RESTORING NEW ORLEANS’
CITY PARK
CHRIS GRANGER
When Hurricane Katrina blasted through New Orleans
in August 2005, it left 90 percent of the historic 1,300-
acre City Park underwater and the park’s infrastructure in
shambles. Since its founding in 1854, City Park has been
the city’s outdoor heart and soul. Before the hurricane,
more than 11 million people visited the park each year to
play sports, stroll through groves of majestic live oaks,
tour the New Orleans Museum of Art, or attend weddings and other celebrations.
Efforts to rebuild the park got started as soon as
Katrina’s waters receded, and a number of attractions
have now been restored using public and private funds
and thousands of volunteer hours.
Soon after the storm, TPL organized a fundraising
campaign to restore 50 acres near the museum of art to
create the Big Lake Trail and Meadow. Even before the
storm, the park’s largest lake was hard to access and
appreciate because a trail was lacking and flooding
occurred intermittently on the water’s edge. The $2
million effort will reshape and landscape the topography while adding a one-mile pedestrian and bike path,
entry gardens, a fountain, an outdoor performance
space, and a new parking area. A pier, restaurant, boathouse, and boat-rental concession may eventually
complete the enhancements.
Companies, foundations, and individuals from
across New Orleans and beyond have chipped in to
support the project, including lead funding from the
Coypu, RosaMary, and Zemurray foundations. Boh
Bros., the primary contractor on the project, is waiving
a portion of its construction fees to commemorate the
firm’s 100th anniversary in New Orleans.
Construction has already begun, with the lake and
trail expected to open this year, and fundraising continues to complete the park enhancements. For more
information or to donate, go to www.tpl.org/louisiana
or contact Larry Schmidt at (504) 620-5142.
PUBLISHING OUR MISSION
Recent and notable publications from The Trust for Public Land include:
The Economic Benefits of Land Conservation
Too often we hear that communities can’t
afford to create parks, preserve farms, conserve open space, or protect watershed
landscapes. In fact, conservation should be
considered not as an expense but an
investment that pays many dividends,
including economic ones. This report
presents quantitative and authoritative
research on the economic benefits of conserving land. Its authors include scientists,
economists, and researchers from acade-
mia, government, nonprofits, and industry. The report summarizes
recent studies regarding the economic benefits of land conservation,
presents original research, and suggests areas for further inquiry.
LandVote 2008
Every spring, TPL and the Land Trust Alliance publish the results of
the prior year’s conservation ballot measures. In addition to listing
measures and their results, the report analyzes the year’s trends
in conservation finance and describes selected measures in detail.
Results dating back to 1988 are available in a searchable online
database at www.landvote.org.
Community Forests: A Community Investment Strategy
This new report from TPL, the Northern Forest Center, and the Quebec-Labrador Foundation/Atlantic Center for the Environment analyzes the
role of community-owned forests in northern New England. It explains
the characteristics of a community forest and provides five in-depth
case studies in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
The Health Benefits of Parks: How Parks Help Keep Americans
and Their Communities Fit and Healthy
Intended for park and open space advocates and professionals, this
new white paper draws from the latest research to outline ways in
which parks support and promote healthy lifestyles—particularly in
cities, where 80 percent of Americans live, work, and play.
The Conservation Easement Handbook
Published by TPL and the Land Trust Alliance, this authoritative handbook on using conservation easements to protect land was recently
expanded and completely updated from the original 1988 edition.
Conservation Finance Handbook
From the experts in TPL’s Conservation Finance Program comes this
practical guide for communities seeking to raise conservation funds
at the ballot box. The book details steps from initial demographic
research to postelection analysis.
Information on downloading or purchasing TPL publications can be
found at www.tpl.org/publications. The release of new publications
is always highlighted in the monthly TPL Update and other TPL electronic newsletters. To subscribe, go to www.tpl.org/newsletters.
