Congress will vote Friday on the federal spending bill and that could mean more money for Louisiana. It includes more than $10 million for the Louisiana Coastal Area Program (LCA.) The program is a partnership between the Army Corps of Engineers and the state.
If approved, it will mean more mud to rebuild and protect marshes, islands and the coast. Rich, silty soil is often dredged from the Mississippi or smaller rivers to keep them clear for boat traffic. The money will help usher that soil to where it's needed.
It's part of the state’s $50 billion coastal master plan, says Jessie Ritter, policy specialist with National Wildlife Federation. “This $10 million dollars for Louisiana Coastal Area projects may not seem like a lot in the big scheme of the funding we need for coastal restoration in the state, but it sets the stage for other LCA restoration projects, many of which have been stalled for years.”
The LCA program has not gotten much federal money so far. Ritter says this is the first hurdle in getting funding for other projects -- like shoreline restoration, diversions and land-building efforts -- that are crucial to the coastal master plan.
Support for the coastal desk comes from the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the Coypu Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation.
