Kerry St. Pé
CWPPRA Personal Reflections: Environmental Portraits and Oral Histories of Louisiana’s Coastal Wetlands Stakeholders
The goal of CWPPRA’s Personal Reflections Project is to capture the lives and stories of Louisiana residents who have been stewards of the wetlands and storytellers who open the door to the world of habitat protection and preservation. Each person has a unique tale, but the Louisiana wetlands have been a part of all of their lives. We invite you to learn more about these coastal caretakers. We have tried to capture our Louisiana guardians in two ways; the first with an environmental portrait and the second with an oral history.
Taylor Suir
Mr. St. Pé was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 15, 1950. He has lived in Southeast Louisiana his entire life. He is a biologist. He worked for Water Pollution and Control under the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and later under the Department of Environmental Quality starting in 1974. Mr. St. Pé was appointed to be on the scientific technical committee of the Estuary program and was later elected Chairman. He currently works for the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program. Mr. St. Pé is an avid outdoorsman and a strong voice in the fight to protect Louisiana’s wetlands.
Scope and Content Note
Mr. St. Pé discusses the importance of restoring the Wetlands of Louisiana. The interview is conducted on Lake Verret. Mr. St. Pé reminisces about camping on the ridges with close friends when he was a child. He talks about his work for the Water Pollution and Control Division under the Department of Environmental Quality as well as his current work with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program. Mr. St. Pé has been an advocate for coastal restoration his entire life and discusses the importance of restoring Louisiana’s coast not just for the residents here but for the entire nation.
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