“Our coast has been vanishing for decades, and studies on the best way to correct the problem have been completed for nearly as long — now is the time for decisive and efficient action,” said Natalie Peyronnin, director of science policy for Mississippi River Delta restoration at Environmental Defense Fund. “State-of-the-art science backs each of these 17 recommended projects, which will work together to set us up for further success and land gains down the road.” “Louisiana faces very real threats — sea level rise compounded by subsidence, combined with the continued tragic waste of the Mississippi River’s sediment,” said DavidMuth, director of Gulf Restoration with the National Wildlife Federation. “Our challenges are great, but our current opportunity is even greater. We can use the substantial funding the state is poised to receive and the immense public and political support for the projects we are recommending in this report to protect and maintain as much of the coast as possible.” “As we wrap up one of the most active hurricane seasons in recent memory, we know that Louisiana has no time to lose when it comes to strengthening the coast and protecting vulnerable coastal communities,” said John Lopez, director of the Coastal Sustainability Program at Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. “Sea level rise projections and extreme weather impacts will only worsen. Louisiana’s people, wildlife, and economies are counting on swift and strategic progress on restoration to deliver maximum benefits and best returns on our investments.”
“In this race against time, Louisiana must use the most precious and powerful resource at its disposal — the Mississippi River and its land- building sediment,” said Kimberly Davis Reyher, executive director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. “If Louisiana hopes to maintain a sustainable coast in the face of sea level rise and subsidence, sediment diversions must be advanced quickly to capture this precious resource that flows past our wetlands every day.” “Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority should be commended for the significant and real progress it has made over the previous decade, particularly in restoring barrier islands,” said Cynthia Duet, deputy director of Audubon Louisiana. “There is no greater issue facing Louisiana than the ongoing disappearance of our land. We stand ready to work with state and federal agencies, elected officials, community members and other stakeholders to advocate for these important projects and expedite their implementation.” Read the full report, Restoring the Mississippi River Delta: A Recommended List of Coastal Restoration Projects and Programs, at http://mississippiriverdelta.org/priorityprojects.
Information provided by the Environmental Defense Fund (www.edf.org).
AP-8468
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