Office of Conservation

America's Wetland Highlighted at National Estuaries Conference

Baton Rouge, LA – Jack Caldwell, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, today focused attention on Louisiana’s coastal land loss at the Inaugural National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration – Saving Our Coastal Heritage. Secretary Caldwell, along with other nationally recognized leaders in the field of coastal habitat restoration, presented the information at a plenary session, entitled “Leadership Visions in Habitat Restoration.”

“America’s WETLAND, a valuable landscape extending along Louisiana’s coast, is vital to the future of our nation, yet we are losing these wetlands at an alarming rate of about 25 square miles per year,” said Caldwell. “There is no other wetland loss occurring anywhere in the world on this great a scale, and the use of science and engineering to address this scale of land loss will surely serve as a model for others in future restoration efforts throughout the world.”

“Governor Mike Foster recently launched the America’s WETLAND: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana. It’s the largest, most comprehensive public awareness initiative in our state’s history, and we consider it the most important way to raise awareness and to gain support for our efforts to save this critical area of world ecological significance and of strategic economic importance to the nation and world,” said Caldwell.

Louisiana’s wetlands are the wintering habitat for millions of waterfowl and migratory birds whose habitat is lost as these wetlands disappear. More than 30 percent of the nation’s fisheries catch comes from offshore Louisiana, and the nation also relies on these working wetlands to protect the oil and gas pipelines that serve as a major artery for delivering 25 percent of the nation’s energy supply to heat our homes and power our cars.

Caldwell was recently recognized by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) as the Professional Conservationist of the Year for his contribution to the state's conservation efforts. LWF placed emphasis on Caldwell’s fight to bring national and worldwide attention to Louisiana's coastal land loss crisis.

The campaign was a proud sponsor and exhibitor at the conference, hosted by Restore America’s Estuaries. The four-day event brought together a diverse group of organizations representing every coastal region across the country, each committed to launching the coastal restoration community into a thriving and successful future.

Home to more than 40 percent of the nation’s wetlands, Louisiana’s wetlands are the wintering habitat for millions of waterfowl and migratory birds whose habitat is lost as the wetlands disappear, and more than 30 percent of the nation’s fisheries catch comes from offshore Louisiana. The nation also relies on these working wetlands, which provide protection for the oil and gas pipelines that serve as a major artery for delivering 25 percent of the nation’s energy supply to heat our homes and power our cars.

The America’s WETLAND campaign, announced by Governor Foster in August 2002 at a meeting of the Southern Governors’ Association, is designed to raise public awareness and to gain support for efforts to save coastal Louisiana. The initiative is supported by a growing cadre of world, national and state conservation and environmental organizations and has drawn private support from businesses that see wetlands protection as a key to economic growth.

To find out more about the America’s WETLAND: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana and how to get involved, visit www.americaswetland.com, or call toll-free 1-866-4WETLAND.

Editors: For more information on this topic, please contact DNR’s Public Information Office at 225/342-8955.