The RESTORE Act: Louisiana's Gulf Coast Restoration Projects
774 Words4 Pages
Some say that this proposal could potentially hurt Louisiana’s chances of getting funding for other projects. Instead of trying to fund a bunch of small projects. Congress passed the RESTORE Act in June 2012. This act stands for Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies. This project puts 80 percent of all Clean Water Act Administrative and civil penalties related to the BP Oil Spill to a Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund. The RESTORE Act also shows how many examples as how the funds can be used to restore and protect the natural resources. The RESTORE Act reviews the following work for the distribution of the Trust Fund. 35 percent goes to five states for restoration. 30 percent managed by the…show more content… The result of this has affected the wetlands tremendously and the state has made tons of progress. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has improved and built about 250 miles of levees. Which has contributed over 25,700 acres to coastal habitat. It has gotten over $18 billion dollars from state and federal funding to provide for restoration projects. It also has put over 150 projects into construction and has had produce projects in twenty different parishes. Also has contributed 45 miles of barrier islands. Over 59 projects will be put into play during the year 2015, which contains 19 protection projects, 38 restoration projects, and 2 infrastructure projects. All of these projects combined total up to an investment of nearly $477 million in the year of…show more content… Just as oil spills, pollution, and hurricanes affect the wetlands, they affect the wildlife that live in it as well. Many wildlife contribute to the production of money towards the state. One major industry in Louisiana is commercial fishing. The Louisiana coast contributes to the largest commercial seafood region in the U.S. providing 20 to 25 percent of the annual fisheries. More than 1.4 billion pounds was counted in coastal Louisiana ports in 2000 alone. Louisiana is also the number one state to produce alligators in the alligator economy. The value of these wild and farm raised alligator’s tops over $30 million annually. Waterfowl hunting is also a major industry in coastal Louisiana. Millions of ducks and geese are hunted annually. This produces an enormous of amount of money which is about $100 million for Louisiana. In which the loss of wetlands greatly threatens these wildlife that live in the wetlands of Louisiana. This source states “Dense aggregations of waterfowl, often caused by loss of native wetlands and increased waterfowl numbers, can result in the destruction of wetland vegetation and agricultural crops, increase the risk of infectious disease outbreaks, and decrease water quality” (Post). Which these things listed are just a few problems of wetland destruction. Also with waterfowl being a big money maker for Louisiana, the state definitely does not want to lose it.