| November 8, 2005 - (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter announced that the final conference report to the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill included $1 million in federal funding for Coastal Restoration and Enhancement through Science and Technology (CREST). “The CREST program brings together 11 universities to work on the crucial issue of coastal restoration,” said Vitter. “This $1 million will offer additional support for information sharing of coastal habitat restoration efforts, which is even more important after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.” Most of the universities involved in the CREST program are in Louisiana. The schools are: Louisiana State University, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Loyola University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Southern University at New Orleans, Tulane University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of New Orleans, and the University of Southern Mississippi. This $1 million in federal funding will be used by university partners working closely with federal and state agencies to develop and share information on coastal habitat restoration efforts. Advances in science and technology must be integrated directly into coastal restoration programs to ensure that coastal habitat restoration is cost-effectively implemented and successfully sustains coastal resources. “CREST serves as a cost-effective way to coordinate activities, which continue the crucial work of protecting Louisiana’s coast,” Vitter said. The U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives are expected to approve the final conference report this week, before it is sent to the president for his signature. |
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