Vanishing Paradise

Travels with Andy: Heavy Oil Arrives & the Long Road Ahead

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by Andy McDaniels 

 Well my friends, the worst has happened. After a month of spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico, heavy oil concentrations are moving into the Louisiana wetlands. I shudder to think of the consequences, and of the impacts this will have on the wintering grounds for our waterfowl. Many species of wildlife are already being impacted. Now is the time, we must unite to protect this, our, national treasure. North America’s largest wetlands complex and the wintering grounds for over ten million of our ducks and geese is in jeopardy.

Vanishing Paradise folks will be here to help with the clean up and to keep you informed. Help us spread the word, and sign up on vanishing paradise to stay on top of this issue. 

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See what organizations and businesses are signing the letter in support for wetlands restoration in Coastal Louisiana.

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Published May 21st, 2010 | Permalink


Press Release: BP Oil Spill Draws Thousands of Concerned Sportsmen to Virtual Town Hall

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Washington, DC (May 7, 2010) – A virtual town hall hosted by National Wildlife Federation tonight drew thousands of hunters and anglers concerned about the tremendous ecological and wildlife impacts of the BP oil spill along the Gulf Coast. The area is a draw for hunters and anglers nationwide and often called a “Sportsman’s Paradise.”

Louisiana’s coast sustains one of the world’s largest fisheries, produces the largest catch of redfish, hosts up to 20% of the nation’s wintering waterfowl, and is home to more than 400 species of birds, fish and wildlife. It is bracing for what could be the worst oil spill in America’s history.

NWF has a team on the ground in Venice, Louisiana, leading boat tours of the region and has served as a focal point for volunteer activism and media inquiries. Leading the team is NWF President and CEO Larry Schweiger who spoke about what he’s witnessed over the last several days.

“With a huge volume of oil flowing in the Gulf of Mexico unabated, we clearly have an epic catastrophe unfolding,” Schweiger said. “The greatest coastal wetland system in America is at the height of spring wildlife nesting season, including the Louisiana mottled duck, now faces what may be the largest oil spill in the nation’s history. It is hard to imagine a more dire situation.”

Bob Marshall, Times Picayune outdoor staff writer and conservation editor-at-large for Field and Stream spoke about his personal connection to the Gulf Coast and his alarm at what may be in store.

“This river of oil is still flowing out of the Gulf [and] these toxins will stay in the marsh mud for years,” said Marshall. “We need your help to turn this around.”

Coastal Louisiana was already in trouble prior to the spill. Levees built for flood control have straight-jacketed the Mississippi River. Instead of spreading nutrient-rich sediment that builds and sustains the delta and surrounding wetlands, the sediment funnels into the Gulf of Mexico. Canals dredged for navigation and oil and gas extraction have carved up the once-vast coastal wetland system. The canals accelerate saltwater intrusion, destroying the protective cypress forests and replacing brackish and freshwater wetlands with degraded salt marshes. Coupled with sea-level rise caused by global warming, Louisiana is losing the equivalent of about two football fields of land every hour. Since the 1930s, more than 2,300 square miles of Louisiana’s vital marshlands have disappeared. Schweiger made clear that restoration of Coastal Louisiana and a clean energy future would be priorities NWF would aggressively pursue.

For audio of the town hall, visit http://www.vanishingparadise.org/oilspill and interviews contact NWF.

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The National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.

Immediate Release: May 5, 2010

Contact:

Tony Iallonardo, senior communications manager, 202-797-6612, iallonardot@nwf.org

Published May 7th, 2010 | Permalink


National Phone Chat: What is at Stake in the Gulf Coast?

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 vintagehunt

Please join Bob Marshall, outdoor staff writer for the New Orleans based Times Picayune and conservation editor-at-large for Field and Stream, and NWF’s President and CEO, Larry Schweiger on a free phone conservation about the fishing and hunting grounds at risk in Louisiana from the gulf oil spill.

Please call in tomorrow, May 5th, at 7pm Central Time

Bob and Larry will be calling in from ground zero in Louisiana, and will relay the most up-to-date impacts on the treasured fishing and hunting grounds in America’s Sportsman’s Paradise.

Stay tuned with information at www.vanishingparadise.org/oilspill

>>Live recording of tele townhall

Published May 4th, 2010 | Permalink


Travels with Andy: Motivating the Masses & Volunteer Efforts

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by Andy McDaniels
(May 4, 2010) Recent events have put Louisiana’s coast in the nation’s spotlight. As we prepare for the worst, large-scale coastal restoration just became much more important.The Gulf Coast—which sustains one of the world’s largest fisheries and is home to more than 600 species of birds, fish and wildlife—is bracing for what could be the worst oil spill in America’s history. It is difficult to fathom the environmental damage that is being caused by this spill, not to mention the socioeconomic repercussions this will have on people and communities who rely on the Gulf Coast for their livelihoods.

The National Wildlife Federation and the Louisiana Wildlife Federation will be on the ground in impacted areas, assessing the impact on wildlife and habitat and helping determine what volunteers can do to help. NWF is coordinating volunteer efforts with local and national partners, BP, and local, state, and federal officials. To sign up to help in the recovery effort, please visit www.gulfresponse.org.

As you know, NWF was already entrenched in the restoration of coastal Louisiana before this spill happened. Now we are using our in-depth knowledge of the ecosystem, wildlife and habitats, and local and state governments to stand at the forefront of volunteer recovery with National Audubon Society, the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.

NWF is also on the ground in Louisiana in a big way. President and CEO Larry Schweiger has been touring the area to assess the damage and potential impacts, as well as how NWF can best use our resources to help in the recovery of the coast.

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Andy McDaniels is the National Sportsmen Outreach Coordinator for NWF’s Coastal Louisiana Restoration program. Andy grew up hunting and fishing and was immersed in conservation activism at an early age. His grandfather started the Oklahoma Outdoor Council in 1950 which became the Oklahoma Wildlife Federation. In 2002, Andy accepted the position of Executive Director of the Oklahoma Wildlife Federation. In addition, he started the Conservation Coalition of Oklahoma, which included the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, Quail Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation and others.

 

Published May 4th, 2010 | Permalink


Case Study Gives Glimpse of Future for Gulf Wildlife

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The Gulf of Mexico is not the first to experience oil spills in its water, though it is likely to go on record as being the worst. As we were searching around for wildlife articles to update our new page on the oilspill, we stumbled across this brief report from US Fish & Wildlife Services. It is an overview of what happened to wildlife in Prince William Sound area, and can give us a glimpse of the future for Gulf coast wildlife:

US Fish & Wildlife Services: Effects of Oil Spill on Wildlife and Habitat – Alaska Region [pdf]

Published May 3rd, 2010 | Permalink