Atchafalaya Basin News Update
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Around the Basin…
The new year is here; the water is falling in the Atchafalaya.
It was a bit high for this time of year but is dropping into a more “normal” range.
The next FOA Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan 24, 2012 at 6:30 PM at the Audubon Coastal Initiative conference room at 6160 Perkins Rd (at Quail Run.) All are welcome. We will discuss our relationship with the Heritage Area and our plans for 2012.
Please remember to pay your 2012 dues and help us continue to spread the word about the Atchafalaya Basin. If you don’t want to use the online link, you can send us mail at Box 82508, Baton Rouge, LA, 70884-2508.
Atchafalaya Basin Program – The Basin Program Research and Promotion Board, the governing body for the Program, approved the Draft 2013 Annual Plan on December 1, with changes from the November public hearings. The Draft Plan is available at the APB web site. The approval process continues with the presentation to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority in January, followed by delivery to the Legislature in February 2012.
The Louisiana Wildlife Federation is looking for a new Executive Director. Long-time Director Randy Lanctot retired last year and Jodie Singer has been doing a great job as a stand-in, but the organization is ready to look for a permanent solution. For more information, go to the LWF web site.
The presentation slides and notes from the Atchafalaya 2011 EADays presentation are HERE.
The public release of the Atchafalaya Basin Natural Resource Inventory and Assessment System (ABNRIAS) is available online now at http://abp.cr.usgs.gov/. The press release from the Basin Program is available here. Details of Annual Plan proposals will be available on the site.
Atchafalaya National Heritage Area – The Draft Management Plan for the Heritage area has been approved by the Governor and is in the hands of the Department of the Interior. The public comment period is now over. To view the Draft, go to the Park Service site. More details are available on the ANHA web site.
Thanks to all the sponsors, organizers, and volunteers for Experience Atchafalaya Days 2010. Send us your comments on the events and suggestions for this year.
The voters of Louisiana gave us a great opportunity on November 2, 2010, by voting to approve Constitutional Amendment 2. The Amendment creates a mechanism for ongoing funding for the Atchafalaya Basin Program through the Atchafalaya Basin Conservation Fund, based on severance taxes paid on land in the Basin. If the taxes are higher than the amount collected in 2008-2009, then the extra money would go into the Fund for use in the Basin. Thanks to Representative Karen St. Germain and our other Representatives and Senators for getting the Amendment passed and to the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, the surrounding parish officials, and all of our Basin friends for supporting the initiative.
The FOA is an affiliate of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation. Visit the LA Wildlife Federation on the web or on facebook.
If you are looking for Atchafalaya Basin Maps, this post links to some options.
For information on the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, contact Debra Credeur at the Heritage Area office.
The 2012 Atchafalaya Basin Program Annual Plan is posted on the DNR web site.
Anna Dearmon of the Department of Natural Resources sends out a daily e-mail message about Basin Program Activities and water stage data. If you would like to subscribe, contact Anna at anna.dearmon -at- la.gov or 225-223-3835.
Did you Experience Atchafalaya? If so, and if you took pictures of an event, please forward them to me at
EADays -at- basinbuddies.org
ccaillouet @ November 10, 2011