Louisiana Governor Calls on President Trump to Expedite Coastal Infrastructure Projects
Conservation groups, Coast Builders Coalition support investments in large-scale coastal restoration and protection
(NEW ORLEANS – March 8, 2017) This morning, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards sent a letter to the Administration outlining the state’s coastal restoration and protection infrastructure priorities. In his letter, Governor Edwards proposes that the Administration give high priority status to five projects included in the state’s Coastal Master Plan: Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion, Houma Navigation Canal Lock Complex, Calcasieu Salinity Control Measures, and River Reintroduction to Maurepas Swamp. These five projects are also priority projects supported by the Restore the Mississippi River Delta coalition.
“Infrastructure means more than roads and bridges – it’s also the large-scale coastal restoration and protection projects that protect those roads and bridges. These five projects proposed by Governor Edwards are exactly the types of infrastructure investments most appropriate for prioritization under the President’s recent executive order.
“Large-scale coastal restoration will provide long-term protection for Louisiana’s communities, ecosystems and nationally significant industries and economies. Sediment diversion projects harness the natural land-building power of the Mississippi River to build and sustain land, providing storm protection, hunting and fishing habitat, and a myriad of other environmental and economic benefits.
“Investing in Louisiana coastal protection and restoration will help protect the region’s vital industries – including fisheries, oil and gas, transportation and navigation – as well as create jobs and build a sustainable coastal economy. The urgent need to rebuild Louisiana’s coastal infrastructure is one of the most important issues facing our country.”
— Joint statement from Restore the Mississippi River Delta and Coast Builders Coalition
Restore the Mississippi River Delta is working to protect people, wildlife and jobs by reconnecting the river with its wetlands. As our region faces an ongoing and severe land loss crisis, we offer science-based solutions through a comprehensive approach to restoration. Composed of conservation, policy, science and outreach experts from Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, the 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. Learn more at www.mississippiriverdelta.org.
Coast Builders Coalition (CBC) supports local, state, federal and private funding opportunities for the Gulf Coast and we are an active industry partner for public and private entities active in projects along the Gulf Coast. CBC seeks ways to partner with other coastal advocates and provide important industry insight on coastal initiatives. Coast Builders Coalition promotes the development of science, technology and workforce initiatives that are the foundation for achieving a sustainable Gulf Coast. For example, we have partnered with economic development organizations to promote coastal innovation, provided feedback on a number of coastal workforce initiatives and promoted the development of coastal expertise along the Gulf Coast. Learn more at www.coastbuilderscoalition.org.