Restoration Center News

		Rollie Schmitten and Timothy Keeney congratulate Jack Caldwell (former Secretary of Louisiana DNR) for his 2004 Environmental Hero Award.

On May 21, 2004, NOAA Deputy Assistant Secretary, Timothy Keeney, and Office of Habitat Conservation Director, Rolland Schmitten, joined U.S. Senator John Breaux at Fort Jackson in Louisiana to celebrate six habitat restoration projects completed under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (otherwise known as the Breaux Act). NOAA Fisheries led three of the six projects providing over $8.5 million to help stabilize coastal Louisiana wetlands and provide critical habitat for commercially valuable fish and wildlife.

The NOAA projects showcase three innovative restoration strategies including, planting over 80,000 salt marsh plugs to reduce erosion on a fragile island chain, revamping a water control structure to restore fresh water flow to a 3,800 acre marsh, and deliberately breaching a river bank to allow small flows of water and sediment to reach adjacent wetland and subtidal habitat.

At the ceremony, Senator Breaux, who is retiring in January, announced a proposed bill to reauthorize the Breaux Act for an additional 10 years. The bill would add another $15 million annually for coastal Louisiana wetland restoration.

The projects dedicated on the 21st represent a small portion of the 26 projects completed by NOAA Fisheries and its partners in the past decade, which have protected and enhanced over 20,000 acres of coastal habitats.

The dedication event also provided an opportunity for Tim Keeney to present Jack Caldwell (former Secretary of Louisiana DNR) with a 2004 Environmental Hero Award for his unwavering commitment to coastal restoration and his significant contribution to environmental stewardship.

Contact:
Erik Zobrist, (301) 713-0174

More Pictures:

NOAA Deputy Assistant Secretary, Timothy Keeney toured the restoration projects by helicopter before the dedication event.		Office of Habitat Conservation Director, Rollie Schmitten thanks U.S. Senator John Breaux (D-LA) for his commitment to coastal restoration through spearheading the Breaux Act .