Number: 2006-07
WHEREAS, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita brought an unprecedented natural disaster to Louisiana, Mississippi and other Gulf States; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana’s coastal wetlands constitute a natural defense against the destructive force of hurricanes, absorbing wave action and significantly reducing storm surges; and
WHEREAS, prior to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Louisiana was already losing coastal wetlands at a rate of 24 square miles per year and has lost more than 1,900 square miles over the past 75 years; and
WHEREAS, based on imagery recorded soon after the storms passed, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are estimated to have caused the loss of an additional 100 square miles of coastal wetlands; and
WHEREAS, President Bush has pledged federal aid to help rebuild New Orleans and other coastal communities following the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and
WHEREAS, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita may be part of a pattern of increasingly powerful storms fueled by global climate change; and
WHEREAS, coastal restoration is an integral part of the plan for hurricane protection that is necessary for rebuilding and revitalizing coastal Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, a long-term plan for the restoration of Louisiana’s coastal wetland ecosystem has already been developed by the Army Corps of Engineers and independently reviewed by nationally renowned scientists and engineers and has the support of the State of Louisiana as well as many community organizations; and
WHEREAS, additional measures may be added to the restoration plan in the near future to further emphasize hurricane protection benefits; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation and the Louisiana Wildlife Federation have been strong advocates for Louisiana coastal restoration;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled March 17-18, 2006, in New Orleans, Louisiana, calls upon Congress and the President to authorize and appropriate $5.5 billion for near-term coastal Louisiana restoration and protection projects and studies, and to identify and approve a dedicated source of funds, such as revenue from outer continental shelf oil and gas production, to support the continued restoration and rebuilding of Louisiana’s coastal wetland ecosystem, for the benefit of the nation and the communities, industries, and wildlife of southern Louisiana; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls for an improved system for protecting homes, lives, and jobs along the Louisiana coast against flooding and storm surges in a manner that also recognizes the critical role played by a healthy wetlands system in helping to provide such protection and to support wildlife resources of major ecological and economic importance; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls upon federal, state, and local governments to take prompt and decisive action to address the threats of global climate change to which coastal Louisiana and coastlines throughout the world are exceedingly vulnerable.