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Reports from the Foundation
Dokken meets with Mexico governor on Summit plans
Click photo to view article in Veracruz newspaper
March 2008 -
GMF's Executive Director Dr. Quenton Dokken and the Harte
Research Institute's Executive Director Dr. Robert Furgason
met on March 21 with Governor Fidel Herrera of Veracruz and
his staff, along with Secretary of Tourism and Culture Ivan Hillman and
Secretary of Finance and Planning Rafael Arias. During the
meeting, Governor
Herrera gave the
"go ahead" to plan and host the next "State of the Gulf of
Mexico Summit" to be held in Veracruz in
February 2009. Hillman will be the lead person for the
Governor. The
Governor is very anxious that the U.S. participate in this
Summit and will
be submitting invitations to the U.S. and Mexico gulf state
governors and
mayors of coastal cities. U.S. interests will also be invited
to participate in the planning. The last Gulf of Mexico Summit
was held in 2006 at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of
Mexico Studies in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Executive Director travels to Mexico
for summit plans
January 2008 -
During the fall of 2007 and in January of 2008, GMF Executive Director Quenton Dokken traveled to Veracruz, Mexico, to meet with representatives of the Governor’s staff to discuss possible opportunities for Governor Herrera to host the next State of the Gulf Summit. Dr. Robert Furgason, Executive Director for Harte
Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, accompanied Dr. Dokken.
Governor Herrera is considering hosting such a Summit in 2009 in collaboration with the GMF and HRI.
GMF hosts GOMA meeting, welcome reception
December 2007 - The GMF hosted the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA)
Community Resiliency Group meeting in Corpus Christi December 11-13,
 2007.
As part of GOMA, the Community Resiliency Group works closely with the Alliance’s Regional Restoration Coordination Team on issues relevant
to habitat and wetlands restoration and conservation. The GMF, with the support of the Port of Corpus Christi, hosted a welcome
reception at the OMNI Hotel for the members of the Community Resiliency Group on the eve of the start of their workshop. The
evening provided an opportunity to network and socialize for the meeting
participants prior to the start-up of their discussions.
Dr. Furgason and Dr. Earle of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies attended the event as well as
HRI's Dr. Wes Tunnell, Dr. Richard McLaughlin, and Dr. Tom Shirley.
VIEW PHOTOS FROM EVENT
GMF hosts Industry Forum luncheon
in Houston
GMF Staff members at the Industry Forum. From left, Bobbi Reed,
Laura Bodenheimer, Paul Kelly, Quenton Dokken and Kathryn Tunnell.
November 2007 - On November 6, the Gulf of Mexico Foundation hosted an Industry Forum luncheon at the Houston Petroleum Club for over 70 representatives of industry.
Members of the GMF CEO Council sponsored the event. Our CEO partners include BP, Marathon, Oceaneering, Rowan, Transocean and Shell.
The focus of the forum was the economic and environmental sustainability of the Gulf of Mexico. Speakers included Bryon Griffith, Director of the EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Program,
Paul Kelly, GMF Board President, and Quenton Dokken, Executive Director of the GMF. Masters of Ceremony were Ian Hudson with Transocean and Marti Powers with BP.
The Industry Form provided an opportunity for members of the oil and gas industry to become better acquainted with the activities of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation.
Dr. Dokken pointed out that as major stakeholders in the Gulf of Mexico, energy industries have a unique opportunity and ability to provide leadership toward a
sustainable future for both economic and environmental productivity.
GMF Board meets in St. Petersburg
November 2007 - The Gulf of Mexico Foundation Board of Directors met in St. Petersburg, Florida, November 13 and 14, 2007. The meeting took place at the St. Petersburg Hilton Hotel.
On the first day, members of the Board took a tour by airboat of Pinellas County shoreline area showing the tremendous increases in development in the area.
The tour was conducted by Dr. Randy Runnels with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
In the evening, several brave Board members went on an evening kayak trip to survey remote mangrove areas.
They enjoyed a picnic dinner in the moonlight with their kayaks nestled among the mangroves.
On the second day of the meeting, guest speakers provided an overview of restoration activities in the local area.
They were Brandt Hennigsten with the Southwest Florida Water Management Division, who spoke on surface water improvement and management programs in the area, and Dr. Bruce Rinker with Pinellas County Lands Division who spoke on the Booker Creek Preserve.
That evening, Board Members attended the EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Program’s Gulf Guardian Awards. The GMF sponsored the
reception honoring the awardees, who received their awards for their efforts in conservation and restoration work along the Gulf of Mexico, including a winner from Mexico.
Dokken meets with reps in Mexico about environment
October 2007 - In August and again in October, GMF's Dr. Quenton Dokken
traveled to Mexico to meet with representatives of local communities and
states regarding environmental issues of concern to all communities
within the Gulf of Mexico. Such issues as coastal pollution, population
growth along the coasts and upstream river flows were discussed. In
August, Dr. Dokken met with staff members from the office of Gov. Fidel Herrera Beltrán
of Veracruz. In October, Dr. Dokken and
Dr. Robert Furgason, Director of the
Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, met with Governor
Hererra to discuss potential cooperative efforts among the gulf states in the United States and in Mexico.
GMF staff travels to Florida to host RRCT workshop
State representatives
dine while at the
September GOMA meeting in St Petersburg.
From left are: Carl Ferraro, Alabama; Greg DuCote, Louisiana;
George Ramseur, Mississippi; Andy Sanderson, Mississippi GEMS
Manager; Woody Woodrow, Texas; Quenton Dokken, Texas; Randy
Runnels, Florida.
Kendal Keyes photo
Sept 2007 - GMF staff members Dr. Quenton Dokken, Bobbi Reed and Kathryn Tunnell
traveled to St. Petersburg, Florida, to host the last in a series of state-lead Regional Restoration
Coordination Team workshops at Weedon Island Preserve Sept 22-25. Under a grant awarded to the GMF by the Environmental Protection Agency, the GMF is tasked with organizing and facilitating a series of meetings to be held in each of the
 gulf states to identify
needs and priorities for coastal habitat restoration in the Gulf of
Mexico.
PHOTO: Randy Runnels, Florida’s RRCT State Lead, guides a group kayak tour through Terra Ceia.
Photo courtesy TPWD
The Florida/Caribbean workshop included a field trip to familiarize other state
natural resource managers with Florida restoration and conservation
projects, as well as issues and challenges that the state faces. The
field trip was followed by presentations from natural resource managers and scientists
from the gulf states, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
During the workshop, natural resource managers from across the gulf
region discussed parallel problems and challenges, possible solutions
and the implementation of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Governor’s Action
Plan.
Working group meets to identify RRCT's mission, goals
Sept 2007 - GMF's Dr. Quenton Dokken attended the Gulf of Mexico
Alliance (GOMA) Community Resilience Working Group meeting held at the
Mississippi Department of Natural Resources in Biloxi. The group was formed to work on issues relevant
to the GOMA’s Regional Restoration Coordination Team. Work focused on
identifying the mission and goals envisioned for the group.
Dokken attends GOMA governor's meeting in Mississippi
August 2007 - In August, GMF's Executive Director Dr. Quenton
Dokken attended the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Governor’s meeting in Biloxi
hosted by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. Representatives of the
five gulf states, federal government agencies, several members of
congress and nonprofit organizations attended. The meeting, entitled
“Building Upon a Successful Federal-State Partnership,” highlighted the
successes to date that have been achieved through the Alliance efforts.
The group pledged support for continuation of the effort and looked to
the future in the development of a new five-year plan and legislative
strategy.
GMF Board meets in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS, LA, August, 2007 – The Gulf of Mexico Foundation
Board of Directors held its summer meeting on August 7 and 8 in New Orleans,
Louisiana. On August 7, ConocoPhillips hosted an all-day tour
by boat for the board members of the Southeast Louisiana fee lands which the company owns. They own
approximately 640,000 acres, all coastal marsh land. The tour provided an
opportunity to identify the challenges faced in managing coastal properties with
many diverse stakeholder interests. Many thanks go to Dan Smallwood and Kermit Coulon with ConocoPhillips for their efforts in making this an interesting and
enjoyable field trip. Greg DuCote with the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources also assisted in
the field trip, and provided an overview of the coastal restoration efforts
ongoing in the state. A number of different approaches to coastal restoration
were shown on the tour. That evening, GMF board member Marti Powers and BP-America hosted a dinner for
board members and
guests at the Grand Isle Restaurant. This provided an opportunity to socialize,
network and share thoughts and impressions from the day’s field trip. On August 8, the GMF Board conducted its quarterly business meeting at the offices
of Shell Exploration and Production in New Orleans. Fred Palmer with Shell
E&P, and Kevin MvEvoy with Oceaneering International, Inc., were approved for
membership to the board.
Dokken part of international scientific forum in Mexico
Coatzacoalcos, Mexico - June 1, 2007 - GMF's Executive Director Quenton Dokken participated in the Third International Meeting
of the Sea 2007 Scientific Forum in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico. The gathering included mayors and leaders of municipalities around
the Gulf of Mexico, including speakers from Mexico, the United States, Chile and Cuba. Topics included the use of waters of the sea;
models of coastal development, and the impact of the climatic change in the coastal cities of Mexico. Dr. Dokken and Dr. John Jacob
with Texas Sea Grant led a panel discussion called, "Habitat Conservation and Restoration: The Need for a Gulf-wide Alliance of Local Governments."
Dr. Cuauhtémoc León Diez with CONABIO served as moderator
for that portion of the program.
Dokken meets with Veracruz governor’s staff
VERACRUZ, MEXICO - March 10, 2007 - GMF's Executive Director Quenton Dokken met with Rafael Arias, Secretary for Finance and
Planning in Governor Fidel Herrera’s administration, in Jalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, to discuss opportunities for US and Mexican collaborative
efforts on environmental issues around the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Arias will be a speaker at the July meeting of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance workshop in
St. Petersburg, Florida, and will talk about Governor Herrera’s interest and commitment to address environmental
challenges in the State of Veracruz. The Governor’s office plans to host local meetings throughout the State to speak
on topic areas identified in the first Gulf of Mexico Summit held in Corpus Christi, Texas, in March of 2006.
Those topic areas are:
• economic development and stability
• environmental health and sustainability
• public health
• policy
Dr. Dokken will work with the Veracruz Governor’s office in support of their environmental efforts as they relate to the Gulf of Mexico.
GMF coordinates Alliance RRCT workshop
SPANISH FORT, AL - March 10, 2007 - During the week of March 5-9, 2007,
the Gulf of Mexico Foundation coordinated a Gulf of Mexico Alliance
Regional Restoration Coordination Team Workshop in Spanish Fort, Alabama. GMF's Executive Director Quenton Dokken, Project Coordinator Kathryn Tunnell and
Executive Assistant Bobbi Reed participated in the workshop.
Under a grant recently awarded to the GMF by the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Foundation is tasked with organizing and facilitating a series of meetings to be held in each of the
Gulf States in order to identify needs and priorities for coastal habitat restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. The meeting was held in
the beautiful, new Five Rivers Delta Resource Center owned by the State of Alabama.
Day 1 was dedicated to issues and needs identified by the State of Alabama. Day 2 focused on the needs and priorities for
the State of Mississippi. Each of the states brought in experts to speak on topics of interest. The last day and a half of the
workshop was facilitated by the Corps of Engineers and dealt with planning for a Gulf of Mexico Regional Sediment Management Master Plan.
The next GOM RRCT meeting will be held in Galveston, Texas, May 22-24, 2007.
GMF director speaks to Alabama eco group
GULF SHORES, AL - Jan 21, 2007 - The Gulf of Mexico
Foundation's Executive Director Dr. Quenton Dokken traveled
to Gulf Shores, Alabama, on January 18-21. He was the keynote
speaker at the Wolf Bay Watershed Watch annual meeting in Elberta, Alabama, on January 20.
Wolf Bay Watershed Watch is a nonprofit group dedicated to
conservation of natural resources of the Wolf Bay Watershed.
They are located between Mobile Bay and Perdido Bay in
Baldwin County, Alabama. Part of the group’s conservation
efforts involve water quality sampling in the watershed area
to create a baseline of environmental data during the current
period of rapid development in the area, and also to identify
sources of pollution to reduce or eliminate its effects.
While in the area, Dr. Dokken was taken on a tour by boat
and car of the watershed.
Read Jan 20, 2007 Mobile Register article quoting Dr Dokken
Read Jan 25, 2007 The Ledger article quoting Dr Dokken
GMF staff attends restoration conference in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS, LA - Dec 14, 2006 - Two Gulf of Mexico
Foundation staff members, Quenton Dokken and Bobbi Reed, attended the
Third National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat
Restoration conference at the Hilton Riverside Hotel in New Orleans Dec 10-14.
Dr. Dokken served as moderator for a panel entitled, “Give the People What They Want.”
He also attended a workshop called, "Monitoring Estuarine Restoration."
During the conference, he met with members of the scientific community,
federal agencies and industry.
The Gulf of Mexico Foundation both supported the conference
with a donation and hosted a booth at the Restoration Expo.
Bobbi Reed manned the booth and passed out GMF brochures, stickers and pens.
The Expo had more than 140 exhibitors and was well attended throughout the conference.
The opening reception for the conference was held in the exhibition hall and provided a good
opportunity for attendees to socialize and tour all the exhibits.
The conference was well attended with more than 1,400 participants who came together to discuss restoration needs,
work currently being done and future requirements.
Gulf Reports Archive
Gulf of Mexico Foundation
PMB 51, 5403 Everhart • Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(800) 884-4175 toll free • (361) 882-3939 phone • (361) 882-1262 fax
e-mail: info@gulfmex.org
• website: gulfmex.org
webmaster: Carrie Robertson
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