Louisiana Urges Restoration with 'Storm Warning'
As the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season opens, the America's Wetland Foundation (AWF) will bring together coastal leaders and residents for public demonstrations and rallies to urge national leaders to restore Louisiana's coast, the state's first line of defense against storm surge and an area vital to U.S. security.
Nearly four years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita decimated much of the region not nearly enough has been done to restore this invaluable landscape, which is eroding at an alarming rate of more than 17 miles a year, according to AWF. Scientists predict that if coastal wetland loss is not reversed in the next 10 years, this critical buffer, ecosystem, and economic center will be lost forever.
In the Storm Warning, a series of public demonstrations, rallies, and hearings will be held from May 30- June 1, to bring together citizens and leaders from across South Louisiana to "sound the alarm."
A forum on June 1 at the Lake Charles Civic Center will address such issues as insurability, vulnerable culture, disappearing habitat, and deteriorating infrastructure. Ultimately, all the presentations and testimony gathered will be presented to the members of the America's Energy Coast Community Resiliency Task Force, responding to a recently released Accord for Sustainability calling for specific actions on six fronts.