La. restoration non-profit shuts down

America’s Wetland Foundation, a Baton Rouge, La.-based non-profit group created in 2002 to explain Louisiana’s coastal erosion crisis on a national level, announced Feb. 9 it is ceasing operation due to a lack of financial support. The group produced commercials during the Super Bowl and sporting events warning of Louisiana’s losing a football field of its coast every hour. It produced a series of ads featuring "Saturday Night Live" animated character “Mr. Bill,” and specially labeled bottles of Tabasco. The organization events aimed at explaining the importance of the state’s coastal restoration program, and issued statements backing or opposing political efforts of the program. While the news release was titled “America’s Wetland Foundation Completes Its Mission,” foundation Chairman R. King Milling told NOLA.com the decision was made because “funding ceased and we can’t move forward without it.” The foundation ran into a negative public relations months before Katrina in 2005, when New Orleans native Walter Williams demanded it stop using “Mr. Bill” because of the non-profit’s acceptance of funds from Shell oil. By that time, the foundation had expanded its activities to include restoration efforts in other Gulf Coast states. (Source: NOLA.com 03/09/20) https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_c14a2d1a-6231-11ea-9e48-cf76d705e624.html