# ON EARTH DAY AMERICA’S WETLAND FOUNDATION CELEBRATES THE IMPORTANCE OF WETLANDS WITH COMPLETED PROJECTS

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2019/04/americas-wetland-foundation-earth-day-projects/
- Published: 2019-04-22T23:58:34-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

Two restoration efforts restore 150 acres of vital wetlands

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – One year ago, the [America’s WETLAND Foundation](https://res.us/)(
AWF), [Resource Environmental Solutions](https://res.us/)(RES), and global energy
producer, [BHP](https://www.bhp.com/), stood where stands of bald cypress once gave
definition to swamps of the lower Mississippi Delta and announced their partnership
to restore the vital wetlands of Terrebonne Parish.

Today, just in time for Earth Day, the partners are proud to announce the completion
of two restoration projects – The Terrebonne Biodiversity and Resiliency Projects
[https://www.bhp.com/](https://www.bhp.com/) at Pointe-aux-Chenes & Bayou Terrebonne.
Together the two projects represent a private sector investment of $3.4 million 
dollars that restored 150 acres of [wetlands](https://greenlivingguy.com/2016/03/wetland-enhancement-in-midwest-could-help-reduce-catastrophic-floods-of-the-future/)
with a annual economic value of $1.2 million and other yearly benefits including,
280 tons of carbon sequestered, the elimination of up to 266 pounds of phosphorus
and 10,600 pounds of nitrogen to improve water quality in lower Terrebonne Parish.

Just two months ago, more than [160 volunteers](https://myemail.constantcontact.com/TO-OUR-VOLUNTEERS--THANK-YOU-FOR-HELPING-TO-SAVE-OUR-COAST.html?soid=1111489023135&aid=wSr3VuhOafQ)
[https://www.bhp.com/](https://www.bhp.com/) participated in Cypress Tree planting
in the Pointe-aux-Chenes area south of Houma to help restore 100 acres of an historic
Cypress-Tupelo swamp that has succumbed to salt water intrusion and in turn created
a threat to low lying communities in Terrebonne Parish and important wildlife habitats.
The volunteer planting was made possible with the help of eRotary Coastal.

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![](https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/wWp352HVGCod-HJUSbo9tkOdc5skZwr3ntM7sa5tycHHDTsu80-JFV931E2Th2uRVTAbSau8bp68jikPFuMI8Wham3jBldlXu0AaHQ12bhSKv4yf84Jc1giszoSzgvcgycOAic1H7wCU=s0-d-e1-ft#https://files.constantcontact.com/f9c88e9c201/d34c48cd-74e6-435e-92a6-91c91cea792d.jpg)

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_Volunteers Planting Cypress Trees at Pointe-aux-Chenes_

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Sustaining biodiversity in coastal areas is a reasonable goal for businesses and
communities alike,” said Selby Bush, Manager, Government Relations, Gulf of Mexico
for BHP.  “As a company with operations within coastal zones, it is always important
to participate with efforts to sustain ecosystems which provide support for all 
species and a healthy, resilient communities.  Our partnership to better the environment
in south Louisiana is a sign of our commitment to a sustainable earth. It has allowed
us to restore fresh water marshes and wetlands, planting of thousands of Bald Cypress
to reconstitute biodiversity.” 

[Earth Day](https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/04/earth-day-since-the-70s-a-founders-tale/)
is recognized once a year but in Louisiana our quest to restore Earth’s coast is
an everyday battle against time,” said Val Marmillion, AWF managing director. “By
letting the world know that we lose the equivalent of a football field of land each
hour to the rising tide, we become a marker for why everyone must work together 
to restore our coast so that all enjoy the benefits and resources that healthy the
wetlands provide.”

“The most rewarding aspect of our industry is to see the dramatic results of our
work when newly reforested lands replace the stands of trees left dying by salt 
water intrusion,” said Elliott Bouillion, President & CEO, RES. “Our environment
is resilient and our projects demonstrate that we can thrive with nature. We are
dedicated to coastal restoration, one acre at a time.”

This spirit of hope and dedication to the land that has hosted generations of Louisianans
is a big part of AWF’s drive to encourage private sector participation and support
for restoration projects in its recently announced Louisiana Coastal Exchange(LCX).

The LCX was launched at a statewide summit co-sponsored by the Louisiana Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority and the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities
in November of 2018. The Exchange is an inventory of completed privately funded 
projects and those available for funding, proposed by local governments or non-profit
organizations. 

The Pointe-aux-Chenes and Bayou Terrebonne projects are listed on the Exchange, 
as well as a demonstration project AWF sponsored two years ago that is thriving 
along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The one-mile embankment stabilization north
of LaRose, Louisiana, uses innovative technology with recycled plastics to form 
a grid for planting native species and holding the line against storm surges and
wave attenuation that pulsed salt water into fresh water marshes along the Waterway.“
These projects demonstrate that private industry and organizations can work together
for coastal restoration solutions that may not be a part of a larger [master plan](https://greenlivingguy.com/2018/02/new-york-offshore-wind-alliance-applauds-gov-cuomos-offshore-wind-master-plan/)
funded with public dollars,” Sidney Coffee, AWF senior advisor, said. “We call projects
like the Terrebonne projects transitional. They are necessary for ecosystem stabilization
and consistent with state restoration efforts but not prioritized for funding in
the plan.”

The unique partnership with AWF and the eRotary Coastal Club started with the recent
planting. It has moved us into a more involved phase as the club encouraging active
involvement of the community in coastal restoration. “We are, first, a service organization
dedicated to our communities. To be a part of calling volunteers together for a 
worthwhile community benefit is part of why we exist. Our e-Rotary Coastal club 
invites anyone interested in restoring our [coast to join in on the effort](https://greenlivingguy.com/2010/06/coast-guard-efforts-deepwater-during-the-oil-spill/)
of a lifetime,” e-Rotary Coastal president Charles Gaiennie, said.