Number: 2011-01
WHEREAS, the Gulf of Mexico contains diverse ecosystems spanning 600,000 square miles, with thousands of miles of shoreline, rivers, coastal wetlands, estuaries, bayous, and bays across five U.S. states and six Mexican states; and
WHEREAS the Gulf of Mexico is an irreplaceable ecosystem that provides critical habitat for resident and migratory fish, waterfowl, songbirds and coastal birds, marine mammals, endangered sea turtles, as well as one of two spawning sites in the world for bluefin tuna; and
WHEREAS the Gulf of Mexico has both national economic and environmental importance through its robust fisheries, recreational opportunities, and tourism; and
WHEREAS the Gulf of Mexico’s wetlands systems and barrier islands provide critical infrastructure and are the first line of defense for coastal communities against powerful storms. They also provide important water filtration functions, help reduce flooding impacts and reduce potential future impacts associated with climate change; and
WHEREAS, the Deepwater Horizon explosion on April 20, 2010 killed eleven people and polluted the Gulf with 4.9 million barrels of oil before the well was successfully capped on July 15, 2010, resulting in the largest oil spill in American history; and
WHEREAS, the catastrophe has had significant impacts on the Gulf’s communities, ecosystem and economic activity including the known death and injury of thousands of coastal and marine animals, the closure of fisheries throughout the Gulf, economic devastation to the people in the region dependent upon the Gulf’s coastal and marine environments, and uncertain long-term effects; and
WHEREAS, to add grievous insult to injury, the region was already suffering from ecological degradation including the loss of over 2,000 square miles of wetlands in coastal Louisiana, hypoxia in the Gulf, erosion of important barrier islands, degradation of estuarine habitat, and imperiled fisheries; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation has been engaged in addressing wetlands loss and other environmental problems in coastal Louisiana for years and has regional offices and affiliates throughout the Gulf advancing science-based conservation and education programs and engaging volunteers, partners, and other stakeholders; and
WHEREAS, while actions will be taken to clean up and restore the Gulf to the pre-oil spill conditions, the National Wildlife Federation recognizes that more long-term restoration will be necessary in the Gulf to return it to a healthier ecosystem than before the spill; and
WHEREAS, in responding to this environmental crisis, the current Administration has repeatedly called for full restoration of the health and vitality of the Gulf Coast ameliorating the degraded conditions prior to the spill, and this need has been reinforced by the findings of two presidentially appointed bodies that produced America’s Gulf Coast: A Long Term Recovery Plan after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (known as the Mabus Report) and the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling Recommendations; and
WHEREAS the presidentially commissioned reports have recommended that a dedicated fund be established with CWA penalty monies and secured for Gulf-wide restoration;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports development and implementation of a Gulf-wide restoration program that restores and protects healthy and resilient ecosystems including acquiring and protecting Gulf coastal lands that productively sustain marine, coastal, and migratory species and habitats over the long-term; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation concurs with the recommendations of the Mabus Report and the National Oil Spill Commission regarding the necessity for a dedicated fund to adequately provide for the expansive restoration effort required and calls on Congress to enact legislation to dedicate at least 80 percent of Clean Water Act penalties from the Gulf oil spill to the restoration of the damaged Gulf of Mexico.