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Over two centuries, engineers have restrained the Mississippi River's natural urge to wriggle disastrously out of its banks by building hundreds of miles of levees that work today like a riverine straitjacket. But it is time, Louisiana officials propose, to let the river loose. . . .


04.18.07 - Mandeville Man Hitting the Road to Save Coastline
By Lisa von Eberstein
The Times-Picayune

Terry Forrette of Mandeville is hoping to help save Louisiana's disappearing coast by taking a three-month, 12,000-mile motorcycle journey around the rim of the country starting Saturday. . . .


04.04.07 - Mayor Makes Case to Rebuild Coastal Areas
By Lanny Keller
The Baton Rouge Advocate

The Road Home delays in providing aid for homeowners have been demoralizing everywhere, but perhaps worst in the coastal towns where so many homeowners are more dependent on state aid than those in better-insured urban neighborhoods. That is one issue but part of a bigger question about the future of coastal Louisiana. That is the question posed by Randy Roach, mayor of Lake Charles and a former state representative whose district included Cameron Parish, devastated by Hurricane Rita 18 months ago. . . .


03.28.07 - Louisiana Residents Unite Behind Coastal Restoration
By Coleman Warner

A survey of more than 23,000 citizens by Louisiana Speaks, a planning initiative of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, shows support for a costly, aggressive coastal protection program and for fresh thinking on residential development, with greater reliance on in-town construction and mass transit. . . .


01.21.07 - Wetlands Education Planned
By Amy Wold
The Advocate

Organizers of a new America's Wetland campaign and the LSU Agriculture Center plan to offer hundreds of volunteer hours for education and awareness programs dealing with Louisiana's eroding coastline. . . .


12.21.06 - President Bush Signs OCS Revenue Sharing Bill; A Statement by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
By Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

Today's signing of this bill gives Louisiana, for the first time in history, the promise of the long term revenue stream we need to restore our fragile coastal environment and to protect our vulnerable communities, as well as the nation's energy infrastructure. We have a plan and we will start work on it in 2007. . . .


12.14.06 - It's a "Jazz" for America's WETLAND, Says Times-Picayune
On Thursday, December 14, the Times-Picayune honored the America's WETLAND Campaign, giving it a "Jazz," an honor for an outstanding contribution to Louisiana, for the Campaign's receipt of the PR News Nonprofit Award in its ongoing success in helping to raise public awareness of the impact of Louisiana's wetland loss on the state, nation and world. . . .


12.12.06 - Gulf States Hit Pay Dirt Offshore
By Steven Mufson
The Washington Post

Back in June, former Louisiana senator John Breaux warned Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) not to get greedy in lobbying to get their state a big chunk of oil and gas royalties from federal waters. . . .


12.09.06 - Don't Let Us Wash Away The Times-Picayune

Randy Newman's ode to the 1927 flood became even more real to South Louisianians after Katrina. Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline became 12 feet of water in the Lower Nine. . . .


12.08.06 - Statement by the President
By The White House

I commend Congress for passing the Outer Continental Shelf legislation, which will help to reduce our dependence on imported sources of energy by increasing access to domestic sources of oil and gas. . . .


12.06.06 - Government Leaders Praise Passage of OCS Revenue Sharing Legislation
Statements by government leaders on the passage of historic Outer Continental Shelf revenue sharing legislation. . . .


12.05.06 - A Vote for Louisiana's Coastline -- The Time is Now!
By Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

The tremendous progress we have made recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita can easily be wiped away if our vulnerable and fragile coast is not restored and protected. In the final days of the 109th Congress, lawmakers have a critical window in which to save our coast and its communities. . . .


12.05.06 - The Krewe of Estys Lends a Helping Hand

The Krewe of Estys, a proud group of America's WETLAND campaign action characters known as the Estuarians, lent a hand at a restorative planting of New Orleans' City Park. . . .


12.04.06 - An Important First Step
By Newt Gingrich
Washington Times

In the remaining days of its lame-duck session, the House should adopt Sen. Pete Domenici and Sen. Mary Landrieu's narrowly drawn bill to expand Gulf Coast oil and gas production. If adopted, it would give the Gulf states a greater share of oil revenues to rebuild and restore the vanishing coastline. The Domenici-Landrieu bill is a good first step toward a process in which other states could apply for permission to develop new offshore oil and gas reserves in exchange for a share of the revenues. . . .


12.04.06 - Congress Must Act to Restore Wetlands
By J. Bennett Johnston
The Shreveport Times

For over three decades, Louisiana's congressional delegation has worked to educate Washington about the critical link of energy-producing states to domestic energy and economic security. In that time, we have witnessed the disintegration of vast acreage of valuable wetlands, which support the economy and protect communities, industry and wildlife alike. . . .


12.04.06 - Royalty Bills Reach Critical Crossroad
By Matthew Penix
New Orleans City Business

After decades of lobbying, the Senate offshore oil revenue sharing bill is in position for congressional approval Tuesday, which would pump $210 million into Louisiana's coastal restoration efforts over the next 10 years. . . .


11.30.06 - CPRA Releases Comprehensive Coastal Protection Master Plan for Louisiana


11.27.06 - Oil Revenue Sharing Plan Pushed
By Mike Keller
Sun Herald

Gulf states should lobby Congress for offshore oil and gas leasing legislation that allows revenue sharing between the federal government and directly-impacted states, an appointee of Louisiana's governor said Wednesday. . . .


11.21.06 - Sharing the Wealth
By Houston Chronicle

Sharing the wealth: Congress should give Gulf Coast states a portion of federal revenues from offshore oil and gas. . . .


11.21.06 - Some House Republicans Urge 'Pragmatic' Oil Vote
Eighteen House GOP moderates, determined to see action taken this year, Monday urged their party's leadership to drop support for a broader offshore oil and gas drilling bill and instead adopt one approved by the Senate. . . .


11.17.06 - Natural Poltical Gas The Wall Street Journal

Congress will return for one more lame-duck go-round after Thanksgiving, and if it wants an easy victory for the U.S. economy it'll whip through the offshore dirlling bill that has passed the Senate and awaits action in conference. . . .


11.07.06 - Royalty-sharing Bill May Be Priority
By Bruce Alpert
The Times-Picayune

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday that he hopes a post-election session of Congress will take up an energy bill that would provide money from royalty revenue-sharing to Louisiana and other producing states. . . .


11.03.06 - Give the Gift of America's WETLAND This Holiday Season

Start your holiday shopping early and don't get caught without a unique gift for special friends and family. Join the authors of America's WETLAND, Louisiana's Vanishing Coast at two special book signings and leave with one-of-a-kind personalized gifts that give back to help save Louisiana's coast. . . .


11.03.06 - A Victory Won for State's Coast
By Editorial Staff
The Advocate

The campaign to save Louisiana's coast is being waged on many fronts, and it won't be won in a single battle. . . .


10.24.06 - Governor Blanco Announces Historic MMS Lawsuit Settlement
By Governor Blanco

For the first time in the history of Louisiana we have proven that when it comes to oil and gas development off our coast, it is no longer business as usual. . . .


10.24.06 - Blanco wins offshore oil suit
By John Hill
The Shreveport Times

The federal government's agreement to study the cumulative environmental impact of offshore oil drilling on Louisiana's coast increases political pressure on Congress to share revenue, state officials said Tuesday. . . .


10.23.06 - A Reason to Drill in the Gulf
By NY Times Staff

It is time to make a serious effort to save the vanishing wetlands and barrier islands along the coast of Louisiana. The best chance is a bill passed by the Senate that would guarantee Louisiana and three other coastal states a share of oil and gas revenues from drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. . . .


10.21.06 - Storming Capitol Hill to Help Louisiana
By Ann Simmons
LA Times

Women of the Storm encourage lawmakers to visit the devastated Gulf Coast so they will be roused to offer aid. Scores have accepted. . . .


10.11.06 - Mulch Madness
By Steve Fleischli
The New York Times

Towering cypress once covered much of southern Louisiana  1,000-year-old trees darkened ancient, moss-laden, water-saturated forests. These wetlands not only gave the bayou its flavor, its culture and its mystery, they also acted as critical natural speed bumps for major storms. . . .


10.03.06 - Louisiana Governor's Statement After USGS Report
By Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

The U.S. Geological Survey, an agency within the U.S. Department of Interior, just released an official report that 217 square miles of Louisiana's coast was turned into open water during the two days of Katrina and Rita, almost nine times the amount of land usually lost in one year in our state. . . .


10.02.06 - Louisiana Governor's Statement on Offshore Royalties
By Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

Congress is leaving town to campaign for reelection without addressing the issues of greatest concern to the Gulf Coast. . . .


09.24.06 - A year later, Rita's wrath lingers
By Alan Gomez
USA TODAY

CAMERON, La. - Some recall Hurricane Rita as the storm that just missed Houston. Others vaguely remember it as the one that came after Katrina. The widespread anonymity of Rita has somehow reached the point where people along the Texas-Louisiana border - the ones whose towns and crops and neighbors were annihilated by Rita's 120-mph winds and 20-foot storm surge - have given Rita a new name: the Forgotten Hurricane. . . .


09.24.06 - La. Observes 1-Year Anniversary of Rita
By DOUG SIMPSON
The Associated Press

Hundreds in La. Observe 1-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Rita With Church Service . . .


09.22.06 - Governor's statement on the failure of Congress to reach agreement on offshore royalties
By Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

It's high time for Congress to get serious about saving a part of America's coast that is critical to the nation's economic and energy future. . . .


09.21.06 - Women Lobby to Save Wetlands
By Brian DeBose
The Washington Times

More than 130 women from the Louisiana-based group Women of the Storm stomped through Capitol Hill yesterday, knocking on the office doors of every Senate and House member to invite them to visit their state and support two bills in Congress aimed at saving the state's wetlands. . . .


09.04.06 - Rita Anniversary Nears. Ceremonies Celebrate Determination to Rebuild
By John Hill
Sunday Advertiser

After the first anniversary of Katrina, it's Rita's turn in the spotlight. . . .


09.03.06 - Revenue Sharing Pledges Made by Bush and Dems
By Editorial Staff
Lafayette Advertiser

We hope people in Washington were paying attention to the remarks of President Bush during his most recent visit to New Orleans. The president offered much encouragement, pledging that the lessons of Katrina were learned and the federal government will prove that in continued dealings with present storm-related problems and in responding to new ones that arise when disaster strikes again. . . .


08.30.06 - Dellucci Still Thinks of Home
By Ken Mandel
MLB.Com

On the one year anniversary of the hurricane that ravaged New Orleans, it still pains Dellucci to think about the area so close to his hometown of Baton Rouge, La. He chokes up recalling a day in October, when he returned to the region that had been pummeled by Katrina, then Rita. . . .


08.29.06 - Katrina's Real Lesson
By Nicole Gelinas
City Journal

Though President Bush declared on Saturday that Hurricane Katrina exposed deep-seated poverty in America, the disaster isnt ultimately a story of poverty or of race, but of the greatest failure of civil engineering in American history. . . .


08.29.06 - Katrina: A Year Lost
By Editorial Board
Philadelphia Inquirer

As New Orleans residents boarded up their windows and evacuated, or hunkered down to wait out Hurricane Katrina, they expected flooding. Living in a city below sea level, they'd seen their streets swamped by mere thunderstorms. That's why the city has an elaborate system of canals, levees and pumping stations. But New Orleanians didn't expect the catastrophic failure of what the Army Corps of Engineers now admits was a flood-control system "in name only." . . .


08.29.06 - Protecting a Coast, Post Katrina
By Larry O'Hanlon
Discovery News

In the year since the levees broke in New Orleans, scientists and engineers have found a lot of reasons for hope and despair in regard to coastal Louisianas future. . . .


08.25.06 - Cattle drive marks Hurricane Rita anniversary
By Richard Burgess
The Advocate

Amid cries that Hurricane Rita has been overshadowed by Katrina, there is hope that a cattle drive to mark Ritas anniversary might be unusual enough to push southwest Louisiana into the national spotlight. . . .


08.09.06 - Ducks Unlimited Pledges to Help Save Coastal Louisiana
By Don Young
Ducks Unlimited

Saving coastal Louisiana is vital to our conservation efforts and this amendment shows that Louisiana is ready to stand up and make coastal restoration a priority. . . .


08.08.06 - Louisiana Builds New Land with River Mud
By Peter Henderson
ABC News

Louisiana is mining a new type of black gold: Mississippi River mud. A pilot project at the river mouth shows how the hurricane-ravaged state may be able to rebuild its vanishing coast with fertile river bottom soil now dumped by dredges into the ocean. . . .


08.08.06 - Times-Picayune Editorial: Congress Needs to Reach Accord on OCS Bill
By Editorial Board
Times-Picayune

This state [Louisiana] needs a robust, guaranteed stream of money to address decades of damage and prevent future losses. Royalties from offshore drilling are the logical source. . . .


08.02.06 - Governor Blanco's Statement on the Passage of U.S. Senate Bill 3711
By Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco



08.01.06 - Times-Picayune Letter Urges: Damage to Coastline Affects the Entire Nation
By R. King Milling
America's WETLAND Campaign

One would think, as the pleadings assert, that the protection of our fragile coast would be a matter of enlightened self-interest on the part of the nation, but apparently that is not the case. Rather, the tone of federal correspondence leading up to the filing is nothing more than a backhanded and disdainful dismissal of these critical issues. . . .


07.31.06 - Senate Close on Offshore Drilling Bill
By H. Josef Hebert
The Associated Press

The Senate was ready Monday to clear the way for opening 8.3 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling...But a battle loomed with the House, which has approved a bill that would allow drilling far beyond the limited acreage in the central Gulf of Mexico. . . .


07.30.06 - Blanco Battles U.S. Over Oil on Two Fronts
By John Hill
The Shreveport Times

Even if Gov. Kathleen Blanco achieves her goal of persuading the White House and Congress to share more offshore oil revenues with Louisiana, her environmental lawsuit seeking to block the Aug. 16 offshore lease sale will continue. . . .


07.24.06 - US Senators Respond "We're Not 'Robbing the Feds' on Energy Royalties" in Washington Post Letter to the Editor The Washington Post

"Protecting America's most productive coastline makes fiscal and common sense. That is what our bill does, and your editorial should have said so." . . .


07.24.06 - Blanco's lawsuit aims at helping to restore coast Daily Advertiser

The Daily Advertiser Editorial urges that "...the bottom line is our wetlands are tremendously valuable - both to us and the rest of the nation. We need the federal government's help to protect and rebuild them. Perhaps Blanco's lawsuit will get Washington's attention" . . .


07.21.06 - Blanco sues to halt sales of energy leases
By Pam Radtke Russell
The Times-Picayune

Making good on her threat, Gov. Kathleen Blanco and the State of Louisiana on Thursday filed suit against the federal government to stop a sale of offshore oil and gas leases next month. . . .


07.21.06 - LA Governor Files Suit To Stop Offshore Lease Sale
By Angel Gonzalez
Dow Jones Newswires

After months of escalating threats, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court against the U.S. Minerals Management Service to block an upcoming Gulf of Mexico offshore oil and gas lease sale. . . .


07.20.06 - Louisiana Governor Blanco Takes Legal Action Against the Minerals Management Service
By Office of Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

The complaint states the ways in which the MMS has violated the National Environmental Protection Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act in moving forward with Lease Sale 200. . . .


07.18.06 - Road to Recover Sinking into Gulf
By Elliot Blair Smith
USA Today

USA TODAY article describes "the intersection of a fading Cajun dream" where residents of Louisana are "in a situation that is increasingly vulnerable, every day" . . .


07.18.06 - Interior Secretary supports OCS revenue sharing
By Rebecca Mowbray
The Times-Picayune

Interior Secretary states that the federal government should share the revenues it generates from offshore oil and gas development with the states whose coastlines, infrastructure and people support it. . . .


07.13.06 - Senate Reaches Deal on Revenue Sharing Legislation
By Ana Radelat
Shreveport Times

Senators heralded what they called a historic compromise Wednesday . . .


06.19.06 - In Louisiana, a Sinking Island Wars With Water and the Government
By Dan Barry
The New York Times

For natural and manufactured reasons, 30 square miles of South Louisiana wetlands vanish every year into the Gulf. . . .


06.19.06 - Times-Picayune Features Editorial on Offshore Continental Shelf
By The Times-Picayune

Leaving Louisiana at risk, without a stable and robust source of money to rebuild its ravaged coast, would be a foolish path for the country to take. . . .


06.09.06 - America's Wetland Revival Tour featured as "Cool 2 Do" in Newsday


06.02.06 - Blanco firm on threat to block Gulf lease sale
By Leslie Williams
Times Picayune Staff writer

She says revenue needed to help protect the coast . . .


06.01.06 - The Last Line of Defense
By Ted Williams
National Audubon Society

There was almost nothing natural about the so-called worst natural disaster in U.S. history. New Orleans was inundated because of the very river manipulations that were supposed to save it. One thing is clear: The only flood protection that ever worked is wetlands. . . .


05.19.06 - Storm Warning II
June 1, 2006 - 8:45 a.m.
Tad Gormley Stadium City Park - New Orleans, LA . . .


05.17.06 - A Mighty Challenge
By Christopher Hallowell
Audubon Society

Last summer few people outside of Louisiana, or even in it, knew that every year the state loses more than 15,000 acres of protective, productive coastal wetlands or that a Dead Zone as big as New Jersey forms in the Gulf of Mexico. Then Katrina and Rita struck, bringing devastation, and a new commitment to tackle the Mississippi River's many problems. Still, any grand fix must take into account the whole river, from top to bottom, while balancing the competing interests pulling it apart. . . .


05.08.06 - Blanco renews offshore leases threat
By JOE GYAN JR.
Baton Rouge Advocate

Stressing that "time is running out" to restore Louisiana's rapidly eroding coastline, Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Thursday she will block the federal government's next offshore oil and gas lease sale. . . .


05.05.06 - Blanco vows lease block: Oil royalties must go to La.
By Pam Radtke Russell
The Times Picayune

"So far I see no sign of positive response," Blanco said Thursday. "I will be forced in August to say that the plan is not consistent. The state is forced to protect itself in any way it can." . . .


05.04.06 - Blanco reaffirms intent to block lease sales without royalty revisions
By Kathryn Jezer-Morton
Staff Writer, New Orleans CityBusiness

NEW ORLEANS - Gov. Blanco will deny the planned August Mineral Management Service offshore drilling lease sale unless the federal government approves some form of royalty sharing with Louisiana. . . .


04.24.06 - Money Worth Spending New York Times

New York Times Editorial: While Trent Lott is doing cartwheels to glue tourism projects to the emergency spending bill, there is a Katrina-related project that really does deserve to be added to the legislation. It involves restoring coastal wetlands and barrier islands.

. . .


04.16.06 - Phils' Dellucci helps Katrina victims
By SCOTT LAUBER
THE NEWS JOURNAL

Outfielder making a difference for his native Louisiana . . .


04.14.06 - The Last Puzzle Pieces The Washington Post

The reconstruction of New Orleans requires one final burst of political goodwill. . . .


03.29.06 - New Orleans women partner with national groups
By Rukmini Callimachi
Associated Press

When a group of New Orleans women chartered a private jet and flew to Washington in January imploring members of Congress to visit their hurricane-scarred city, one of their selling points was their size. . . .


03.22.06 - Restoring wetlands as important as rebuilding levees, expert says
By Bob Marshall
The Times-Picayune

"This is called greenbelt defense. On soils like we have, marsh and trees - even small amounts - can be better armoring than concrete and steel, because they don't sink, and don't have to be rebuilt." "Katrina has proven these are things we must start considering." . . .


03.20.06 - State-U.S. revenue sharing at core of offshore plans
By Oren Dorell
USA Today



03.11.06 - Two key senators go to bat for N.O.
By Jeff Duncan
The Times-Picayune

After tour of ruins, they pledge to back city's financial bailout . . .


03.06.06 - Why New Orleans Needs Saving
By By Newt Gingrich, John M. Barry
AEI

The City's Natural Vulnerability Is Also Its Greatest Strength . . .


03.04.06 - Women's mission accomplished as congressional leaders tour city
By Rukminiu Callimachi
Associated Press

Before House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi left her New Orleans hotel room Saturday morning, she made sure to attach a small, square-shaped pin to her lapel. The pin, flashing the logo of the Women of the Storm, marked a victory for a group of 140 mothers, housewives, lawyers, debutantes and business owners who chartered a private jet and flew to Washington in January. . . .


02.27.06 - Tint City
By Hank Stuever
The Washington Post

It's the Season of the Tarp, And Every One the Same Sad Hue . . .


02.25.06 - New Orleans residents finding humor the best medicine
By Bob Dart
Austin-American Statesman

Participants and celebrants use Mardi Gras to poke a little fun at their troubles. . . .


02.24.06 - Powell says wetlands, levees vital to La.
By Cain Burdeau
Associated Press

Building higher levees isn't the sole solution to protecting this city and the rest of low-lying south Louisiana from killer hurricanes, President Bush's adviser on Gulf Coast recovery said Thursday. . . .


02.06.06 - Revenue Sharing Can Aid Our Energy Independence
By Former Senator John Breaux
as published in The Wall Street Journal

Former Senator John Breaux's response to Ronald Bailey's, Wall Street Journal editorial, "Presidential Energy1" published on February 2. . . .


02.02.06 - La. renews call for 'fair share' of offshore oil royalties
By Pam Radtke Russell
The Times-Picayune

Money would restore wetlands, levees . . .


02.01.06 - Blanco: No offshore signoffs unless La. gets royalty share
By Jan Moller and Pam Radtke Russell
The Times-Picayune

Money could finance hurricane protection . . .


01.31.06 - 'Women of the Storm' push for more Katrina funding
By Mimi Hall
USA Today

Carrying umbrellas the same bright blue as the tarps that cover thousands of Katrina-ravaged homes, 140 women from the New Orleans area went to Capitol Hill on Monday and invited members of Congress to visit their ruined city. . . .


01.31.06 - 'Women of the Storm' invite lawmakers to ravaged city
By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI
The Associated Press

New Orleans group lobbies Congress to see the destruction up close . . .


01.26.06 - Storming DC
By Leslie Williams
The Times-Picyune

Local activists think every member of Congress needs to see Katrina's devastation firsthand. And they plan to invite them, in person. . . .