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America's WETLAND: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana February 2005 Newsletter

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! (Let the Good Times Roll!)

The beginning of 2005 has indeed been a good time for America's WETLAND: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana. The campaign's prominent place in seven of this year's Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans capped off a busy few weeks that saw the campaign launch its new "Save America's WETLAND" bracelets, the state sign a historic agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Governor Kathleen Blanco proclaim February 2nd "America's WETLAND Day" in Louisiana. These, along with other campaign activities are generating attention across the country while helping to educate the public and raise awareness about the impact of Louisiana's wetland loss on the state, nation and the world.

CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENTS & EVENTS "Save America's WETLAND" Bracelets Debut to Rave Reviews, National Media Coverage

On January 27, revelers at "Louisiana Alive," the opening night event at this year's Washington Mardi Gras celebration, were the first members of the general public to get their hands on the campaign's newest promotional item. The "Save America's WETLAND" bracelets are white wristbands similar to the yellow "Livestrong bracelets popularized by Lance Armstrong and are embossed with the slogan "Save America's WETLAND." That night, Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco officially premiered the bracelets, which could also be seen on the wrists of such other Louisiana notables as Senator Mary Landrieu, Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, New Orleans mayor, Ray Nagin, and Baton Rouge mayor, Kip Holden, among others.

Action hero Captain Eddy the Eagle were also on hand to help distribute bracelets and take photos with party goers, as well as to pose for a news crew from PBS and a photographer from the Associated Press.

The bracelets are available on the America's WETLAND campaign website, www.americaswetland.com. Any individual that donates $10 to the America's WETLAND Restoration Fund will receive five of the popular wristbands.

To donate to the America's WETLAND Foundation and receive your wristband, visit http://www.americaswetland.com/donate.cfm?pageid=117.

"Krewe of Estys" Lead New Orleans Carnival Parades, Distribute Must-have Bracelets

Each year, more than one million people visit New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season. During this year's carnival, the America's WETLAND campaign took advantage of this prime opportunity to increase international/national awareness by sending its ambassadors, the "Estuarians to distribute "Save America's WETLAND" bracelets and spread the word about Louisiana's disappearing wetlands. The bracelets took New Orleans by storm and quickly became one of this year's must-have Mardi Gras items.

The campaign dispatched this special "Krewe of Estys" to several Mardi Gras parades, where they tossed the popular new white bracelets to throngs of parade-goers, reminding them about the importance of saving America's WETLAND. The Estys rode atop their own float in parades held by the Krewes of Muses and Zulu and marched on-foot mingling with attendees of the Bacchus, Caeser, Endymion, Orpheus, Rex and Shangri-La parades.

The campaign's role in this year's Mardi Gras carnival parades was not overlooked by the media as the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, the Advocate in Baton Rouge both published stories about the bracelets and the Krewe of Estys. WWL-TV interviewed campaign representative Valsin Marmillion on its morning show, February 7th. Arthur Hardy also mentioned the Krewe of Estys in his world-famous "Mardi Gras Guide."

Read Arthur Hardy's Mardi Gras preview at http://www.mardigrasguide.com/news/.

Read the Advocate article at http://www.americaswetland.com/article.cfm?id=198&cateid=3&pageid=3&cid=18.

See pictures of the 'Krewe of Estys" and other campaign Mardi Gras activities by visiting http://www.americaswetland.com/article.cfm?id=204&cateid=4&pageid=3&cid=6.

Nationwide Polls Show Americans are Concerned About Land Loss, Support Restoration

Two polls recently commissioned and released by the America's WETLAND Foundation show that people across the country care deeply about the effects of Louisiana's coastal land loss.

The first focused on some of the different rationale for saving and restoring America's WETLAND. For each of the scenarios, a great majority of respondents found it "convincing" as a reason to support coastal restoration efforts. The scenarios that were tested focused on the region's world ecological significance, its importance to national energy security, its role as a nursery ground for marine species and the protection it provides from hurricanes and storm surges. The ecological significance of America's WETLAND convinced the highest number of survey respondents with 83%, while the area's crucial importance to the country's energy security convinced the fewest number with 70% of respondents. The results were released on January 25th by Governor Blanco at the Presidents' Forum on Meeting Coastal Challenges, which was hosted by Louisiana State University System President William Jenkins and held at the Lod Cook Alumni Center on LSU's Baton Rouge campus.

Closely on the heels of the first poll, the America's WETLAND Foundation commissioned a second survey from Penn Schoen & Berland. This edition built on public knowledge of the death and destruction caused by the recent Southeast Asian tsunami and compared it to similar loss estimates When asked if a catastrophic disaster with similar loss of life could happen in the United States, 53% said no, even though experts predict exactly that if a hurricane makes a direct hit on the city of New Orleans. The poll results also revealed that 86% viewed limiting the damage caused by natural disasters as a priority for political decision-makers. Eighty-four percent saw wetland restoration as an important strategy for hurricane protection, and 90% felt that national funding for restoration projects was important. These results were announced in February 2, 2005 in conjunction with World Wetlands Day.

To read about the results of the first national poll visit http://www.americaswetland.com/article.cfm?id=186&cateid=2&pageid=3&cid=16.

For the Associated Press article on the second group of findings, go to http://www.americaswetland.com/article.cfm?id=194&cateid=3&pageid=3&cid=18.

Governor Blanco Names February 2nd "America's WETLAND Day"

On February 2, 2005, in more than 80 countries around the globe, individuals and organizations concerned about the health of global wetlands observed World Wetlands Day. In coastal Louisiana, which is also known as America's WETLAND, events and activities were held not only to show concern for the world's wetlands but also to raise awareness about the staggering rate at which America's WETLAND is disappearing and the impact of this loss on the state, nation and world.

In what is fast becoming a tradition for the Blanco administration, the Governor signed a proclamation that renamed February 2nd as "America's WETLAND Day" in Louisiana. Governor Blanco, through the text of her edict, urged "citizens to learn more about how Louisiana's wetland loss impacts our state, the nation and the world." She also expressed hope that Louisianians would "support efforts to raise awareness of this urgent situation by proudly wearing their "Save America's WETLAND" bracelets wherever they may go and by encouraging their friends and family to do the same."

This was second year that Gov. Blanco issued such a decree, and this year's version was one of a series of activities that were bundled specifically to celebrate World Wetlands Day and raise awareness of the plight of Louisiana's coastline. The proclamation followed closely on the heels of the campaign's "Save America's WETLAND bracelet launch and provided a platform for the release of national poll results about America's level of concern about Louisiana's wetland loss and its relation to hurricane protection and potential Tsunami-like destruction. The Mardi Gras season was also gaining steam as the "Krewe of Estys" boarded their first float and began their ride into the hearts of carnival-goers.

World Wetlands Day 2005 commemorated the 34th anniversary of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention, which strives for the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation.

To read more about the "America's WETLAND Day" proclamation and other ways Louisianians marked the occasion click http://www.americaswetland.com/article.cfm?id=199&cateid=2&pageid=3&cid=16.

Visit the website for the Ramsar Convention for more information about other World Wetlands Day celebrations http://www.ramsar.org/wwd_index.htm.

PBS's NOVA ScienceNow Goes to Louisiana to Find "The Killer Storm"

During the January 25th premiere of the PBS series NOVA ScienceNow, correspondent Peter Standring explored the devastating impact a direct hit from a hurricane could have on New Orleans. Titled "New Orleans: The Wrath of a Killer Storm," the segment reveals how significant land loss in coastal Louisiana is increasing the potential devastation the city of more than two million could face from a major hurricane.

For information on NOVA ScienceNow and "New Orleans: The Wrath of a Killer Storm" visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/.

Eco-Cultural Tourism, "A Place Called America's WETLAND," Take Center Stage at LTPA Tourism Summit

The tourism initiative of America's WETLAND campaign "A Place Called America's WETLAND" made a major splash at the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association's annual Tourism Summit, held January 19-21 in Shreveport, LA.

Giving the Summit's keynote address, Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu highlighted his administration's plans to focus on an emerging brand of experiential and adventure tourism with Louisiana roots, "eco-cultural tourism," to help promote Louisiana as a one-of-a-kind destination, and named "A Place Called America's WETLAND" as a key component of this strategy.

Secretary of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism (CRT) Angele Davis discussed CRT's strategy for the year ahead and offered similar sentiments about the importance of eco-cultural tourism and "A Place Called America's WETLAND." Secretary Davis also called attention to the upcoming launch of the America's WETLAND Birding Trail. The new America's WETLAND Birding Trail Guide, which was premiered and distributed at the Summit.

In a workshop given during one of the Summit's educational break-out sessions, America's WETLAND campaign director Val Marmillion presented attendees with ideas on how tour operators and travel industry executives can capitalize on eco-cultural tourism and some of the current tourism-focused efforts of the America's WETLAND Foundation. Specifically, he highlighted the campaign's tourism initiative, "A Place Called America's WETLAND," the America's WETLAND Birding Trail and the 33 America's WETLAND Resource Centers that will be opening this spring.

OTHER COASTAL NEWS

Governor Blanco, Corps of Engineers Commit to Restoration Plan

January came to a close with an historic signing of documents committing the State and the Army Corps of Engineers to the proposed $1.9 billion Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration Study (LCA). Governor Blanco and Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, chief of engineers for the Army Corps of Engineers, reaffirmed their commitment to follow the LCA plan, which still needs Congressional approval. Many of the 150 federal, state and university officials present at LSU's Energy, Coast and Environment Building on January 31 have worked for three years on what they hope will be approved as the master plan for saving America's WETLAND.

For more information on the commitment pledged by the State and USACE visit, http://www.americaswetland.com/article.cfm?id=200&cateid=3&pageid=3&cid=18.

CAMPAIGN SUPPORT New Sponsors

The campaign would like to thank the following organizations for joining the fight, or renewing their commitment, to save coastal Louisiana through their sponsorship of the America's WETLAND campaign.

New America's WETLAND "National Sponsors": - CH2M HILL - ConocoPhillips

Renewing America's WETLAND "National Sponsors": - Dow Chemical Company - The Shaw Group

New America's WETLAND "State Sponsor": - Louisiana Lottery Corporation

The full list of all the campaign's sponsors and links to their websites, can be found at: http://www.americaswetland.com/sponsor.cfm?pageid=30&cid=40.

If your company would like to join the growing list of businesses that see wetlands protection as key to economic growth, call the campaigns offices at 1-866-4-WETLAND (1-866-493-8526) or email americaswetland@mcopr.com.

This message and other America's WETLAND campaign activities are made possible by the generous support of "World Sponsor" Shell Oil Company and "National Sponsors:" Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, British Gas, CH2M HILL, ChevronTexaco, ConocoPhillips, Cox Communications, The Dow Chemical Company, Dreamsite Productions, EATEL, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Freeport McMoRan, Louisiana Network, McIlhenny Company, The Shaw Group and Whitney National Bank.

For more information on the America's WETLAND: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana, please visit: http://www.americaswetland.com.