Washington, DC – U.S. Congressman Charles W. Boustany (R-Southwest Louisiana) today commented on a recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report outlining coastal erosion and the efforts made to rebuild the coastline:

“The loss of Louisiana’s coastline over the past several decades is tremendous, but our efforts to restore them are paying off,”Boustany said. “After losing 1,900 square miles of coastal Louisiana since 1932, USGS acknowledged the rate of coastal loss between 2008 and 2010 has significantly declined, and land may have been gained during that period. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the coastal restoration efforts I’ve worked with the state and Congress to implement. We must continue funding these programs, including the Southwest Coastal Louisiana Feasibility Study, to ensure our valuable coastal wetlands – the engine behind Louisiana’s economy – are here for future generations.”

According to the USGS, Louisiana currently experiences about 90 percent of the total coastal marsh loss in the contiguous United States. Land loss rates on the Louisiana coast have slowed from an average of more than 30 square miles per year between 1956 and 1978, to an estimated 11.76 square miles per year from 1985 to 2004. When the hurricanes of 2005 and 2008 are factored in, the trend increased the amount of land lost to 16.57 square miles per year from 1985 to 2010. The report concludes that nearly 1900 square miles of coastal Louisiana have been lost since 1932. The report indicates that the rate of coastal loss over the 2008-2010 period has significantly decreased and the state may have actually gained land during this two year period.

Since 2008, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) has approved an estimated $1.5 billion in coastal investments in Louisiana.

Since taking office in 2005, Boustany has been a leading voice for the restoration of coastal Louisiana. Boustany worked diligently to restore areas devastated by Hurricane Rita, and created the first coastal study to rebuild wetlands in Southwest Louisiana.

###