Latest Mississippi River Delta News: Feb. 05, 2015

Greens fume over Obama’s bid to divert restoration funding
 By Phil Taylor, Greenwire. Feb. 04, 2015
“This proposed budget undercuts the administration’s previous commitments to restore critical economic infrastructure and ecosystems in the Mississippi River Delta, where we are losing 16 square miles of critical wetlands every year — a preventable coastal erosion crisis,” the environmental groups said. “Those wetlands, and the culture and economic infrastructure they protect from hurricanes, will be lost without complete and ongoing intervention.” (Read More)

Budget plan threatens to gut Louisiana’s coastal restoration effort
 By John Snell, WVUE-New Orleans. Feb. 03, 2015
“The budget, unveiled this week, would scrap plans for Gulf Coast states from Florida to Texas to share $500 million in offshore oil royalties annually. The total includes an estimated $170 million for Louisiana.” (Read More)

Don’t cut off offshore revenue-sharing, President Obama: Editorial
By Editorial Board, The Times-Picayune. Feb. 04, 2015
“Louisiana and other Gulf states have borne the environmental and infrastructure costs of energy production for decades. We are only now about to get a meaningful share of the lease revenues that oil and gas companies pay to the federal government.” (Read More)

State’s coastal restoration efforts imperiled by Obama’s budget proposal
By Bob Marshall, The Lens. Feb. 03, 2015
“President Obama’s unexpected budget proposal to stop sending a portion of federal offshore mineral royalties to Gulf states could cripple Louisiana’s coastal-restoration efforts by eliminating what is expected to be $140 million to nearly $180 million in annual revenue.” (Read More)

This overlooked item in Obama’s budget will cost Gulf Coast states millions
By Jeff Guo, Washington Post. Feb. 04, 2015
“Louisiana, perhaps, has the keenest interest in all of this. In 2012, the state issued an ambitious 50-year, $50 billion plan to shore up its sinking coastline. The GOMESA money will be crucial to this effort, which will involve $500–$1.5 billion in annual spending.” (Read More)

Louisiana members confident of blocking President Obama’s proposal to scrap offshore revenue sharing
By Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune. Feb. 03, 2015
“Louisiana congressional members are optimistic they can block President Barack Obama’s proposal to reallocate revenue sharing funding for Louisiana and other oil producing Gulf States for national environmental needs.” (Read More)

President Obama sticks it to Louisiana; who has the standing to fight for us?
By Jarvis DeBerry, The Times-Picayune. Feb. 04, 2015
“We deserve the royalty money because our state has paid the ultimate cost for that oil and gas exploration: the loss of our land.” (Read More)