For Immediate Release

October 22, 2007

TAMMANY TOGETHER TAKES POSITION AGAINST DEVELOPMENT IN WETLANDS

At its October 15, 2007 General Membership Meeting, the membership of Tammany Together unanimously approved a position statement that concludes:

The position statement notes that as St. Tammany Parish has grown over the years many of its natural drainage systems have been modified, compromised, or obliterated, resulting in ever-increasing flooding problems. As evidence, the statement cites the fact that St. Tammany ranks 8th on a list of the 25 most frequently flooded communities in the United States, as measured by the number of “repetitive loss properties” reported by FEMA ¹. Other negative effects, it says, include the degradation of water quality and loss of habitat.

The position statement recognizes the efforts of the Parish Administration to solve drainage problems caused by past development and to improve the current drainage system. But it also points out that parish and municipal governments have continued to permit new development that offsets these improvements. If this trend is allowed to continue, it says, the natural drainage systems will continue to be compromised, and the homes, lives, and safety of St. Tammany residents will be further imperiled.

According to Tammany Together Interim President Rick Wilke, now that Tammany Together has adopted the position, it intends to speak out for the citizens of St. Tammany Parish when developments that will impact drainage are proposed in wetlands within the Parish or its municipalities

In studying the issue, Tammany Together reviewed studies, reports, and positions taken by a number of organizations, including the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, the Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority of Louisiana, and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, as well as Smart Growth guidelines developed by renowned land use planner Andres Duany, who provided input at several New Directions 2025 meetings. It also reviewed the “Greenprint” maps created for St. Tammany by the Trust For Public Lands, and the Parish’s own Ordinance No. 92-1607 – “Coastal Zone Management Regulations.” The full text of the position statement and a list of the references used in its development are available at http://www.tammanytogether.org/files/WetlandsPositionStatement2007.pdf.

^1. Chu, Kathy (2007/08/22). Katrina renews calls for change in rebuilding rules. USA Today, from http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2007-08-21-repeat-losses_N.htm

Tammany Together, Inc. is a non-profit, non-partisan, coalition of St. Tammany individuals, non-profit organizations, and homeowner and civic associations. The mission of Tammany Together is to identify issues of importance to the citizens of St. Tammany Parish, to educate its members and others on these issues, and to exert a positive influence on their outcome by speaking out with a unified voice. As a nonpartisan organization, Tammany Together does not endorse or oppose specific candidates for public office. Tammany Together, Inc. is organized under the laws of the State of Louisiana as a Domestic Non-Profit Corporation.

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