Bay St Louis Ward 6 Councilman Lonnie Falgout:
Dear friends: I have had the opportunity to meet with MDEQ and work with some of our community leaders within the last eight (8) months to hopefully ensure that we, Hancock County, receive consideration and funding to cleanup our rivers, bayous, canals and tributaries thru the NFWF Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. This fund will receive $356 million for obligation to projects that benefit the natural resources of Mississippi’s Gulf waters and coast. This meeting will give us a forum to exchange values, priorities and opportunities for future restoration with local, state and federal leaders.
This workshop type setting will give US our chance to express our needs, ask questions and show our commitment to restoring our waterfront communities and coastline.
So please mark the date of August 20, 2014 , 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. / Bay St. Louis Community Center, 301 Blaize Ave.
Folks, this is a big opportunity to finally get assistance for our waterways, please forward to friends, fishermen and our weekenders!
From a member of the environmental movement via email blast:
Why are we still talking when the time to take action has long since past?
Is anyone else besides me tired of attending public meetings on Gulf of Mexico restoration prospects/projects with no apparent action? Restoration “officials” want more “input,” but we want results!
Has anyone paid attention to our comments and suggestions from the numerous other public meetings?
Are we going to meet and talk and plan until restoration funds are depleted, until many of us are dead and gone, or until some of the Gulf’s fisheries have completely failed? Blue crabs? Oysters?
It seems that more money has been spent on meetings, staff salaries, consultants’ fees, and expenses than on any restoration projects here in Mississippi while the Gulf continues to suffer along with its fisheries and commercial fishermen.
Perhaps it’s time for Doug Handshoe of http://www.slabbed.com/ to investigate the failure of agencies and organizations to initiate any real coastal restoration projects in Mississippi given that we are 1575 days into the continuing BP/Deepwater Horizon oil-spill disaster!
Let’s gets some projects under way NOW to improve the fisheries and the livelihoods of commercial fishermen who depend thereon…
We and they can’t wait another year! The lack of any real Gulf restoration projects is a disgrace and only extends the continuing BP/Deepwater Horizon disaster into the foreseeable future!
Given what we have seen take place at DMR I think everyone understands at some level there is certainly a political friends and family network angling to nab the loot because the bottom line is it appears most of our state politicians are more interested in lining their pockets than serving their people. The DEQ Town Hall set for Wednesday. I may pop in down at the depot for a quick peek.
Corrected 8-26-14 6:32am.