• Climate Change and Louisiana
• Bycatch in the Gulf of Mexico
• Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the Gulf of Mexico
• National Sierra Club Take Action Web site
• Louisiana's disappearing coast
• Protecting special places: The Atchafalaya
• Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy
• Bush called upon to abandon proposal to repeal roadless area conservation rule
• The Delta Chapter Waste and Recycling page
• Environmental Justice in Louisiana

All members and other concerned citizens who love Louisiana's natural heritage to please take action to oppose the state's planned expansion of US Highway 167 through Winn and Grant Parishes - and through Louisiana's only national forest, the Kisatchie. The plan would widen the highway from two lanes to at least 4 lanes, and possibly more. This would result in detrimental environmental effects on timber resources, scenic beauty, and wildlife habitat. Furthermore, the Catahoula National Wildlife Area is located within the Kisatchie National Forest and would be directly impacted by the widening of US Highway 167.

In addition, the Village of Dry Prong lies within the forest borders, and the townspeople there are opposed to the planned widening of the highway through their town. They rightfully fear the expanded roadway would basically destroy their town.

We would ask anyone concerned to please write to:

Greta Boley, Forest Supervisor
US Forest Service
2500 Shreveport Highway
Pineville, Louisiana

and ask her NOT to approve the expansion of US Highway 167 through the Kisatchie National Forest. The Forest Service also needs to perform an Environmental Impact Statement before granting their approval of this road expansion.

Also write to:

Hon. Kathleen B. Blanco
Governor, State of Louisiana
P.O. Box 94004
Capital Station
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

with your concerns.

The Kisatchie National Forest belongs to ALL of us. We need to get involved NOW to help save Louisiana's only national forest, before it is paved over in the name of "progress."

The Delta Chapter continues a campaign to hold state agencies accountable for testing fish across the state for mercury contamination, for issuing fish consumption advisories in a prompt and responsible manner, for notifying the public of fish advisories, for testing the human population for mercury poisoning due to eating fish, and for identifying sources of mercury to the environment and working to reduce emissions.

The Sierra Club worked closely with LWF and other conservation organizations to help the Louisiana Departments of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), and Health and Hospitals (LDHH) to obtain funds from the Legislature to expand their mercury testing program and provide public education on mercury. We produced a fact sheet on mercury contamination, and distributed it at the Louisiana Environmental Educators Symposium, Louisiana Hunting and Fishing Day, Earth Day events, and meetings and talks to other groups. We also participated in writing two brochures printed by the state agencies and distributed to o.b. doctors and pediatricians, public health units, fishers, and the general public.

Working with LWF and other hunting and fishing groups, the Sierra Club wrote letters requesting signs at government-operated boat landings advising fishers of fish consumption advisories, and demanded replies and justification for refusal from LDEQ, LDWF, and LDHH. The Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) passed a resolution supporting the request, as did the St. Tammany Parish Police Jury. This issue is ongoing, as the LDEQ has tentatively agreed to honor the request, but signs have yet to be placed. The Sierra Club birddogged LDHH to ensure that a survey of mercury in human blood took place and was publicized. We continue to call for the release of the LDHH report on the results of their survey.

Dr. Barry Kohl presented a talk on mercury pollution in the Pearl River at a Sierra Club-sponsored conference "Rivers of the Florida Parishes: Water Quality, Past, Present, and Future." Dr. Kohl has also begun investigating sources of mercury contamination in sediments by obtaining data from LDEQ and making a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request of the Coast Guard.

The Sierra Club kept informed of LDEQ's placement of wet deposition monitors to track mercury contamination in air as part of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program. We also wrote to DEQ requesting that they map known possible sources of mercury. They promptly complied with this request and presented the results at the Tulane Environmental Law Conference in February 1998. Although LDWF wished to remove all information on fish consumption advisories from the Fishing Regulations rule book, Sierra Club action ensured that this important information remained in the book and available to fishers.

Sierra Club has continued to press for advisories where needed, reviewing LDEQ data and questioning LDHH advisory decisions. Sierra Club has worked successfully with other organizations to educate the public about mercury contamination in fish. The Sierra Club and LWF released two national reports, "Gone Fishing," and "Fish Without Fear", which received press and television coverage in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

When a proposed interstate bypass around Baton Rouge threatened homes and natural areas such as Alligator Bayou, Spanish Lake, Bayou Manchac, and wetlands along the Amite River, the Sierra Club joined other groups and individuals in a coalition called the Alliance for Responsible Transportation (ART). In addition to resolutions passed by the Sierra Club and LWF, ART produced fact sheets, ran newspaper ads, initiated a postcard campaign and petition to public officials, issued statements, and produced The Baton Rouge Bypass: A Citizens' Report. This report, detailing why the bypass wouldn't solve traffic congestion problems, was released to government officials, media, and elected representatives. ART and the Sierra Club kept media attention focused on the issue. A press conference at the Louisiana Legislature with Rep. John "Juba" Diez, chair of the House Transportation Committee, resulted in the headline "Bypass plan declared dead."

The Delta Chapter has long taken a stand in opposition to cypress trees being cut strictly to be ground into landscape mulch. Now we all have an opportunity to do something that can really make a difference - defend the Final Draft Report to the Governor of Louisiana from the Science Working Group on Coastal Wetland Forest Conservation and Use.

The scientists found that cypress rarely regenerates on its own and the young trees that do sprout are subject to consumption by nutria, excessive flooding, salinity intrusion, invasive species taking over, etc., significantly reducing their chances of survival. Cypress forests are now in the same category as pine forests that have very different rates of regeneration! IF WE VALUE CYPRESS FORESTS WE HAVE LEFT, THEY MUST BE RE-DESIGNATED NOW! It will be too late after they've been "harvested".

Simply go online to http://www.coastalforestswg.lsu.edu/ and click on the line reading "LCA Final Report" to read the report (it's long, but please see Page 7 in particular). Click on "Public Input" on the left side of the page to send your comments by e-mail, or to get the mailing address.

Please send written comments to be included in the public record to the Gov. Advisory Panel on Coastal Forests at: Fax : (225) 342-5214 or E-mail : goca@gov.state.la.us It's probably best to get them in before July 25 when the Advisory Panel meets again.

If you prefer, the Sierra Club can forward your comments for you. Simply follow this link. You will be taken to an online comment form that will be forwarded upon completion. This service is brought to you courtesy of the Baton Rouge Group of the Sierra Club.

Suggested comments:

• Urge immediate reclassification of cypress forests as non-sustainable (it would take hundreds of years for new trees to grow to maturity - they should really be considered "old-growth forests)
• Insist that plans for the cypress/tupelo forests' regeneration be in place BEFORE they are harvested
• Reiterate that the few seedlings that sprout have very little chance of growing to maturity because of nutria, flooding, salinity, invasive species choking them out, etc.
• As large numbers of neo-tropical migrant land bird species migrate through the coastal forests of Louisiana, these species' viability must be taken into consideration in valuing cypress/tupelo forests
• Commend the group of scientists who drafted the report!

• This is a PDF file (91Kb) on the myths about harvesting and using Cypress mulch.
• This is a PDF file
(92Kb) of the Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy's comments to the Coastal Forest Science Working Group regarding wetland forest conservation and use.
• This is a PDF file (75Kb) of the Mississippi River Basin Alliance's comments to the Coastal Forest Science Working Group regarding wetland forest conservation and use.
• This is a PDF file (98Kb) of a press release calling for expanded protection of the State's Cypress Forests by major Louisiana Conservation Groups.

A Sierra Club sponsored Earth Day event at Alligator Bayou, K.I.S.S. the Earth Day (Keep it Scenic and Swampy) highlighted the natural beauty and public value of wetland areas and swamps. Press releases, advertising, and flyers helped publicize the event. Concurrent radio advertising highlighted the threats to the places we live and the places we love. Postcards distributed on the day of the event targeted local officials and their responsibility to help prevent wetland destruction.

The Honey Island Group of the Sierra Club, along with Southeastern University, presented a conference on "Rivers of the Florida Parishes: Water Quality Past, Present, and Future." Speakers included government officials, academics, and representatives of state agencies and public interest groups. A synopsis of the conference is available on the group's web site.

The Baton Rouge Group of the Sierra Club initiated "Bayoukeepers", an ongoing water quality testing program and canoe trip at Alligator Bayou. Our kick-off canoe/sampling trip was covered by the Baton Rouge Advocate, as well as the Sierra Club Planet. Harold Schoeffler and the Acadiana Group also conducted water quality testing in the Vermillion River.

A lawsuit filed against EPA by the Sierra Club and the Louisiana Environmental Action Network resulted in a judgment that EPA and DEQ must set Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL's) on 255 water bodies in Louisiana, a requirement that should have been completed by 1979 under the 1972 Clean Water Act. TMDL's establish an overall limit to the amount of pollution that can be discharged from all sources to a particular water body, providing more comprehensive protection for water quality than individual permits.

The Sierra Club is working with the citizens of Amelia and Morgan City to publicize facts about the public health hazard of re-permitting the Marine Shale Processors hazardous waste incinerator. Communities across Louisiana who are impacted by chemical waste united at a Sierra Club press conference outside the Republican Governor's Convention in New Orleans. Our comments to DEQ on the draft permits for GTX pointed out, among other things, that GTX would emit over 2000 pounds of mercury to the air each year in an area where high levels of mercury have been detected in fish.

A national Sierra Club report, The Dark Side of the American Dream: The Costs and Consequences of Urban Sprawl, detailed the environmental impacts of uncontrolled urban growth. Nationwide and local press coverage made urban sprawl a topic of serious public discussion and helped elevate ideas for solutions such as "Smart Growth" and "New Urbanism." A resolution passed by the Baton Rouge Group and presented to the Advocate editorial board suggested transit-oriented development and transportation alternatives.

ART and the Sierra Club continue to work together to promote transportation alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles. Members attended meetings of the Capital Transportation Corporation and promoted better bus service for Baton Rouge. Mr. R. J. Goebel with the Capital Region Planning Commission spoke to the groups about the Transportation Improvement Plan.

ART and the Sierra Club also sponsored a Park n Ride to an LSU football game - to help relieve traffic congestion and to promote the use of buses. The Tiger Stadium Park n Ride was expanded to cover all LSU home games in 1999, and will be used to help build public acceptance of transportation alternatives to cars.

The two groups also cooperated to release a report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, Mean Streets 1998: Children at Risk. This report identified Louisiana as the sixth most dangerous state for child pedestrians. Press releases prior to this event resulted in newspaper and extensive television coverage of pedestrian issues.

Sierra Club staff and volunteers were active in many other areas of natural resource protection. Sierra Club reports released locally detailed the threat to public health of cancer-causing emissions, and the threat to water quality and drinking water of Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO's). Members attended and raised questions at public meetings such those held on Governor Foster's Vision 2020 plan. The Sierra Club lobbyist and legislative program were active at the Louisiana Legislature. Local group newsletters, statewide newsletters, and national publications help to educate our members and the public about threats to Louisiana's natural resources, and what citizens can do to protect them.

The Delta Chapter opposes a proposed recreational reservoir in Washington Parish (opens a PDF file in a new window).

Go to http://www.angelfire.com/gundam/reservoir/ for details on proposed reservoirs all over the state.