Atchafalaya Basin News Update
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Around the Basin…
FOA board member and webmaster Charles Caillouet has been appointed by Ascension Parish President Tommy Martinez to represent the Parish on the Atchafalaya Trace Commission, the managing entity of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area.
The annual FOA member meeting was held on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 6:30 PM at the BlueBonnet Branch of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library and the turnout was fantastic. Thanks to all who came. The presentations were well received and an expanded version of the Basin overview presentation can be found HERE. There was not be a Board meeting in May but the next Board meeting will be announced here.
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 LA Legislature has approved the Draft 2013 Annual Plan . The Plan is available at the APB web site. Unfortunately, there is no new money in the State budget for the Program but previously funded programs will continue.
The Louisiana Wildlife Federation has a new Executive Director! Non-profit consultant Rebecca Triche has taken on the job. Jodie Singer did a great job as a stand-in, but Jodie was ready for a permanent director. Warren Singer was elected President of the LWF for 2012 and we wish Rebecca and Warren many successes for the organization and offer our ongoing support. For more information, go to the LWF web site.
The presentation slides and notes from Charles Caillouet’s 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 Management Plan for the Heritage area has been approved by the Department of the Interior and the Area is off and running. I hope that you have seen the many Heritage Area signs popping up all over the Area. To view the Plan, 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.
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 sara.krupa -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 @ May 25, 2012