The Coalition To Restore Coastal Louisiana

THE MISSION OF THE COALITION TO RESTORE COASTAL LOUISIANA (CRCL) IS TO UNITE PEOPLE IN ACTION TO ACHIEVE A THRIVING, SUSTAINABLE LOUISIANA COAST FOR ALL. CRCL SEEKS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND EDUCATE RESIDENTS OF THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT, THE IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, AND THE URGENT NEED TO RESTORE WETLANDS AND NATURAL ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA PROGRAM: CRCL WORKS COLLABORATIVELY TO ADVANCE LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS, SUCH AS RIVER DIVERSIONS, THAT WILL LEAD TO NATIONALLY-SIGNIFICANT LANDSCAPE-LEVEL RESTORATION OF WETLANDS, OYSTER REEFS, BARRIER ISLANDS AND OTHER COASTAL HABITATS IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA TO ADVANCE AN EQUITABLE, SAFER, AND FLOURISHING COAST FOR LOUISIANA'S COMMUNITIES, ECOSYSTEMS, AND ECONOMY.

OYSTER SHELL RECYCLING PROGRAM: LAUNCHED IN JUNE 2014, CRCL'S OSRP PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED TO KEEP SHELL OUT OF LANDFILLS AND SLOW COASTAL LAND LOSS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANTS AND OVER 1,900 VOLUNTEERS TO DATE, CRCL COLLECTS, CURES AND BAGS OYSTER SHELL BEFORE USING TO BUILD OYSTER REEFS AND LIVING SHORELINE HABITAT. THE FIRST PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN LOUISIANA, CRCL HAS RECYCLED MORE THAN 10 MILLION POUNDS OF SHELL AND TOGETHER WITH INDIGENOUS AND OTHER UNDER-REPRESENTED COMMUNITIES HAS BUILT FOUR OYSTER REEFS TOTALING MORE THAN 7,000 SQUARE FEET OF SHORELINE PROTECTION. CRCL'S OYSTER SHELL RECYCLING PROGRAM PROVIDES COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOLUNTEER IN COASTAL RESTORATION WORK, TO LEARN HOW LOUISIANA'S WETLANDS PROTECT AND PROVIDE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, AND TO SEE FIRSTHAND HOW OYSTER SHELLS CAN SUPPORT COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF LARGER RESTORATION PLANS.

NATIVE PLANTS PROGRAM: FOUNDED IN 2000, CRCLS NATIVE PLANTS PROGRAM (NPP) LEADS OUR EFFORTS TO RESTORE LOUISIANAS COASTAL HABITATS BY ENGAGING VOLUNTEERS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION. THROUGH LARGE-SCALE PLANTINS OF NATIVE PLANTS AND TREES, OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND EVENTS FACILITATE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP BY LOUISIANA INDUSTRIES, LANDOWNERS, BUSINESS LEADERS, RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. THE NPP PROVIDES VALUABLE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR ITS VOLUNTEERS. PARTICIPANTS LEARN ABOUT OUR COASTAL LAND LOSS CRISIS, ITS MAIN CAUSES AND THE VARIOUS SOLUTIONS BEING IMPLEMENTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE LOUISIANA COAST. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE NPP HAS ENGAGED MORE THAN 15,200 VOLUNTEERS AND DIRECTLY RESTORED MORE THAN 4,500 ACRES OF COASTAL WETLANDS IN LOUISIANA.

FUTURE COASTAL LEADERS PROGRAM: CRCL'S FUTURE COASTAL LEADERS (FCL) PROGRAM IS A LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION, AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE FOCUSED ON ENGAGING PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE ENROLLED IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES, WITH INTEREST IN COASTAL RESTORATION. ITS PURPOSE, THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE PLENTIFUL CAREERS AND/OR DEGREES THAT EXIST IN ADDRESSING COASTAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. FROM ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS, ACCOUNTANTS, TO ARCHITECTS AND NON-PROFIT LEADERS, CRCL HOPES TO MOTIVATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF STUDENTS TO CHOOSE COASTAL RESTORATION AS THEIR PROFESSION. POLICY / OUTREACH / EDUCATION: CRCL EDUCATES DECISION MAKERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF COASTAL RESTORATION IN LOUISIANA. IT INTERACTS DIRECTLY WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO INFORM THEM ABOUT COASTAL LAND LOSS AND PROJECTS THAT ARE AIMED AT RESTORING THE COAST. THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM SHARES INFORMATION ABOUT VOLUNTEER PROJECTS AND LARGE-SCALE RESTORATION EFFORTS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, MASS EMAILS AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA. THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES EXPERTISE TO JOURNALISTS WRITING ABOUT THE COASTAL CRISIS. CRCL ORGANIZES FLYOVERS FOR BUSINESS AND CIVIC LEADERS AND SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS TO PROVIDE THEM A UNIQUE VIEW OF THE STATES COAST. CRCL USES SOCIAL MEDIA, EMAIL AND PRINTED COMMUNICATIONS TO EXPAND ITS BASE OF VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS. CRCL HOSTS THE BIENNIAL STATE OF THE COAST CONFERENCE TO PROVIDE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY FORUM TO EXCHANGE TIMELY AND RELEVANT INFORMATION ON THE DYNAMIC CONDITIONS OF LOUISIANA'S COASTAL COMMUNITIES, ENVIRONMENT, AND ECONOMY AND TO APPLY THAT INFORMATION TO EXISTING AND FUTURE COASTAL RESTORATION AND PROTECTION EFFORTS, POLICIES, AND DECISION-MAKING.