Hero of Conservation: JOHN WALTHER
A CCALouisiana member’s reef-building efforts gain national attention in the Field & Stream Heroes of Conservation award program.
A A By Ted Venker
NYONE WHO HAS EVER bagged oyster shells or sunk knee-deep in mud to plant marsh grass or jumped into
the muck to wrestle an abandoned crab trap or hauled trash off a beach knows how unglamorous marine habitat pro- jects can be. It’s usually too hot or too cold, it’s almost always dirty and gener- ally the day ends with no more reward than a handshake, a couple of Advil and the good feeling of doing a difficult deed for the greater good.
Every now and then, though, an unsung hero gets a song, and that’s the whole point of the Field & Stream Heroes of Conservation award program, which seeks to recognize sportsmen dedicated to the protection of fish and wildlife habitat. Through the program, dozens of individuals are recognized in the magazine throughout the year for projects big and small that make a dif- ference in the quality of our wild natur- al resources. From that group, a select few are chosen as finalists and are invit- ed to Washington D.C. for some well- deserved VIP treatment, including an after-hours tour of the White House, and a first-class awards banquet where the overall winner is announced.
Under Walther’s leader- ship, CCA Louisiana has completed five limestone reefs in state waters since 2000.
CCATexas’ own Ronnie Luster won the inaugural Hero of Conservation Award for creating an abandoned crab trap removal program in Texas in 2006. Since then, CCA members have been recognized numerous times in Field & Stream magazine, and this year another CCAmember landed in the finals. For his work as co-chairman of CCA Louisiana’s habitat initiative, John Walther was named one of the finalists for Field & Stream’s 2010 Heroes of Conservation award. Under Walther’s
8
leadership, CCA Louisiana has com- pleted five limestone reefs in state waters since 2000. Walther’s first reef project in 2000, at a site that’s known as Bird Island, involved the placement of nearly 8,000 tons of limestone. It was in 2005, amid the wreckage left by Hurricane Katrina, that Walther embarked on his most ambitious pro- ject yet. The I-10 Bridge spanning Lake Pontchartrain was completely ruined by the storm, with mile after mile of concrete decking knocked askew. All that concrete represented an opportu- nity to build something extraordinary — a massive artificial reef system in Lake Pontchartrain. “We worked hard for many years to maintain a sustainable fishery and our efforts are more important than ever now,” says Walther. “Due to coastal erosion, we’re losing a football field of our land every 30 minutes. One way to mitigate these losses and ensure there is future for our fisheries is to restore reef areas and create new ones.” Before the bridge could be given new life as reefing material, though, some technical work had to be done. It had been state policy that all inshore artificial reefs in Louisiana use lime- stone rocks of a certain size. Unwilling to let such a technicality cause hun- dreds of tons of nearby reefing materi- al to be trucked to a landfill, CCA Louisiana worked to convince the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to allow the Pont- chartrain project to use bridge rubble as a demonstration of alternative mate- rials for artificial reefs. “The key issue is balancing user
www.joincca.org
group conflicts with habitat projects,” says Walther. “Proper and permanent marking of such reefs has solved this problem in other states. Fortunately, (Louisiana) Gov. Jindal agreed with us and we were cleared to use the I-10 Bridge rubble in Pontchartrain. We will continue to promote the use of rubble in other state waters.” As Field & Stream Editor Anthony Licata stated in his opening comments at the awards ceremony in D.C., con- servation heroes don’t get slowed down by details.
“These everyday hunters and fish- ermen don’t wait for someone to solve conservation problems,” said Licata. “They roll up their sleeves and get to work, and the results benefit all Americans. Sportsmen don’t just talk about protecting wildlife and wild places. They actually do it. The conser- vationists we named heroes tonight are out in their community doing grass- roots work, while also inspiring a lot more people to get involved and do their part. We’re proud to recognize and celebrate their accomplishments.” Against the backdrop of Louisiana’s wetlands crisis, marine habitat projects have always carried a special urgency, but with the oil spill this summer they have never been more critical. Walther and CCALouisiana are already hard at work finding the next project to secure a future for the state’s famous fisheries. “Habitat creation is a major focus for CCA, and the work of people like John and Ronnie Luster shows how our members can make a significant contri- bution to the future of America’s fish- eries,” said Patrick Murray, president of CCA. “John is just a remarkable person, and his tenacious effort and vision to see these projects through from concept to completion have created a legacy of conservation that future generations will enjoy and hopefully expand.” At a time when the Gulf of Mexico needs all the help it can get, it is heroes like John Walther who will lead the way to a healthy future, one reef and marsh-planting at a time.
TIDE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64