RAE Conference October 22, 2012 Jerome Zeringue CPRA - LA

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1 RAE Conference October 22, 2012 Jerome Zeringue CPRA - LA

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3 Gulf Coast Education

4 Gulf Coast Attributes

5 Gulf Coast Education-Culture

6 Gulf Coast Education Mardi Gras While New Orleans' Mardi Gras is better known

7 Gulf Coast Education Mardi Gras While New Orleans' Mardi Gras is better known, Gulf Coast sister city of Mobile who observed North America's first Mardi Gras back in 1703 A mystic group called the Cowbellian de Rakin Society Celebrated with cowbells and rakes they plundered from a hardware store Two other mystic societies were founded in Alabama

8 Gulf Coast Education Mardi Gras

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11 Problems Affecting the Gulf Loss of wetland habitats Erosion of barrier islands and shorelines Loss and degradation of coastal estuarine habitat Imperiled fisheries Hypoxia Climate Change 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

12 Influence on the Gulf -The Great Mississippi Watershed Drains Two-thirds of the continental United States 42% of the contiguous land mass of North America The Mississippi River deposits more than 3.3 million gallons of water into the Gulf every second

13 Hurricanes Approaching Coastal Communities Are More Likely to Be Intense Based on probabilities calculated from the historical record from 1950 to 2005, storms making landfall Population along the Gulf region expected to reach over 60 million by 2025 DRAFT LACPR Final Technical Report USACE March 2009

14 Gulf Region Challenges Sustaining Gulf Economy o Fisheries o Oil & Gas o Tourism Improving Ecosystem Health o Span of Gulf contributes to complacency Mitigating the Impacts of and Adapting to Climate Changes Mitigating Harmful Effect to Coastal Water Quality o Variety of factors, harmful to human health and negatively impacts beaches and seafood

15 Gulf of Mexico Program Initiated in 1988 by EPA Non-Regulatory Threefold Principles of: Partnership Science-Based Information Citizen Involvement The Program provides broad geographic focus on the major environmental issues of the Gulf In 2004 Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) was formed as a result of a shared vision of the Governors of the 5 Coastal States

16 Regional Effort The Alliance has built a legacy of trust between state and federal partners in the Gulf States Initiated by Gulf State Governors Gulf States: AL, FL, LA, MS, TX Federally-supported Action Oriented Cost Effective Integrated Priority issue teams Regional initiatives

17 Initiatives to Address Gulf Issues Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) Formed in 2004 to address issues of common concern; mission is to enhance the ecological and economic health of the region through increased regional collaboration GOMA Action Plans I and II (2006 and 2009) Developed to identify six priority issues for the Gulf region and provide objectives for addressing each; priorities include: water quality, habitat conservation & restoration, ecosystem integration, nutrient reduction, community resilience, and education and outreach GOMA All Hands Meetings Annual meeting of all GOMA participants to collaborate, share data, demonstrate new technologies, and develop new strategies for addressing priority issues ( )

18 Coordinated State Efforts Coastal Improvement Assistance Program (TX, LA, MS, AL) Provides federal grants for conservation, protection and restoration of coastal areas, among other things Gulf of Mexico Security Act (GOMESA) Provides funding streams to OCS states to fund coastal protection and restoration activities, among other things Louisiana-Mississippi Road Map (post Katrina) Coordinates Federal actions among the various agencies, working groups and task forces working within the region, and to work with the States to develop a shared long-term Vision for the region

19 Oil Spill-Related Efforts Secretary Mabus Report (2010) Developed as a response to DWH Oil Spill; emphasizes existing plans that provide restoration for environmental, economic and human health restoration initiatives Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustee Council Results of the 1990 Oil Pollution Act - provides reparation for injury to natural resources and compensation for loss of use by trustees (states, feds) Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Restoration Strategy (2011) Developed by state-federal task force appointed by President Obama; provides strategy for how ecosystem restoration should be accomplished

20 Other Efforts 2011 State of the Gulf Summit Convened public and private sectors working on conservation and recovery in light of the DWH Oil Spill; formulated roadmap for implementing GCERTF Restoration Strategy Gulf Seafood Safety / Marketing Initiatives Multi-state effort: Gulf Seafood Coalition and Gulf Seafood Trace help drive increased market demand for Gulf seafood by telling its unique story and ensuring confidence in the market Gulf of Mexico University Research Consortium Formed as a result of local universities collaborating to develop grants for the GoMRI ; establishes a formal setting for collaboration among Gulf universities; builds a significant knowledge base in the region; coordinates research efforts to avoid duplication

21 Other Efforts (continued) Gulf Regional Planning Body Designed to be regional committee to facilitate implementation of the National Ocean Policy objectives one of which is ecosystem restoration and protection. Streamlined Permitting Processes BOEM already streamlining sand leasing to assist with expedited restoration projects in Gulf region Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Works through GOMA to provide funding directly related to oil spill research, including innovative ecosystem restoration techniques

22 Other Efforts (continued) America s Wetland Foundation Established in Louisiana in 2002 to raise the focus of devastating loss of coastal wetlands and how their loss impacts the rest of the nation America s Energy Coast Initiated by America s Wetland Foundation, to provide a forum for development of comprehensive solutions to sustain the Gulf s vital economic region and the environment on which it depends Gulf of Mexico Foundation Works to promote and facilitate conservation of the health and productivity of the Gulf region and its resources through education, public awareness, research and leadership programs

23 Other Efforts (continued) Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem Project Develops ecosystem-based management approaches to rehabilitate marine ecosystems, recover depleted fish stocks, and reduce pollution and nutrient loading; multi-national project shared by U.S., Mexico and Cuba Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Established by Congress in 1949 to promote better utilization and protection of fisheries and the marine environment in the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force Works to reduce and control hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico through collaboration among state and federal agencies within the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin

24 GOMA Priorities Water quality Habitat conservation and restoration Ecosystem integration and assessment Nutrients and nutrient impacts Coastal community resilience Environmental education

25 GOMA Regional Initiatives Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force

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28 Tonnage on Domestic Waterway Network

29 Nation s Top Fishing Ports Source: NOAA Fisheries 2008

30 Nation s Top Fishing Ports Gulf of Mexico Habitat: coastal wetlands, submerged vegetation, important upland areas, and marine/offshore areas, encompassing over 5 million acres (over ½ U.S. total) provide essential habitat for migrating waterfowl (about 75% traversing the U.S.), seabirds, wading birds, furbearers Source: NOAA Fisheries 2008

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32 Cajun Duck Blind (On Bayou Self) 1st level hides 4 boats underneath and has room for 2 hunters and has 2 dog doors. 2nd level has a full kitchen with fridge 2 stoves, electricity for lights, living room with 2 couches and satellite TV, theater seats around the "porch of the blind" to sit 14 guys comfortably. A side porch has a running toilet, a stainless steel grill for cooking whole ribeyes for lunch and a bar to make all the mojos and a margarita machine which are hard wired to car batteries. 3rd level is the "crows nest" with room for 3. It's about 25' up in the trees and most of the time you are shooting down on the ducks

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