Latest news with #LSUAgCenter
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Crawfish farmers recover from drought with solid harvests
ST. MARTIN PARISH, LA (KLFY) — Crawfish farmers all over the state had a harvest they want to forget following the drought. 'It hurt last year you know. We all did.' said Mike Clay, a crawfish farmer. When the drought depleted the crawfish crop, Clay have to give up for the season because there was no point in even trying. Clay has been farming for 40 years. He said an average season for him is about five to 600 pounds per acre per year. Arctic Blizzard Impact On Crawfish Catch in Louisiana Clay said he put out '400 traps and caught 25 pounds of crawfish. That made up my mind last year that we were not going to fish.' While Clay said crawfish farming is not his only job, it is for many farmers, and they rely on the yearly harvest. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now LSU AgCenter predicts good crawfish season Fortunately, with the previous year's rainfall, it allowed the upcoming harvest to increase and prices to drop. Clay noticed this season was back to normal in December for the first harvest. He hopes he and his peers never have to go through a drought again. 'We doing about average this year so I would consider it a success. The price is pretty decent and its holding,' said Clay. St. Martin Parish seeks tax renewal for school upgrades Abbeville man charged with arson to defraud insurance Crawfish farmers recover from drought with solid harvests St. Martin Sheriff talks safety at Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival Louisiana State Police honored K9 trooper Pita Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump increasing timber production in U.S. How has logging affected Louisiana ecosystems?
On March 1, President Donald Trump signed an executive order for the immediate expansion of American timber production. Within the executive order, it's said that increased production of timber, lumber, paper, bioenergy and other wood products is critical to the well-being of the U.S. "Our inability to fully exploit our domestic timber supply has impeded the creation of jobs and prosperity, contributed to wildfire disasters, degraded fish and wildlife habitats, increased the cost of construction and energy, and threatened our economic security," reads the executive order. While the executive order expresses the need to increase timber production and logging efforts for the good of the U.S., the lumber industry has contributed to a number of negative consequences within Louisiana's ecosystems. The logging industry in Louisiana has had significant impacts, both economically and environmentally. However, while the forest industry is a top contributor to Louisiana's economy, it has led to substantial tree-cover loss and other environmental consequences. The forest industry has contributed billions to the state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and supports numerous jobs. Forestry and logging are also particularly important within rural areas in Louisiana, as the timber industry is a major employer and economic driver, according to LSU AgCenter. However, Louisiana's timber industry has led to deforestation, soil salinity and land loss, habitat loss and fragmentation, impacted water quality, larger populations of invasive species, as well as climate change, according to USDA Climate Hubs. Regarding deforestation due to logging, Louisiana has experienced significant tree-cover loss since 2000, including a substantial decrease in natural forest area. This has led to habitat loss and fragmentation, which impacts biodiversity and wildlife populations. Habitat and biodiversity disturbance from logging can then create opportunities for invasive species to take hold and further disrupt Louisiana's ecosystems. Deforestation also contributes to climate change by reducing carbon sinks and releasing stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to Global Forest Watch. Additionally, due to the timber industry, Louisiana has been experiencing soil salinity issues moving inland, which affects forests and can potentially lead to the loss of workable land. Logging can also lead to erosion, which can wash away nutrients and negatively impact water quality in streams and rivers, according to Sierra Forest Legacy. Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@ This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: How is logging and the timber industry affecting Louisiana ecosystems?
Axios
07-04-2025
- Climate
- Axios
New Orleans is one of the country's allergy capitals
New Orleans is the second-worst place to live in the U.S. in terms of seasonal allergies, according to new data. Why it matters: We're currently in the midst of " The Pollening" in south Louisiana. The big picture: The worst cities are concentrated in the South and the East Coast, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says. Wichita, Kansas, came in first for the third consecutive year. Baton Rouge ranked No. 14. See the full list. Between the lines: New Orleans ranked worse than average for pollen counts and over-the-counter medicine use but better than average for availability of health care professionals who specialize in allergies. Threat level: Recent pollen counts in New Orleans have been among the highest in the country as the region approaches the seasonal peak, according to Pollen-related allergies are what many people call " hay fever." Allergy symptoms vary by person, but they can include a runny nose, a stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, watery eyes and nasal congestion. Seasonal allergies often make asthma symptoms worse, too. Zoom out: The New Orleans metro has four main allergy irritants, says Anna Timmerman, an LSU AgCenter assistant horticultural agent for St. Bernard Parish. Tree pollen is the primary offender at the start of the season with live oaks, pine, pecan, tallow, elm and cedar trees, she previously told Axios. Next up is ragweed, grass and mold. Ligustrum is a widely used ornamental shrub and causes allergy problems for some people. Magnolias, jasmine, gardenias and other blooming ornamentals usually don't bother people, she said. Zoom in: New Orleans leapfrogged up the rankings, mainly due to climate change, according to Kenneth Mendez, the president and CEO of the allergy foundation. Last year, New Orleans was ranked No. 34, based on 2023 data. He said New Orleans had a much higher weed pollen season in 2024, possibly due to increased moisture from Hurricane Francine, which made landfall in September. November was also the warmest on record in Louisiana, he said, which would have extended the growing season. State of play: Most major U.S. cities are suffering from longer allergy seasons amid human-caused climate change, according to new analysis from Climate Central. "Climate change makes pollen seasons not only longer, but also more intense due to heat-trapping pollution," per Climate Central's report. "Higher levels of planet-warming CO2 in the air can boost pollen production in plants, particularly in grasses and ragweed." How it works: To rank allergy capitals, the foundation looked at year-round pollen counts, over-the-counter allergy medicine use and availability of board-certified allergists/immunologists in the 100 most populated U.S. metros. Go deeper
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arthur Hunter announces campaign for Mayor of New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Former judge Arthur Hunter has announced he is running for Mayor of New Orleans. Hunter's campaign team said Hunter filed his paperwork on Thursday, Feb. 27. Here are the upcoming New Orleans parade routes 'To date, I've personally met with over 300 different people, organizations, and groups about the issues facing us. One thing is clear: New Orleans is at a crossroads. Our city deserves leadership with both real solutions and a commitment to making our city safer, stronger, and more prosperous for all. I love my city—our city—and am excited to share more with you soon. Stay tuned for a formal announcement,' said Hunter in a news release. Hunter has reportedly served as a New Orleans police officer and Orleans Parish Criminal District Court judge. A news release states he worked on initiatives including re-entry court, veterans treatment court and mental health court. In December 2024, New Orleans Councilwoman Helena Moreno announced her mayoral on calling Zelensky a dictator: 'Did I say that?' Arthur Hunter announces campaign for Mayor of New Orleans Jeffries: 'Republicans are lying' about Medicaid cuts King Charles invites Trump to UK for a state visit LSU AgCenter in Homer is blending engineering and poultry science Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LSU AgCenter hunger project ‘on hold' amid USAID freeze
LSU's Memorial Tower on Monday, March 20, 2023, on Tower Drive in Baton Rouge. (Matthew Perschall for Louisiana Illuminator) A $22 million project involving the LSU AgCenter has been paused while the Trump administration reviews spending at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). LSU is part of the Feed the Future Climate Resilient Cereals Innovational Lab, which researchers at Kansas State University lead. It seeks to make cereal crops – such as rice, wheat, miller and sorghum – more readily available to those at risk of hunger, according to an AgCenter blog post. 'As a result of the recent Executive Orders, the federal government is currently reviewing expenditures, and this project has been placed on hold,' LSU AgCenter spokeswoman Tobie Blanchard said in a statement to the Illuminator. 'As a contractor on this initiative, we are awaiting further guidance.' All work at USAID, an independent national agency that oversees distribution of foreign aid, has been halted, and all direct hires have been placed on leave pending a review by Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency. The tech billionaire has been granted unprecedented access to the federal government after President Donald Trump rebranded the existing U.S. Digital Office, which former President Barack Obama created, to DOGE through an executive order. Democrats have challenged whether it's legal for Musk or the renamed department to make such sweeping changes. Among the casualties of DOGE's funding freeze are millions of dollars paid to land-grant universities, many in Republican-led states such as Louisiana. Among the key roles of land-grant universities, which include LSU and Southern University, is advancing agricultural science and working directly with farmers through local extension programs. Projects seeking to breed climate-resilient crops are among the staples of the LSU AgCenter. While the Feed the Future project has an international focus, the school's emphasis on climate-resilient crops also benefits Louisiana farmers whose lands are regularly impacted by hurricanes and other extreme weather events. Research universities bring in millions of dollars annually in federal research funding, which in turn compensate thousands of graduate students and other local employees, creating an economic impact throughout the state. The uncertainty of future funding as newly-installed Trump officials seek to slash spending has put many in higher education ill at ease. Louisiana has three universities with the top research designation: LSU, Tulane and the University of Louisiana Lafayette. Three other universities — Southern, Louisiana Tech and the University of New Orleans — have the second highest designation. In sum, Louisiana universities spend hundreds of millions of dollars on research, much of which various federal agencies fund. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
