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Storm Warnings III
MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact:
Mary Lousteau: 202.387.8550 or ml@mcopr.com
STORM WARNINGS III LINKS UP-RIVER STATES TO THE FUTURE OF AMERICA’S WETLAND
Women of the Storm Gather to Sound the Alarm and Raise Awareness About Important Role Coastal Wetlands Play in Louisiana’s Hurricane Protection
WHAT: Storm Warnings III - With experts predicting an active Atlantic hurricane season, Women of the Storm and the America’s WETLAND Campaign will issue warnings to up-river states about the increased danger posed to the nation due to dramatic and continued wetland loss in coastal Louisiana. Members of Women of the Storm will arrive via the Coast Guard Vessel, The General Kelly, accompanied by leaders of Parish Government, port officials and up-river interests.
WHO:
- Gary LaGrange, Director, Port of New Orleans
- Conrad Appel, Chairman, Board of Directors for Port of New Orleans
- Sidney Coffee, Executive Assistant to Governor Blanco for Coastal Activities
- R. King Milling, Chairman, America’s WETLAND Foundation
- Anne Milling, Founder, Women of the Storm
- Mike Dunne, Author, America’s WETLAND: Louisiana’s Vanishing Coast; Reporter, Baton Rouge Advocate
- Representatives of Ducks Unlimited, Parishes Against Coastal Erosion, the Coast Guardians, Army Corps of Engineers, National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
WHEN:
Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 11:00 AM
WHERE:
Port of New Orleans
1350 Port of New Orleans Pl.
New Orleans, LA 70130
WHY:
With the opening of Atlantic hurricane season on June 1st, America will turn its attention to the Gulf Coast, and in particular to stories of storm ravaged New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
The devastation left in the wakes of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 resulted in economic and energy disruptions throughout the Mississippi region. The continuing disappearance of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, which act as a natural buffer to the forces of storms and hurricanes, is directly tied to America’s economic and energy future as well as commercial interests along the Mississippi. This event is designed to illustrate the linkages of Mississippi Valley states and the importance of protecting the coastal wetlands as a vital part of the delta system.
Residents, industry leaders, and leadership of the state will gather to issue a collective, national call to action to protect Louisiana and the resources it provides to the nation. This event will promote a growing understanding of the importance of protecting Louisiana, its people and its coast from further devastation.
At this year’s Storm Warning event, the Women of the Storm will launch their “Up River” tour, in which members of the group will visit three representative cities along the Mississippi River as a reminder of the crucial ties between America’s Heartland and America’s WETLAND. The Women of the Storm will visit Memphis, TN, Dubuque, IA and Chicago, IL. The “Up River” tour will shine the light on conservation, commercial shipping and cultural issues.
Women of the Storm’s mission is to educate leaders and gain attention to the scale and breadth of devastation caused in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita by inviting all members of Congress and others who set the national agenda to visit New Orleans and coastal Louisiana to see first-hand the unprecedented damage, the challenges of rebuilding, the signs of progress, and how Louisiana’s recovery has a direct impact on every state in the nation. As one of the most successful advocacy efforts in Louisiana’s history, the Women of the Storm report, to date, that 57 Senate members and 122 House members have visited the state.
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