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Support the most important coastal restoration project to date in Louisiana's history
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As a supporter of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, I am writing in support of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. CRCL was established over 30 years ago and has advocated for the construction of sediment diversions to restore coastal Louisiana from the time our first reports were published in the 1980s. These projects have been a cornerstone of restoration plans for decades. I am very excited that we have finally reached this important milestone. I live in coastal Louisiana, and I am very concerned about the land loss that I have seen on the coast in my lifetime. I believe that it is critical to use the best available science to advance decision making and work to restore large areas of the coast as quickly as possible. Our coast is rapidly disappearing, and this loss threatens our communities and way of life. The Barataria Basin was hit hard by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which exacerbated decades of saltwater intrusion, sea level rise and subsidence. The health and stability of this basin are vital for a range of ecosystems that provide habitat for wildlife and wetlands that offer protection from storms for communities to the north. I believe that the preferred alternative as outlined in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is the appropriate solution for rebuilding the Barataria Basin. I also support the proposal in the draft Restoration Plan to use funds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement to construct this project, as ecosystems that were injured by the oil spill will greatly benefit from the diversion. With that in mind, I ask the following of the Army Corps and Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group: • Select the preferred alternative in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Reconnecting the river to nearby wetlands through this project provides our greatest opportunity to avoid a devastating future for Louisiana’s communities, wildlife and economy. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is the cornerstone of Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan and will help support and enhance the lifespan of other coastal restoration and protection projects. • Fund the project using Deepwater Horizon settlement dollars as outlined in the draft Restoration Plan: As Barataria Basin continues to recover from the devastating impacts of the oil spill, this project is vital to restoring the health and function of the entire ecosystem. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion is the single largest ecosystem restoration project in the history of the United States. Combined with other proposed restoration projects, the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion would build and preserve more than 17,000 acres of wetlands over the next 30 years to restore critical wetland habitat injured by the oil spill. It is exactly the scale needed to address the very serious challenges facing Louisiana’s coast. As the project advances, I urge federal and state decision makers to consider the following: • Center community needs in planned mitigation and stewardship efforts. This project will have many positive, long-term benefits for coastal communities, including increased storm surge protection from restored wetlands, job creation and regional economic impact during construction, and increased productivity of natural resources. There are also foreseeable adverse effects possible as the project restores natural balance in a declining ecosystem. We applaud the commitment of approximately $300 million by the Federal Trustees and Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to address impacts that could result from the construction and operations of the project. We encourage the development of a robust stewardship and mitigation plan that addresses any potential impacts that may occur and ensures that no communities or residents bear an unjust burden as a result of the project. The Trustees must work proactively and collaboratively with potentially impacted communities to develop and implement ideas and proposals for adaptation and mitigation, and to be as detailed and transparent as possible throughout the mitigation planning and implementation processes. • Commit to developing a robust adaptive management program: To ensure the project meets its restoration goals in response to changing environmental conditions, I encourage the development and implementation of a robust adaptive management program that incorporates knowledge gained from monitoring of the project over time and also considers input from key stakeholders. The adaptive management program should include protocols for transparent decision-making regarding project operations and accessible communication of how those decisions are changing the environment. We have no time to lose to restore our coast, which is why I support the preferred alternative outlined in the DEIS and the expenditure of Deepwater Horizon settlement money to pay for the project’s construction and associated mitigation and stewardship activities.
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