Coastal Restoration

Louisiana loses its coast at the rate of one football field every 30 minutes due to erosion. The loss of coastal wetlands destroys valuable wildlife habitat and a critical defense against storms and hurricanes. Senator Landrieu has led the efforts to secure needed funds for coastal restoration in Louisiana. Louisiana’s coast is crucial to many businesses that operate along it including the oil and gas industry, ports and fisheries.

Senator Landrieu fought for over a decade to secure a dedicated funding source – 37.5 percent of future oil and gas revenues – for coastal restoration efforts, which is expected to bring as much as $40 billion dollars to Louisiana for these projects.

Senator Landrieu also led the fight to adopt the water resources bill, over President Bush’s veto, which authorized up to $7 billion for Louisiana for hurricane protection, flood control and navigation projects.

In 2005, Senator Landrieu secured $540 million for Louisiana in Coastal Impact Assistance over four years for Louisiana communities impacted by coastal drilling.

Restoring Louisiana’s coastline is about more than good stewardship of the environment; it is vital for the economy as well. One-third of the nation’s oil and gas supply is produced or transported along Louisiana’s coastline. This vital infrastructure depends on barrier islands and wetlands to buffer storms and prevent damage. In addition, Louisiana’s ports account for 20 percent of the nation’s import/export traffic, and the state’s wetlands are the nation’s largest producer of shrimp, oyster and blue crab. Mary Landrieu’s success in securing dedicated funding to restore the coastline will provide critical new protection for all of these industries from storm damage.