Hurricanes Katrina and Rita not only destroyed countless buildings along the Gulf Coast, but also killed plant life and devastated the already-compromised coastal wetlands. The loss of these natural elements is doubly tragic, because if still intact, they could mitigate damage from future storms. A panel of landscape architects and planners examine the role of these critical components in a healthy ecosystem and discuss the vital need for restoration of the wetlands and other issues. Moderated by Joseph E. Brown, FASLA, president of EDAW, the program includes Paul Rookwood, ASLA, AICP, managing principal of WRT, a planning and design firm working on the redevelopment of New Orleans; Kevin Shanley, ASLA, president of the SWA Group, who addresses the importance of wetlands in the recovery planning process, and James L. Sipes, ASLA, who is developing an interactive map to determine the vulnerabilities of the Gulf Coast's natural and cultural resources. Less