On Tuesday, October 2, 2018, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) offered and withdrew an amendment to Senate Bill 3172. Senate Bill 3172 establishes a fund to direct offshore energy revenues to deferred National Park Service maintenance needs. Senator Cassidy’s amendment proposed to increase the percentage of offshore revenue funds that are directed to Gulf Coast energy-producing states under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. It is similar to language contained in the Domestic Offshore Energy Reinvestment Act of 2018 that was passed out of the House Committee on Natural Resources last month. In response to Senator Cassidy’s amendment, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation released the following joint statement: Read More
There is widespread, bipartisan support for action in addressing Louisiana's coastal land loss crisis, according to a new poll released today by BDPC, LLC + Pinsonat and Restore the Mississippi River Delta. Of note, 79 percent of coastal voters said they support sediment diversions, large-scale engineering projects that would be strategically operated to direct sediment and fresh water from the Mississippi River into nearby wetlands, building and maintaining thousands of acres of land over time. Only 5 percent of those voters oppose. Additionally, an overwhelming 97 percent of Louisiana coastal voters say that the state should still work to maintain as much coastal land as possible even if the coast cannot be restored to its previous footprint. Read More.
Louisiana is facing a land loss crisis that threatens our culture, way of life and economic security. This problem is not only a state and local issue but a national one as well.
To highlight the importance of these critical issues, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) has organized a Coastal Issues Forum for candidates in the 3rd Congressional District at the Central School Auditorium in Lake Charles, LA on Oct. 18, 2018, at 6:00 pm. We have invited the top five candidates in the race for the 3rd Congressional District, currently held by Rep. Clay Higgins. We'll include all candidates that have raised any money for the election based on Federal Election Commission filings as of August 31, 2018. As of today, we have commitments from Rob Anderson, Josh Guillory, and Judge Mildred “Mimi” Methvin. We've invited Rep. Higgins and Larry Rader. This will be the first Congressional forum that deals exclusively with coastal issues. Read more.
On Thursday, September 13, 2018, Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA) released the Domestic Offshore Energy Reinvestment Act of 2018. It was voted out of the House Committee on Natural Resources this morning. The bill proposes to amend the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (more commonly known as GOMESA) by increasing the percentage of qualified outer Continental Shelf revenues that will get directed to Gulf producing states and removing the cap that currently exists on revenues. These changes would result in more money being directed to Louisiana to use on critically needed storm protection and environmental restoration projects. Read more.
As the public comment period on the “One Lake” proposal comes to a close and in advance of the only public meeting being held in Louisiana, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) felt it was important to weigh in on the project. The “One Lake” project proposes to dredge 10 miles of the Pearl River and build a dam to create a 1,900-acre lake near Jackson, MS. In response to this proposal, Emily Vuxton, CRCL’s Policy Director released the following statement:
“We are very concerned about the downstream effects of this project on communities and ecosystems in Louisiana. Louisiana is currently in a battle against land loss that is affecting the people and industries that call the lower Pearl River Basin home. The fact that there is consideration for altering the Pearl River Watershed without considering the downstream affects is astounding. Read more.
Baton Rouge, LA (June 20, 2018) Earlier today, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) Board voted to move forward with legal action against Plaquemines Parish government if an agreement cannot be reached to allow the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion permitting process to proceed.
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) has been calling for sediment diversions for three decades. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is currently in Engineering & Design and undergoing robust reviews by the Army Corps of Engineer Read more.
The fifth biennial State of the Coast Conference, a partnership of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and The Water Institute of the Gulf, was a huge success. From May 30 to June 1, more than 1,200 people gathered to share information and ideas about the dynamic conditions of Louisiana’s coastal communities, environment, and economy.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy joined the event to highlight the importance of Louisiana’s coastal issues.
Governor Edwards opened the conference with optimism declaring, “I actually believe this is Louisiana’s moment.” He traveled to New Orleans for the event despite much activity in Baton Rouge. "There isn't much that can get me out of Baton Rouge when the Legislature is in session, but the state of the coast is that important," he stated. Read More
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), in partnership with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and The Water Institute of the Gulf, is excited to announce that Governor John Bel Edwards will open the fifth biennial State of the Coast conference (SOC18) which will be held May 30-June 1, 2018 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
This is the second time Governor Edwards has been the opening keynote speaker for the preeminent coastal conference in Louisiana. Along with Governor Edwards, SOC18 will feature Marvin Odum, Chief Recovery Officer for the City of Houston; and Dr. Jason Clay, Senior Vice President for Markets and Food for the World Wildlife Fund, as featured speakers during the two and half day conference. Read More
Earlier today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Louisiana Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority announced updates to the timeline on permitting the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. The updates reflect a plan to accelerate the completion of an Environmental Impact Statement from 2022 to 2020. Additionally, the Army Corps now expects the issuance of decisions for Section 408 and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, and Clean Water Act Section 404 permits in 2020, an advancement of the timeline by two years. Read More
With the passage last session of the 2017 Coastal Master Plan, the State is in a strong position to significantly advance coastal restoration this year. Additionally, with the recommendation of the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group to invest $2 billion on key restoration projects in the Barataria Basin it is our hope that the State will claim key successes in the upcoming year in protecting and restoring our coastline. Read More
Coalition To Restore Coastal Louisiana