Projects

Rural Economic Development Initiative -- REDI:  For Something Good to Happen in Louisiana!

Louisiana is known for great food and great people. Louisiana consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about how and where their food is produced. Louisiana farmers (especially smaller ones) are placed under increasing economic and environmental pressures. Louisiana workers realize that new job opportunities are few and far between, especially in rural communities. A grassroots effort in Louisiana has been underway for the last few years to address these concerns. A group of citizens have worked hard to merge these concerns into a comprehensive initiative intended to maximize Louisiana’s great human and natural resource potential. 

REDI – Rural Economic Development Initiative – is a local farm-to-table scheme that will spur economic activity across the economic spectrum. REDI seeks to enhance and develop local, regional, and state-based practical production-to-consumption systems for locally produced agricultural products. Goods and services produced and purchased on a local economic scale benefit the producers, community co-ops, packers, distributors, retailers, and consumers of our state!

Overview | Fact Sheet | HCR 173 | Preliminary Operations/Administration | What Can You Do?

Sustainable Energy & Efficiency Demonstration

Energy derived from agricultural crops has become an essential component of this nation’s energy strategy.  Beginning on the farm, issues of lowering costs, reducing energy consumption, maximizing yields, and controlling transportation costs – become paramount in renewable energy production.  We have completed a three-phase project known as Sustainable Energy and Efficiency Demonstration (SEED).  For information about on-farm energy audits and grants available for energy efficient improvements, call 337-802-7508.   

Coulee Baton Microwatershed

Aging or failing home sewer systems allow improperly treated sewage to enter ditches, streams and rivers. This poses health risks to both humans and wildlife. Through a grant from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Vermillion SWCD and Acadiana RC&D were able to offer homeowners a 90% reimbursement cost share for the repair and replacement of existing home septic systems within the Coulee Baton Micro Watershed.  At the project's completion, 80 home septic systems have been changed within the microwatershed -- an estimated 70% of eligible residences!  This project was completed in 2010.

Final Report

Louisiana Native Plant Initiative

There is a growing interest from public and private sectors to utilize locally adapted native plant materials for restoration, conservation and revegetation projects. Conservationists have experienced inconsistent results when establishing native species ranging from success to complete stand failure. The lack of commercially available plant material that is adapted across the state of Louisiana is the largest contributing factor to stand failures. Plant materials that are not adapted to the state exhibit signs of summer stress and are less vigorous with lower biomass production then local ecotypes of the same species. Performance may also be affected by changes in flowering date, seed set, dormancy initiation and precipitation. Restoration experts agree that plant materials native to an area must be used in conservation projects to achieve long term sustainability. Commercially available sources of locally adapted plant materials have the potential to provide substantial ecological and economic benefits for Louisiana.

The Louisiana Native Plant Initiative collects, preserves, increases, and studies native grasses, forbs and legumes from Louisiana ecosystems, conserving a vanishing natural resource and providing an essential step in the development of a native plant seed industry that will supply plant materials for restoration, revegetation, roadside plantings and the ornamental plant industry.

Annual Report

No-Till Drill Rental Program

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A Memorandum of Understanding was signed February 20, 2007 between the LA State Association of RC&D Councils, LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and NRCS.  The  purpose of the MOU is to develop a comprehensive drill rental program for Louisiana that will facilitate and increase establishment of native warm season grasses and/or forbs on private land throughout Louisiana.   Three drills were purchased and deployed across the state.

Drill Rental Brochure

Acadiana Grasslands Restoration Initiative  (AGRI)

Grasslands are among the most imperiled systems in Louisiana. Conversion of grasslands to cropland, introduction of non-native pasture grasses, and widespread use of non-selective herbicides has caused serious damage to this important system. Native pastures, uncultivated areas, field borders, fence rows, and ditch banks were among the areas that provided grassland habitat in the agricultural landscape. However, like the prairie grasslands, grassland in the agricultural landscape has largely disappeared. Introduced grasses such as bermudagrass and bahiagrass form a dense sod and thus limit the growth of other grasses and forbs. The result is a dense, low-growing monoculture that offers little diversity and very limited habitat for wildlife.

AGRI Fact Sheet  |  Landowner Application for Assistance | Brochure

New!  Publications Series: 

Bucks to Butterflies | Establishment | Using Native Plants in Wet Areas | Using Native Plants in Grazing Lands | Pollinators

Louisiana Envirothon

Acadiana RC&D is a proud partner of the Louisiana Envirothon, a hands-on, problem-solving event that helps students learn more about their environment and how to protect and enhance it.  Held each spring, the event hosts junior high and high school students (grades 6 through 12) from across the region as they compete at several environmental stations.  They study and prepare for this competition in such specialty areas as forestry, soil science, water quality, wildlife, and current issues.  Each team must also compete in a public presentation / public speaking contest relevant to the current issue.  This is a major event, requiring volunteers and specialists from many environmental sectors, and donations from loyal public and private entities. 

The winning team at the 2011 competition held on April 2, 2011 was the Gold team from Louisiana School of Maths, Sciences and the Arts in Natchitoches.  Contributions helped to send these young conservationists to the national competition in New Brunswick, Canada on July 24 – July 29.  If you would like to make a contribution for next year's competition, or for more information, please visit deq.louisiana.gov/envirothon. 

Help us get Louisiana students prepared for the environmental challenges they will face as future leaders of this state!

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