Hurricanes Katrina and Rita demonstrated to us what we all feared. A massive storm surge would inundate our marshes and over-top and breech our levees. We knew that day was coming as many scientists and emergency managers had warned.

For years Louisiana allowed the oil and gas industries virtually unlimited access to our coasts. Where marsh stood in the way, straight line canals were dug to improve accessibility. This promoted salt water intrusion killing off miles of fertile marshland. Without the plant growth to hold the soil together, acre after acre, mile after mile of marsh disappeared. Without this marsh as our buffer, the storm surges of Katrina and Rita were much greater than anything recorded in modern history.

So what can we do to reverse this trend? FOX 8 has partnered with NOAA’s National Ocean Service, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, StormCenter Communications and other organizations to begin the process of education, legislation and implementation. We must rebuild our levees soundly, but equally as important, rebuild/restore our barrier islands and coastal wetlands. You can get involved in the process. Look to the FOX 8 website for more information, weekly stories and new and exciting graphics. Together we can SAVE OUR COAST!