FREE Benefit Concert at Fort Jackson
Empire South Pass Tarpon Rodeo
Country for the Coast
FREE Benefit Concert
A line up of national and local country musicians are joining together to put on a FREE concert to benefit fishermen and the wetlands. The concert, a result of the team efforts of Empire South Pass Tarpon Rodeo in conjunction with Plaquemines Parish, will be held at Fort Jackson in Buras on Saturday, September 4, 2010 from 11 am to 12 midnight.
The artist lineup includes JAMIE O’NEAL, ANDY GRIGGS, JOE DIFFIE, DOUG STONE, Louisiana native and country star, SAMMY KERSHAW and local favorites MARK ADAM MILLER, DAVID ST. ROMAIN AND CHRISTIAN SERPAS AND GHOST TOWN.
Designated charities: Friends of the Fisherman Fund, the Barrier Island Restoration & Development Society, and the Recreational Fisheries Research Institute.
“We’re so glad to host this benefit concert in Plaquemines Parish to help the fishermen, their families, coastal restoration, and the damage to wildlife habitats caused by the oil spill,” said Plaquemines Parish president Billy Nungesser. “It’s so important that we keep the focus on our coast until all fishermen are made whole and our wetlands are restored. This family-friendly concert will help bring attention to each of those mentioned thanks to the musicians, organizers, and volunteers who are helping put the benefit concert on.”
The event is free to the public and sponsors will be afforded an opportunity to visit with all of the performers. Corporate sponsorships are still available for the event and begin at every level. Those interested in sponsorship packages should contact 504-577-0477 or jettie@bellsouth.net.
National artists are arriving on Friday to see the impacts of the oil spill. To schedule an interview, contact Jettie Watson at 504-577-0477 or jettie@bellsouth.net.
Empire South Pass Tarpon Rodeo
"Country for the Coast" Concert
Saturday, September 4, 2010
11:00AM - 12:00AM
Fort Jackson - Buras, LA
Click On The Following Link For BP Claims Info Update
BP Government Claims Process
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Remember the Past
Celebrate the Future
Click on the Buras Water Tower picture above to view before & after photos of Hurricane Katrina
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Click Parish Seal To View Plaquemines Parish GATEWAY TO AMERICA
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We suggest residents stay up to date by following news, radio, and internet reports during hurricane season. Click on icons for latest information.
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"Unbridled Greed!"
Special thanks to Daniel Pearlmutter of St. Louis, MO
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Click on the following links for complete details
LDWF Reopens All State Waters To Recreational Angling
LDWF Announces the Opening of Commercial Crab Fishing in Significant Areas West of the Mississippi River
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Nungesser & Guey meet oystermen about Freshwater Diversion Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser and Council Member Stuart Guey met with oyster fishermen about the freshwater diversion at Caernarvon affecting oyster beds. After the meeting President Nungesser had a discussion with the Governor’s Office about reducing the flow of the diversion. The following day the Caernarvon Diversion was cut back from approximately 8,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) to 500 cfs. In early May the State opened several diversions in an effort to increase water flow through the marshes to prevent oil from intruding. “Oysters spat two times a year, spring and fall. We have a season coming up in the next two months and the only way we could start the clock back was to cut the freshwater diversions off,” said Kenny Fox, a veteran of the oyster industry. “This industry is too valuable to Plaquemines Parish. We need to get the salinity levels back to where they were before the spill in order to secure any chance of harvesting a crop this year,” said President Nungesser. Plaquemines Parish has 36% of Louisiana’s oyster beds, 140,485 acres divided into 3,498 individual leases.
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VOTE NOW to improve habitat for Migratory birds!
Vote to get and keep Woodlands in the top 10!
Pepsi Refresh the Gulf Project - 50K funding for vital habitat
VOTE NOW! VOTE DAILY!
Please vote to put Woodlands in the top 10 and spread the word to your firiends who share an interest in restoring habitat for wildlife and migratory birds. If Woodlands can get in and stay in the top 10 until Septermber 2, the Gulf Pepsi Refresh Everything project will provide $50,000 for restoration work at Woodlands Trail and Park. The Woodlands Trail and Park Bird Sanctuary provides vital stop-over habitat for migratory birds while traveling along the Mississippi Flyway.
MISSION AND VISION
Wodlands Trail and Park was formed as a nonprofit organization in 2001 with the vision "to preserve and develop an ecosystem dedicated to creating daily public opportunities for recreation, ecotourism and education in a natural and historic setting". The vision of Woodlands Trail and Park is "to be the regional conservancy model for the conservation of hardwood forests, and a leader in the advocacy and preservation of Louisiana's coastal forest ecosystems".
BECOME A MEMBER
Dear Members and Friends:
Please consider forwarding the Woodlands Trail and Park's Conservation Update to your friends who may have a shared interest in the value of planning for smart growth and conserving and restoring habitat for wildlife and migratory birds in one of Southeastern Louisiana's last remaining coastal forests. Data supports the value of our efforts but funds are needed to continue our work.
Not a member, join now!
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We suggest residents stay up to date by following news, radio, and internet reports during hurricane season.
Click on icons for latest information.
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EPA Announces $200,000 in Environmental Justice Grants
to Support Communities Directly Affected by BP Oil Spill
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is accepting proposals for up to eight $25,000 cooperative agreements to support the protection of human health and the environment in communities affected by the BP oil spill. Local incorporated non-profit community-based organizations—including faith based organizations and those affiliated with religious institutions, environmental justice networks, and local Native American tribal governments—located and working in areas within affected states, are eligible to apply.
EPA developed the grant program after meeting with local organizations in the Gulf Region and learning that there was a need for technical assistance to support educational outreach to communities affected by the BP oil spill. The grants will provide funding to help develop educational materials on what seafood is safe to eat, what to do if exposed to oil, and how to address and adapt to the spill’s long-term effects. Providing grant funding directly to local organizations will help to ensure that information is distributed through trusted networks of communication and from organizations that will continue to support efforts to rebuild in the wake of disaster.
Organizations that are able to provide accurate and current information to a wide geographic area in the affected region are encouraged to apply by September 13, 2010.
Click here to read the request for proposals and for information on how to apply.
Click here for more about activities in PA Region 6
Click here for EPA audio file.
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Plaquemines Parish Master Plan
Master Plan Progress
Although it is summer break for many, the Master Plan Steering Committee is still working hard! This coming August the Steering Committee will congregate with the Master Plan project team to define the guiding ideas for the Strategic Framework Summary Document. This document is forward thinking – based on the Community Assessment and community input – it will outline the Parish-wide vision, including the big ideas, big decisions, goals and strategies to provide the structure for future growth, development, and investments in the parish. It will provide the answers to the key questions that the parish needs to make, which in turn will guide the implementation program to be formed in the coming months. Click on link below to view latest newsletter.
Newsletter / Issue 5 / July 2010
PLAQUEMINES PARISH YOUTH NEEDED TO HELP PLAN FOR OUR FUTURE
The Master Plan will be reaching out to Plaquemines Parish schools this fall. If you have an idea for engaging Plaquemines youth in planning for the future or would like to help coordinate, please contact us! Or if you are a young Plaquemines Parish resident and you would like to become involved, please contact us!
Possible activities include guest speakers in classrooms, a mini planning workshop, an essay competition, or interactive voting to decide what’s important to the community’s youth.
Remember - Community participation is the key to the successful implementation of the Master Plan!
Contact:
Master Plan Hotline
504-849-2153
Public Involvement Coordinator
Charlotte Weber
charlotte.weber@jjg.com
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Scenes from the Gulf Clean-Up: St. Mary's Point / July 29, 2010
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Scenes From the Gulf Clean-Up: Local Crew Takes On BP
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NOAA scientists released a data report on air quality measurements taken in June in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill area.
Click the following link to view report.
NOAA Releases Data Report on Air Quality Measurements
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PUBLIC NOTICE
Unfortunately, disaster is often followed by an influx of unscrupulous people who wish to take advantage of the victims of the tragedy, and the BP oil spill is no exception. It has come to the attention of the Plaquemines Parish Government that some out of state attorneys, who may or may not be authorized to practice law in Louisiana, are coming into the parish to attempt to “help” the Plaquemines Parish victims of this disaster. Please be extra cautious. It is suggested that before signing any documents with these out of state lawyers, you consult with someone you know and trust to understand what you are signing. Make sure you are not getting involved in a “hit and run” relationship with someone who may not even be a lawyer authorized to practice in this state.
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Click here for health related information regarding the oil spill
Click Here For Oil Spill Odor Information
Click on EPA Seal for Air Monitoring
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Plaquemines Parish Government 5-Year Capital Improvements Budget
Plaquemines Parish Government Expenditures-Department Summary
Plaquemines Parish Government Revenues-Summary
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BP Oil Spill Information ***
Click here for information about the response effort.
For specific information about the federal-wide response, Click Here. Deepwater Horizon
Joint Information Center
(985) 902-5231
To volunteer, or to report oiled shoreline, call (866) 448-5816. Volunteer opportunities can also be found here. To submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system, or to submit alternative response technology, services, or products, call 281-366-5511.
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To report oiled wildlife,
call (866) 557-1401
Messages will be checked hourly.
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Call (800) 659-2955 or (800)-877-8339 for the hearing impaired,
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To file a claim with BP, visit www.bp.com/claims or call BP’s helpline at (800) 440-0858. A BP fact sheet with additional information is available here. Those who have already pursued the BP claims process and are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, can call the Coast Guard at (800) 280-7118. More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance on procedures to seek that compensation can be found here. In addition, www.disasterassistance.gov has been enhanced to provide a one-stop shop for information on how to file a claim with BP and access additional assistance—available in English and Spanish. Any members of the press who encounter response personnel restricting their access or violating the media access policy set forth by Admiral Allen should contact the Joint Information Center. Click here for more information, including a list of regular embed opportunities. *********************************************
Click On Newspaper For Latest News
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