Office of Coastal Management

LOUISIANA WETLANDS UPDATE HEARD BY WHITE HOUSE STAFF

The state's coastal restoration and management leaders recently met with a White House working group to discuss past, present, and future coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana. The Breaux Act Task Force chairman Colonel William Conner of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led the discussion as other federal agency representatives also participated.

An overview of the state's accomplishments to date and discussion of the most recent state/federal initiative, "Coast 2050" were two major topics talked about at the meeting last week in Washington. Members of the White House Interagency Working Group have since recommended quarterly follow-up meetings in their efforts to continue close communications on the wetlands crisis and solutions in Louisiana.

Department of Natural Resources's (DNR) current figures show that 27 coastal projects have been completed with an estimated 164,483 acres of benefitted land to coastal areas. It is expected that by the spring of next year the state will have $60 million in coastal projects under way. DNR officials explained that Coast 2050's planning process will provide the basis for amending the state's Long-Term Restoration Plan and the Breaux Act Comprehensive Restoration Plan.

Louisiana representatives Dr. Len Bahr, Executive Director of Coastal Activities, DNR Secretary Jack Caldwell, DNR Coastal Restoration and Management Assistant Secretary Katherine Vaughan, DNR Coastal Restoration administrator Dr. Bill Good, and Dr. Denise Reed each presented information to the Wetlands Working Group.

ditors: For more information, please contact the DNR Public Information Office at (504) 342-8955.