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Donald F. Boesch
Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Activities |
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From My Time in Louisiana
I have experienced Louisiana's vast wetlands since I was a youngster, going on many fishing trips to the St. Bernard Parish marshes with my father. During the 1980s I had the opportunity to return to work amidst the wetlands as the first Executive Director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) and supervise the building of the Defelice Marine Center at Cocodrie. Extensive wetland research has since been conducted on wetlands from the Center, surrounded by vast salt marshes. While at LUMCON, I convened a Conference on Coastal Erosion and Wetland Modification in Louisiana: Causes, Consequences and Options and edited the proceedings (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service FWS/OBS-82/59), a landmark publication in the evolution of consensus on wetland loss and restoration options. In addition, I published several synthesis papers on coastal wetlands (see the Wetlands section of my publication list). |
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W. Alton Jones Panel (1993-94)
I chaired the Scientific Assessment of Wetland Loss, Restoration and Management, sponsored by the W. Alton Jones Foundation. The panel's report provided independent evaluation of the rates and causes of wetlands loss and made recommendations for a hierarchical strategy for protection and restoration building on the programs being initiated under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) of 1990. This widely cited report contributed to more comprehensive thinking about coast-wide restoration. The report was published in the Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue Nol 20 and is available in pdf from here. |
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National Technical Review Committee
Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration
Between 2002 and 2005 I served on the National Technical Review Committee (NTRC), formed to provide independent review and advice to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Louisiana on the plan for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Ecosystem Restoration.
In addition, the members of the NTRC have published an article in Ecological Engineering on lessons learned from their experiences in providing this review and advice. wers |
Landsat images before (2002) and after (September 7, 2005) Katrina. New Orleans at upper left. |
New Framework for Coastal Louisiana
In response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as the NTRC chair, I coordinated the assistance of the NTRC and served as a source of information and analysis to the news media. Katrina brought national attention to the importance of Louisiana coastal wetland restoration and this is likely to result in a sense of urgency for its implementation. However, the effects of the hurricane both on coastal environments and population centers will require rethining aspects of the LCA Plan. Links to commentaries and press interviews on hurricane impacts and restoration requirements:
As an outgrowth of the NTRC, I chaired a Working Group for Post-Hurricane Planning for and the Louisiana Coast that produced a report on a new framework that integrates coastal restoration with flood protection and navigation. These two efforts led to the publication of a review in Science magazine: Restoration of the Mississippi Delta: Lessons from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
I also co-chaired an American Geophysical Conference of Experts on Post-Katrina Science that produced the report Hurricanes and the U.S. Gulf Coast: Science and Sustainable Rebuilding. |
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Science Board
Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration Program
In 2006 I was appointed to the Science Board for the LCA Ecosystem Restoration Program and elected as the Chair. The charge to the Science Board is to (1) understand and improve the technical underpinnings of the program, (2) review the structure and opertions of the Science and Technology Program, and (3) review and improve the processes for integrating the S&T Program activities with the LCA Ecosystem Restoration Program.
The Science Board is also providing advice to the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Program (LaCPR) and the State's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority's (CPRA) comprehensive planning efforts.
Report of the June 2006 meeting
Report of the September 2006 meeting
Report of the December 2006 meeting
Report of the March 2007 meeting
Report of the June 2007 meeting
Report of the September 2007 meeting
Comments on draft Adaptive Management plan
Report on the January 2008 meeting
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P.O. Box
775, Cambridge, MD 21613
