[StBernard] Protecting our Coast

[Westley Annis]

Dear Friends -

Louisiana's coasts are the backbone of our economy. Our wetlands are home to
wildlife and plentiful natural resources and they are the reason why
Louisiana is Sportsman's Paradise. As I told the New Orleans Times-Picayune
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c019%7c9390&digest
=tG%2bTnNQQbylypEDx8qrFpA> , this oil spill in the Gulf fundamentally
threatens our way of life. That's why we're doing everything we can to
mitigate the impacts of this disaster and protect our coasts, our people,
our communities and our future.

We have been working side-by-side with coastal parish leaders for many days
to incorporate their insight and know-how into coastal parish plans to
address this crisis. We worked with local leaders like Plaquemines Parish
President Billy Nungesser, St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis and St.
Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro to develop plans to protect our
wetlands and ultimately our Louisiana way of life. Working with local
leaders on the ground, we have submitted detailed coastal protection plans
for every coastal parish in Louisiana, from east of the Mississippi River to
the Texas border. We are urging the Coast Guard to quickly approve all the
detailed coastal parish plans we created and for BP to fund them.  

As WWL-TV
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c010%7c9390&digest
=ESW%2f7MlaAsJqceTVt35jcw>  reported, I was recently in Venice with
President Nungesser to launch a "jack up" barge, which is part of the
parish's plan to protect their fragile marsh and shoreline. There is no
doubt that our local leaders know the coastal region like the back of their
hands and they are leading the fight to protect our coast. I am continuing
to visit parish leaders regularly and talk to the fishermen who are on the
ground working to protect our wetlands everyday from the threat of oil. 

The very fishermen whose livelihoods are threatened by this spill are
stepping up to protect the state - and we're also working aggressively to
make sure they have the help they need to recover from the effects of this
oil spill. As WWL Radio
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c011%7c9390&digest
=Gs2ElLqsbGTpNfrMK9bZQA> reported, we have asked BP to fund a plan that
would do three things: provide immediate help to fishermen unable to work
because of the spill, integrate fishermen into the Vessel of Opportunity
program to provide them with alternative work opportunities, and restore
fisheries affected by the spill so fishermen can get back to work as quickly
as possible. In order to help our people get through this crisis, we also
requested that the U.S. Small Business Administration issue an Economic
Injury Disaster Declaration for six parishes impacted by the spill. The SBA
issued the declaration today and it makes loans available to small business
affected by the oil. The New Orleans Times-Picayune
<http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-6/127303693332
7120.xml&coll=1>  called it a "warranted request" and said this declaration
"would help thousands of Louisianians weather this economic hit." 

As part of our coordinated response, we're also asking members of the public
to assist us in identifying oiled or injured wildlife and to report oil on
land.  Hotlines have been set up and can be used to make field reports or
inquire about volunteer opportunities to serve in the fight to protect our
coast.  

Contact numbers, as well as the latest news about our response efforts can
be found at http://www.emergency.louisiana.gov/
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c012%7c9390&digest
=lmmjpJyHdvN1rChyGQSqHw> .

The coming days and weeks will be extremely critical for the protection of
our coasts and we're taking every step we can to protect our wildlife,
environment, and our people. We are in a fight to protect Louisiana's way of
life, and we will not let up. 

Sincerely,

Governor Bobby Jindal