and others to preserve public access to the Texas coast. Volume 13, Issue 2
GULF NEWS
Welcome New Board Members
Gulf Restoration Network is pleased to welcome �ive new board members that bring with them a diverse collection of backgrounds, knowledge, and experience. For their dedication and many contributions, GRN expresses much gratitude to outgoing board members Page Williams and Juan Parras. organizations on existing state and federal laws and policies, interacted with agencies on development of environmental justice policy, and provided instruction in applicable federal and state environmental laws. Ms. Cartwright has a JD with a concentration in International and Environmental Law from American University-Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C. and a BA from the University of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD. She is currently pursuing an MPA in Environmental Policy from the University of Houston.
Hank Caddell, Mobile, Alabama Hank Caddell is currently an attorney with Thiry & Caddell in Mobile, Alabama. From 1971–1978, he served as the Chief of the Environmental Protection Division of the Alabama Attorney General’s of�ice, and was recognized in 1978 as Alabama Air Conservationist of the Year by the National Wildlife Federation. From 19791985, he worked for Legal Services Corporation of Alabama, providing pro bono legal services to low income clients. In 1983 he founded Save Our Dunes Inc., and served as chairman until 1986. In 1993, Mr. Caddell founded the Alabama Coastal Heritage Trust, an organization that purchases, preserves, and protects Alabama’s remaining natural coastal habitats. He continues to serve as a member of their board of trustees.
Teresa Carrillo, Corpus Christi, Texas Teresa Carrillo, a former federal wildlife and �isheries biologist, is treasurer of the Coastal Bend Sierra Club and sits on the executive committee of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. She was a founder of both the Coastal Bend Land Trust and Coastal Bend Wildlife Photo Contest, and served for many years as Director of the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation, a nonpro�it dedicated to the conservation of freshwater and coastal natural resources through communication, advocacy, research, and education. As Director, Ms. Carrillo was instrumental in organizing the Foundation’s Earth Day-Bay Day event and creating their conservation awards. In November 2008, the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation awarded Ms. Carrillo a Conservation Award to acknowledge her work as immediate past director of the Foundation. Ms. Carrillo’s current volunteer efforts include holding the environmental seat on the Texas Water Advisory Committee, representing Duval County on the Alliance of Texas for Uranium Research, and serving on the Nueces Estuary Advisory Council. Martina Cartwright, Houston, Texas Martina Cartwright has taught at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law for fourteen years and is currently Managing Attorney/Clinical Instructor in the Law, Wills and Probate Clinic. Previously she was Interim Director/Clinical Instructor in the Environmental Law and Justice Center, where she outreached with community groups and Summer 2009
Photo: Je rey Dubinsky Photo: Je rey Dubinsky
Brooke Himot, St. Petersburg, Florida Brooke Himot, as Director of Operations at The Salon People (TSP), the exclusive Aveda distributor for Florida, works with a team of salon development partners. Ms. Himot is also the chief liaison with Aveda Corporation and heads up philanthropic efforts for TSP, including activities for Earth Month, Aveda’s largest fundraising campaign. Since Brooke’s leadership, the Florida territory has received international recognition for raising the most funds for Earth Month, the majority of which was donated to the Gulf Restoration Network. Prior to her work with Aveda, Brooke directed salon and spa operations with the Marriott Corporation and was a partner in Go! Fitness Solutions, a corporate �itness and wellness company. Brooke received her degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Leeds School of Business. She is a passionate advocate for health and �itness, and is a volunteer for Junior League of St. Petersburg, The Ronald McDonald House, and the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Allen McReynolds, Longview, Texas Allen McReynolds currently works with Mitigation Strategies LLC as an independent consultant and mitigation specialist developing ecologically-sound endangered species conservation banks and wetland mitigation banks. He assists in the public process and the facilitation of Habitat Conservation Plans for municipalities and develops strategic plans for ‘landscape scale’ eco-system protection and creation of complex wildlife corridor systems. Prior to this, he worked at The Old Dominion Real Estate Investments LLC, designing and building single family residential projects, focusing in coastal communities. During the Clinton administration, he served as the Special Assistant to the Secretary for Lands in the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense in the U.S. Department of the Pentagon. He also served as the Executive Vice President of The National Tree Trust, a national non-pro�it corporation created by President G.H.W. Bush to encourage the planting of trees as an environmental restoration strategy in communities across America.
Photo: Je rey Dubinsky
GULF RESTORATION
NETWORK
Gulf Restoration Network 338 Baronne Street, Suite 200 New Orleans, LA 70112 Louisiana O ce: 504.525.1528 Florida O ce: 813.468.0870 Texas O ce: 713.906.3940 www.healthygulf.org
Celebrating 15 Years of Action for a Healthy Gulf
A Healthy Gulf Is At Your Doorstep
The Gulf is dying the death of a thousand cuts, and the only way to address the myriad threats is to build a massive base of engaged citizens to take action to protect the Gulf’s natural resources. This summer, the opportunity to join GRN’s movement for a healthy Gulf will be knocking at your door.
SIGN UP FOR
GRN’s bi-weekly e-newsletter
GulfWaves
From May to September, dedicated and passionate activists will be walking in neighborhoods throughout the Gulf, recruiting residents to join GRN as Gulf Sustainers through a monthly contribution. Make certain to take advantage of the opportunity to spend a few minutes with a GRN representative to learn about the issues and then GRN Canvasser in action make a commitment to the Gulf that will have a lasting impact.
Get up-to-date news on ACTION ALERTS, EVENTS, LEGISLATION, and the HEALTH of the Gulf of Mexico that cannot wait for the quarterly newsletter.
SUBSCRIBE
Sign up at www.healthygulf.org
Photo : Je rey Dubinsky
Once you’ve signed up, let your neighbors and friends know about becoming a Gulf Sustainer, and be ready to reap the bene�its of an on-going investment in our region’s future. We look forward to seeing you soon!
