Louisiana Restoration and Protection Efforts Should Be Authorized by Congress
Coalition Supports U.S. House Efforts to Include Southwest Louisiana Coastal Feasibility Study in WRDA
(New Orleans – Sept. 27, 2016) Language to be added to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to authorize a signed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chief’s Report for the Southwest Coastal Louisiana Feasibility Study should be adopted, according to Restore the Mississippi River Delta – a coalition of national and statewide conservation organizations working in Louisiana.
The study recommends more than $3 billion in investments in coastal restoration and risk reduction efforts to strengthen the region’s multiple lines of defense from storms and coastal flooding. The provision, authored by U.S. Congressman Charles Boustany (R-LA) and now included in a package of amendments supported by congressional leadership, is expected to pass this week. If adopted and the full WRDA also passes, the President and Congress would have to seek funding for the project through the annual federal appropriations process.
Restore the Mississippi River Delta strongly supports the U.S. House of Representatives’ efforts to follow the U.S. Senate’s lead in including the authorization and released the following statement:
“It’s time to authorize this report and move it into action. More than 10 years after Hurricane Rita devastated the very area addressed in this study, we urge the U.S. House of Representatives to authorize this report to help better protect the people, wildlife and jobs of southwest Louisiana.
“This Chief’s report presents a strong vision for coastal restoration and protection that supports the state’s Coastal Master Plan and will have a tremendous impact on the future of this nationally significant region.”
Contact:
Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225.253.9781, schatzele@nwf.org
Jacques Hebert, National Audubon Society, 504.264.6849, jhebert@audubon.org
Elizabeth Van Cleve, Environmental Defense Fund, 202.553.2543, evancleve@edf.org
Jimmy Frederick, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, 225.767.4181, jimmy.frederick@crcl.org
John Lopez, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, 504.421.7348, jlopez@saveourlake.org
Restore the Mississippi River Delta 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. Composed of conservation, policy, science and outreach experts, we are located in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Washington, D.C.; and around the United States. Learn more at www.mississippiriverdelta.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.