On November 15th, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) approved a nearly $370 million investment in Gulf Coast restoration, with $245 million dedicated to five coastal restoration projects in Louisiana. The funding includes $193 million for the engineering and designing of two key restoration projects in Louisiana, the Mid-Barataria and Mid-Breton Sediment Diversions.
In response to this announcement, Restore the Mississippi River Delta – which includes Environmental Defense Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation – released the following statement:
“Today’s announcement signals progress on two vitally important coastal restoration projects in Louisiana. The Mid-Barataria and Mid-Breton Sediment Diversions are key to reversing Louisiana’s land loss trend, by mimicking the natural land-building processes of the Mississippi River and carrying water and sediment into degraded wetlands to build new land.
“Diversions are a critical component of a comprehensive restoration and protection strategy for Louisiana. They can help revive Louisiana’s coastal wetlands – part of America’s largest delta – to a productive, functioning state, which provides important ecological and economic opportunities and benefits for people and wildlife.
“As the state of Louisiana engages in the 2017 Coastal Master Plan process, we must ensure the plan covers a suite of coastal restoration and protection projects, including these keystone diversions. We look forward to working with both the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the state of Louisiana to implement the Mid-Barataria and Mid-Breton Sediment Diversions on their current timeline of being ready for construction in 2021.”
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