Governor Jindal’s Plan to Redirect Coastal Restoration Funding is Bad for Louisiana

(New Orleans – Oct. 9, 2015) A coalition of local and national conservation groups will sponsor paid print and online advertisements in newspapers across south Louisiana this weekend opposing Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposal to redirect money from the Coastal Master Plan to fund the elevation of Louisiana Highway 1.

The Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition – which includes Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation – implores in the ads “Protect our Coastal Master Plan funding. Tell the Governor NO.”

By asking the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to use any “excess” restoration funds to pay for elevating LA-1, Gov. Jindal is trying to walk away from the state’s commitment to preserve coastal funding for projects in the state’s Master Plan.

“While the money from the BP criminal and civil fines will jumpstart our efforts to restore the coast, it won’t come close to finishing the job. That is why it’s crucial to protect every dime of restoration money,” said Steve Cochran, campaign director for Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition. “Redirecting funds is a slippery slope that weakens our state’s credibility, threatens our ability to secure future funding and puts our future at risk.”

The print advertisements will run in the Times-Picayune, The Advocate, Plaquemines Gazette, St. Bernard Voice, Daily Comet, Houma Courier and The (Lafayette) Advertiser.

The coalition is also urging the public to write Gov. Jindal in opposition to his plan and to speak out against the proposal at the Oct. 21 meeting of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority in Baton Rouge, when the issue is scheduled to be considered. For more information, visit ProtectTheFunding.org.  

The Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition has also launched the “Restore the Coast” community engagement campaign to highlight the important role Louisiana’s elected officials play in coastal restoration. This multifaceted, nonpartisan education campaign asks voters to sign a pledge urging leaders to: be a voice for coastal restoration, protect existing and secure future coastal restoration funding, and support Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan. Learn more at RestoreTheCoast.org.

Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition is a joint effort of non-profit organizations made up of science, public policy, economics and outreach experts working to raise awareness and build support for science-based solutions to restore Louisiana’s coast.