So all of you have heard about my sinking state. Here is an illustration...
http://www.nola.com/speced/lastchance/multimedia/flash.ssf?flashlandloss1.swf
However, I have recently gotten a job that is trying to fix the problem. So for the next year I will be researching and writing about coastal restoration. Wish me luck in saving the world
Mis Hermanos y Yo
17 years ago
5 comments:
What happened to Law School? No longer pursuing it? Taking a year off? Let a brother know. I'm sorry to hear your state is sinking. I'm pretty sure the lowcountry of SC is too. I hope you're doing good though.
Peace boyeee.
Unfortunately, Im still in law school. The job is dealing with researching the legal aspects and implications of coastal restoration. I will work a bunch this summer and then part time for the rest of the school year.
Tight. When are you going to come back to NC so I can go to tsali with you and we can trail-ride/bear-fight? That needs to happen. Keep up the good work MOI Spine. You're a champ.
What are some of the legal aspects/implications? Whose job is it to protect coastlines? Who has the authority to do so?
Much of the legal work comes in the from the "takings clause" (last sentence of the Fifth Amendment). Also your second question is a white hot zit for legal questions. The coastlines are the property of the state, which stems from the "equal footing doctrine"(circa 1776). Also navigable bodies of water (miss. river) are considered public things and not susceptible to private ownership, therefore they are in the control of the sovereign state government.
Many moons ago the Army Corps of Engineers (Federal gov't) leveed the Mississippi, which along with other things has led to the depletion of our coastline. So the problem was caused by feds (army corp), private entities (oil canals and nutria) and the state (more levees and letting all of these people do those things on our sovereign land). So now the state, the feds, local governments, individual activist groups, and private companies are all chiming in to help or/and to hurt. Whose job is it? "the public"?- The seashore is a public thing? Who knows?
Sea Grant (my job) is funded by Federal grants and then funneled through LSU which is run by the state.
All people technically have the authority to help fix them and they are all needed. But to blast the levees in certain spots to create freshwater diversions back into the marsh would require the compliance of... 1) the army corp of engineers 2) the state legislature 3) parish (county) governments 4) private parties whose land may be flooded 5)private oyster farmers who are reaping the benefits of the high salt content in the marsh
So, you can see how complex it is.
My position is basically policy based, i.e. how can we fix this shit, but we must know the law in order to do so. There are a multitude of competing interests and a whole helluv a lot of people who either don't know or don't give a damn.
Anyone wanna help?
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