Over the last few months, GRN's Healthy Waters Team has been busy fighting to keep the rivers, bayous and streams of the Gulf region safe for ourselves and future generations. From working to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in Florida's waters, to holding the Army Corps of Engineers accountable for protecting coastal wetlands, GRN is committed to preserving and enhancing our healthy waters and communities.
In this edition, you can read about new efforts to protect Florida's waters from algal blooms, an ill-conceived project to build a prison in a coastal flood zone, continuing workto stop the Kemper County, Missisippi coal plant and mine, threatened wetlands near MR-GO, upcoming Aveda Earth Month festivities, and a new process for citizens to nominate their favorite waters as "Outstanding" in Mississippi!
Imagine for a moment that your county officials wanted to spend your tax dollars on a project that would destroy important wetlands, and harm Mississippi's vital recreational and commercial fishing industry, even as these same officials were slashing budgets for schools, police officers and libraries. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, does it? Unfortunately, this is exactly what is happening in Pearl River County, Mississippi!
Pearl River officials are moving forward with a destructive and expensive plan to build a dam on East Hobolochitto Creek, a significant tributary of the Pearl River. The proposed dam would destroy almost 600 acres of wetlands - which help protect local communities from flooding - and ultimately reduce freshwater and sediment flows in the Pearl River. This could have a big impact on the coastal economy and environment, as well as efforts to restore disappearing wetlands along the coast. However, it's not too late to halt this destructive boondoggle - if you are a Mississippi resident please click here to send a personal message to your legislators!
Mississippi's vital recreational and commercial fishing industries rely on freshwater from the Pearl River to sustain the coastal estuaries which are important breeding grounds for the fish we like to catch and eat. Oysters harvests can also be impacted by the level of freshwater in coastal areas. In fact,increased levels of salt have helped to devastate the industry in Alabama, reducing the annual catch from 800,000 pounds to just 75,000. Plus, sediments from the Pearl River nourish the same coastal marshes which protect nearby communities from storm surge!
It's time for Pearl River County leaders to step back and consider the consequences of their actions to the coast and economy. If you are a Mississippi resident, you can help by sending a message to your senators and representative asking them to protect the Pearl River:
Enjoy a sunset cruise hosted by Ship Island Excursions with great company, food, and discussion--to benefit the Gulf Restoration Network (GRN).
Join GRN in protecting and restoring our Gulf region's precious natural resources while enjoying an afternoon on the water. Meet members of the board and staff of the Gulf Restoration Network and learn how your contributions help protect and renew rivers and bayou throughout the Gulf of Mexico region that are critical to family recreation, fisheries, wildlife habitat, and drinking water. Click here to reserve your space online today.
Sunday, March 14, 2010 4 to 7 p.m.
Ship Island Excursions Gulfport Yacht Harbor Gulfport, Mississippi
Beer provided by Lazy Magnolia
Silent Auction Bid on unique offerings celebrating Mississippi's culture including artwork by Beth Skrmetta (painting), Kathryn Ramseur (lithograph), Donald Bradburn (photograph), Steve Shepard (drawing), and Mary Pickard (watercolor), a kayaking tour with South Coast Paddling Company, and Senses spa packages from IP Casino Resort & Spa.
Event Host Committee Terese Collins Chrissy Schuengel Stan Flint Louis Skrmetta Cynthia Ramseur Robert Wiygul
GRN's Work in Mississippi In Mississippi, GRN is committed to stopping the Richton salt dome project, an irresponsible plan to withdraw 50 million gallons of water a day for five years from the Pascagoula River in order to create a massive underground oil storage facility. Funds raised from this event will benefit campaigns of the GRN, including our healthy waters campaign to protect and renew rivers and bayous throughout the Gulf of Mexico region that are critical to family recreation, fisheries, wildlife habitat, and drinking water. Learn more at www.healthygulf.org.
With questions, contact Eir Danielson at 504.525.1528 x210 or e-mail
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This week, we have been teaming up with our partners at 1Sky and dozens of other organizations around the country for 72 hours to send a loud and powerful message to Senator Landrieu that she must protect our coast and our clean air. Since the start of this push last Tuesday, over 200,000 calls from around the country have been placed to key Senate offices, and it was and remains vital that Louisianans are part of this ongoing effort.
Carbon Dioxide pollution from polluting industries harms our air quality and contributes greatly to the problems associated with climate change, such as rising sea-levels and more powerful storms, which wreak havoc on our coast and speed up-the destruction of our wetlands.
Can you make a call to Senator Landrieu? It is extremely important that she hears from people just like YOU. When you make a call, be sure to tell her:
Protect the federal Clean Air Act from polluting industries and oppose the Murkowski resolution.
Support strong, comprehensive climate legislation this year because our coast and communities depend on it.
1Sky has made this easy for you to do. Simply click on the link here and follow the prompts. After you make the call, please ask as many of your friends as possible to do the same. Thank you.
For our Coast and Communities,
Jonathan Henderson Louisiana Global Warming Organizer Gulf Restoration Network/1Sky
Big coastal news! The White House has released the initial results of the Louisiana-Mississippi Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Working Group, and we are terribly pleased to see a strategic approach, focused on: 1. Work with Federal and State Partners to Articulate a Shared Long-Term Vision, 2. Promoting Science-based Decisions, and perhaps most important, 3. Resolve Policy and Process Obstacles Impeding Progress.
We're glad to be working with 5 other local and national groups focused on this issue to help our state, federal and local partners navigate this roadmap. Head here to see our joint press statement.
It's great to see the White House thoughtfully, usefully engaging on our coastal crisis, and I want to thank everyone who sent an e-mail over the past month or two to help urge the Working Group along. We've got a long way to go, but we're certainly making progress.
