Bill to Protect Louisiana’s Coastal Fund Passes House

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, eskree@edf.org
Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org
Erin Greeson, National Audubon Society, 503.913.8978, egreeson@audubon.org

Bill to protect Louisiana’s Coastal Fund passes House

Legislation to prevent misuse of Fund moves to Senate 

(May 5, 2014—Baton Rouge, LA) Today, the Louisiana House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 490, legislation that will protect the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund from misuse. National and local conservation organizations committed to Mississippi River Delta restoration – Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana – issued the following statement:

“The House took a stand for the coast today by unanimously approving House Bill 490. This bill closes the loophole on misuse of the Coastal Fund as a pass-through account. Authored by Representative Brett Geymann (R-Lake Charles), House Bill 490 protects the integrity of the Coastal Fund by ensuring it is used as the law intended: for coastal protection and restoration uses only.

“Transparent and proper use of the Coastal Fund is essential to our state’s coastal restoration efforts. This is especially true as federal decision-makers are deciding how to direct hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties from the Gulf oil disaster. Money transferred into the Coastal Fund should only be used for coastal purposes – not to balance the state’s budget.

“The people of Louisiana deserve the state’s unanimously-passed commitment to comprehensive coastal restoration. We look to the Senate to make the same choice and swiftly pass House Bill 490.”

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The Restore the Mississippi River Delta coalition is working to protect people, wildlife and jobs by reconnecting the river with its wetlands. As our region faces the crisis of threatening land loss, we offer science-based solutions through a comprehensive approach to restoration. Comprised of conservation, policy, science and outreach experts from Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, we are located in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Washington, D.C.; and around the United States. See more at www.mississippiriverdelta.org.