Boustany Announces $1.3 Million for Marsh Creation in Black Lake

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Charles W. Boustany, Jr., (R-Southwest Louisiana), today announced a grant totaling over $1.3 million to Calcasieu Parish from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation & Enforcement (BOEMRE).  These funds will be used specifically for marsh creation via the Marcantel Supplemental Beneficial Use Disposal Area (MSBUDA), which is included in the State’s Coastal Impact Assistance Plan (CIAP).

The award is authorized to collect and use sediment dredged from the Calcasieu River and Pass to create over 300 acres of marsh in the northwest corner of Black Lake.  This project will play a valuable role in the restoration of coastal areas, including the wetlands, critical to Louisiana and to the country.

Black Lake Land Company owner Curt Marcantel thanked the state and federal governments for their assistance with the project.  “This area was land back in the 1950s and 60’s, and this grant will help to restore the marsh that was lost over time,” Marcantel said.

Congressman Boustany is an ardent supporter of utilizing dredged materials to restore our coastal wetlands.  Over 15,000 acres of Louisiana are lost each year to coastal erosion.  According to the U.S Geological Survey (USGS), the state has lost an estimated 1.22 million acres of coastal wetland in the past 70 years, which is roughly equivalent to the area of Delaware.

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