Wandering Florida
Wandering Florida - A Letter from the Executive Director
By
Dec 13, 2007 - 2:50:00 PM

The holidays are here and ­another year is coming to a close. This year has certainly been a cause for celebration. Below are just a few successes Gulf Restor­a­­tion Network ­accomplished this year:

•Won a great victory in protecting our ­cypress forests. Starting January 1, 2008, Wal-Mart will no longer accept cypress mulch that is harvested, bagged, or manufactured in the state of Louisiana.

• Stopped Louisiana from remov­ing clean water protections from all wetlands in the state

• With the help of our conserv­a­tion partners, obtained a final ­Congressional approval of permanent closure of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), the hurricane highway that funneled Katrina’s waters into New Orleans.

• After 3 years of opposition from GRN and the Gumbo Alliance for safe LNG, Shell announced on March 28 that they would finally suspend the development of the Gulf Landing liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal. The terminal would have processed 136 million gallons of Gulf seawater daily, ­destroying all life in that water.

• With the help of our conservation partners, persuaded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deny a permit for the proposed Magnolia Bay Resort and Marina in the ­Nature Coast of Florida, the last great undeveloped stretch of ­Florida’s coast. The development would have destroyed over a hundred acres of high quality wetlands and dredged a two-mile channel right through the middle of the Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve.

• Stopped a proposed development project in Mississippi that would have placed three dams on streams that flow into Black Creek, Mississippi’s only National Scenic Stream.

• Was victorious in our suit against NMFS over the rebuilding/management plan for red snapper. The court found that the rebuilding plan did not meet the law. In response, NOAA issued an Interim rule that cuts total allowable catch and imposes other management measures needed to end overfishing of this valuable species.
Your contribution to the Gulf Restoration Network has helped us to achieve these successes and we thank you for your support!

What can caring and conscious GRN members do for their family and friends who seem to have it all?! Making a donation to the Gulf Restoration Network in honor of your friends and family for the holidays is a great way to give a gift that makes a difference. Your donation will make them eligible to receive our newsletter and e-mail action alerts to join in our fight to protect the Gulf region. See ­enclosed ­information for details.

We need your help to make 2008 an even bigger success. Please consider making a donation to help Gulf Restoration Network continue its work to protect and restore the resources of the Gulf region.

Warmest Wishes and Happy Holidays,

Cynthia Sarthou
Executive Director



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