Over 15,000 acres of Louisiana are lost each year to coastal erosion. In fact, Louisiana has 30% of all the coastal marsh in the contiguous 48 states, but currently accounts for 90% of all coastal marsh losses, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). USGS estimates that the state has lost about 1.22 million acres of coastal wetland in the past 70 years, which is roughly equivalent to the area of Delaware.
As “America’s Wetlands,” the coast of Louisiana provides much of the seafood and shellfish, oil and natural gas, and agricultural commodities enjoyed by the rest of the country. In fact, more than 80% of the country’s offshore oil and gas is produced off our coast, and 25% of the foreign and domestic oil used in this country comes ashore through our ports. It is estimated that more than 25% of the seafood consumed in the country comes through Louisiana, and that more than 75% of the species (commercial and recreational) in the northern Gulf of Mexico spend a portion of their lifecycles in the wetlands of Louisiana. The land also serves as a buffer against ocean storms and protects industries and cities located further inland. Unfortunately, Hurricanes Rita and Katrina proved how destructive nature can be without the proper protection provided from a vibrant coast. The loss of our coast is more than Louisiana’s problem; it’s America’s problem.
The Louisiana delegation worked to secure passage of historic legislation that opens 8.3 million new acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas production and shares 37.5 percent of new revenues with coastal, energy-producing states, including Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama. These critical funds will be used for wetlands restoration, hurricane protection and flood control projects. Louisiana is projected to receive at least $13 billion over the next 30 years under the 2006 law.
In addition, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) became law in November 2007. The WRDA bill authorizes over $1.9 billion in funding for a number of coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects in the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA), making it the largest coastal restoration project in American history.
As a Member of the House Transportation Committee with jurisdiction over WRDA, I worked hard to ensure the bill includes key initiatives for Southwest Louisiana. The bill includes a provision I authored to expedite completion of the Southwest Coastal Louisiana Hurricane Protection study and paves the way for accelerated implementation of the critical restoration projects identified in the study. I worked to get the study authorized in 2005 and the Corps of Engineers is currently conducting the feasibility portion of the study. WRDA also authorizes coastal restoration work in the Chenier Plain.
WRDA also contains the following provisions for Southwest Louisiana:
• The Calcasieu River Waterway Industrial Canal at Devil’s Elbow will be reclassified as a federal waterway, allowing federal money to be used for expansion and improvement of the Canal.
• The Calcasieu Ship Channel is authorized to receive $15 million over five years for bank stabilization and rocking work.
• $1.2 million authorized for Lafayette water and waste water improvements.
• $1 million authorized for Lake Charles water and waste water improvements.
• Authorize more than $131 million for deeper channel access to the Port of Iberia. This provision also allows for the potential use of dredged materials from the channel to be used to provide greater hurricane protection for Vermilion parish.
Passage of the WRDA bill clears the backlog of projects that had accumulated since 2000 – the last time Congress passed a WRDA bill. However, there is still much work that needs to be done in Southwest Louisiana. The Transportation Committee will likely begin work on a new WRDA bill this year to ensure that Congress begins the process of once again reauthorizing WRDA every two years. I look forward to continuing to work with the residents of the 7th District and our community leaders to make sure the priorities of Southwest Louisiana are represented when Congress begins work on the next WRDA reauthorization.
I am always eager to hear from my constituents. If you would like to speak with my staff about coastal restoration and water resources legislation, please contact my Washington, D.C. office at 202-225-2031.
