New Breed of Coastal Restoration Solutions Launched

HOUMA, La., May 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Where stands of bald cypress once gave definition to swamps of the lower Mississippi Delta, officials from the State of Louisiana and Terrebonne Parish, private sponsors of the America's WETLAND Foundation (AWF), Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), and global energy producer, BHP, stood at the edge of wetland destruction to announce new projects to restore the coast.

The Terrebonne Biodiversity and Resiliency Projects at Pointe-aux-Chenes & Bayou Terrebonne represent a private sector investment of $3.4 million dollars and, once completed, the projects will restore 125 acres of wetlands with a per year economic value of $1.2 million and other annual benefits including, 280 tons of carbon sequestered, the elimination of up to 266 pounds of phosphorus and 10,600 pounds of nitrogen to improve water quality in lower Terrebonne Parish.

"With any of our social investments, our main goal is to look for long-term opportunities and partnerships that allow for real change," said BHP's General Manager, Gulf of Mexico, Kristen Ray. "I grew up in Louisiana and the preservation of our natural environment has always been top of mind for the communities there. I'm heartened by the fact that biodiversity and ecosystems for future generations is paramount in the way BHP thinks about the environment and sustainability. Our involvement in this programme is really a targeted way for our company to create value for our communities in Louisiana. We're very excited to be a lead sponsor of this project."

The new projects build on past work in the Pointe-aux-Chenes area, using enhanced techniques to prevent Nutria damage and to preserve the genetic integrity of the vegetative plant materials. Placement of cypress on top of the newly constructed terraces at the Bayou Terrebonne Project will mimic the cypress ridges that were once present on the site.

"For most of the past decade we have made the case for innovative coastal restoration solutions involving the private sector," said Val Marmillion, AWF managing director. "Now that most everyone knows the consequences of losing the equivalent of a 'football field of land every hour' along our coast, we are digging in with special projects to take back land from the rising tide. We hope to attract sponsors for projects of $3 to $10 million a piece to transition wetlands threatened with extinction."

RES President & CEO and Louisiana native, Elliott Bouillion said, "We'll reenergize this area by planting more than 35,000 bald cypress trees along with 35,000 coastal marsh grasses, all locally grown at our Pointe-aux-Chenes nursery. These projects will draw on the operational expertise of our entire team ranging from the nursery staff, construction crews, planting crews, and monitoring and maintenance personnel in order to efficiently implement and successfully deliver these resiliency projects."

Download High Resolution Graphics Including:

• Photo of Bayou Terrebonne Project Site Today
• Artist Representation of Completed Bayou Terrebonne Project

SOURCE America's WETLAND Foundation