[StBernard] GOVERNOR'S COLUMN: A vote for Louisiana's coastline -- the time is now!

[Westley Annis]

A vote for Louisiana's coastline -- the time is now!
A Column by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco 


The tremendous progress we have made recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita can easily be wiped away if our vulnerable and fragile coast is not restored and protected. In the final days of the 109th Congress, lawmakers have a critical window in which to save our coast and its communities. 

Our wetlands and waterways form the backbone of America's energy supply, maritime commerce and seafood industry. The urgency was real to restore this invaluable coastal region before the storms. Now, the consequences of no action are unthinkable, not just for Louisiana, but for the entire country.

Congress has the opportunity to pass historic legislation to share oil and gas revenues with coastal producing states - a prudent investment in our country's domestic oil and gas supply.

Delaying action could be a death sentence for such a bill and two more storm seasons will visit the Gulf of Mexico while the new Congress starts from scratch. Louisiana simply cannot wait.

We know all too well what just a couple of years can mean to an ecosystem in the process of collapse. Katrina and Rita destroyed an additional 217 square miles of Louisiana, nearly 10 times our state's annual land loss.

Our coast protects our communities, thousands of miles of pipelines that deliver the nation a third of its oil and gas supply, the most critical port system in America, a vast amount of the country's seafood supply, and the habitat critical to more than 70 endangered and threatened plant and animal species.

We have shown the world our serious commitment to coastal protection. In September, 82 percent of voters said yes to constitutionally dedicating any and all oil and gas offshore revenues we would receive to coastal protection and restoration. Out of this coastal fund, the work of creating a comprehensive coastal restoration plan is underway, with the first maps already released.

As your Governor, I have taken direct action to protect our precious ecosystems, and our voice is being heard. In October, the U.S. Department of Interior agreed to settle the lawsuit I filed in federal court to stop offshore leasing until a proper environmental impact statement is prepared. This environmental analysis will take into account the effects of the 2005 storms, as well as the cumulative impacts of decades of offshore oil and gas development. Louisiana is doing its part to protect these valuable resources, but we can't do it alone.

I continue to work with our Louisiana Delegation and make personal pleas to Congressional Members for immediate action on this issue that transcends politics and partisanship. I am meeting with community groups from across our state that heading to Washington to urge a vote on this legislation which is important to Louisiana's future.

Please join me in this effort by visiting www.paceonline.org <http://keelson.eatel.net/websites/la.gov/action.cfm?md=communication&task=addClick&msg_ID=2940&ID=dTite%40iEnfn5&redirect=http://www.paceonline.org> , where you can sign a petition to Congress, send an email to your congressman, and find other ways to get involved. 

Congress must act now to save Louisiana's disappearing coastline. 

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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org