Creating The Foundation
Creating the Foundation
The Pontchartrain Conservancy was established in response to environmental concerns voiced throughout the Basin.
Most of the environmental problems that challenge the Basin were well recognized by the mid-1970s, yet there was no common effort towards restoration. Small groups of concerned citizens won some local battles but were unable to direct the large-scale changes that were necessary to save the Basin from further degradation.
Over 90 governmental and regulatory entities were charged with managing the Basin, increasing the difficulty of Basin-wide restoration efforts.
In the spring of 1989, a report called "To Restore Lake Pontchartrain", written by professors at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans, called for the establishment of an entity whose sole focus would be a healthy Lake and Basin. That report became the rallying point for a citizen-led effort that resulted in the formation of Pontchartrain Conservancy that same year.