The Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) participated in the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s (CRCL) Coastal Restoration Roadshow held in Abbeville, Louisiana, on Wednesday, August 13th. LICI’s president, Gary Salathe, attended the meeting, joined by a member of the family that owns the largest tract of land in the Turkey Island Swamp, now known as the Abbeville Swamp, with whom LICI has been working closely. (Salathe is also a long-time member and former board member of the Greater New Orleans Iris Society (GNOIS).)
The purpose of the roadshow was to allow CRCL staff to hear directly from the public about the challenges facing their communities and their ideas for potential hurricane protection or habitat restoration projects. This outreach is an important step in broadening CRCL’s efforts into southwest Louisiana.
Following an overview of CRCL’s work, participants divided into small group table discussions, each moderated by a CRCL staff member. Salathe’s table included representatives from the Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana SeaGrant, the National Wildlife Federation, a local coastal activist, and the Abbeville Swamp landowner representative.
During the table discussion, Salathe shared information on the Abbeville Red iris (I. nelsonii) outlining the threats to its native habitat in the Abbeville Swamp and proposing the use of small water control structures to manage tidal flow. Salathe used photos from a slide presentation he has given over the past two years in Vermilion Parish to various governmental and civic groups highlighting the challenges to the long-term survival of the Abbeville Red iris in the Abbeville Swamp and outlining possible solutions.
You can view the presentation here: https://www.licisaveirises.com/post/lici-shares-a-presentation-at-the-august-13-2025-abbeville-crcl-meeting
After reviewing the presentation in a LICI Facebook posting, GNOIS President Patrick O’Connor contacted Salathe to express the society’s interest in publicizing the effort to preserve this section of the Abbeville Swamp, starting with this blog post.
