WASHINGTON, DC, March 4, 2010 (ENS) - To protect and restore the
coastal ecosystems of Louisiana and Mississippi, Obama administration
officials today released a "Roadmap" that defines a new planning
process to overcome long-standing policy and procedural barriers to
coastal restoration.
In keeping with President Barack Obama's effort to cut
through red tape and ensure residents of the Gulf Coast have access to
the tools and funds they need to rebuild after repeated hurricanes,
wetland loss and coastal erosion, the Roadmap outlines federal actions
over the next 18 months to address policy, process, and legal hurdles.
The Roadmap was issued by the Louisiana-Mississippi Gulf Coast
Ecosystem Restoration Working Group, formed by President Obama in
October 2009 and co-led by the White House Council on Environmental
Quality, CEQ, and the Office of Management and Budget.\
"The Louisiana and Mississippi coastal region is critical to the
economic, cultural, and environmental integrity of the nation," said
CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley. "We have a unique opportunity to address the
issue of coastal resiliency in the face of ever-present change. With
bold and decisive action, we can slow the rate of ecosystem loss in the
area and, where possible, restore the ecosystems and the services they
provide."
In the Working Group are senior officials from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
and the departments of the Army, Homeland Security, the Interior, and
Transportation.
"The most important aspect of the Working Group is the Federal
Government's reaffirmation of its partnership with the States of
Mississippi and Louisiana and its commitment to coordinate its actions
with those of the States," the Roadmap declares.
That approach is welcomed by Working Group member Jo-Ellen
Darcy, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. She has charge
of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is engaged in many ongoing
projects in this coastal area.
"The Roadmap maximizes the impact of Federal resources over the
next 18 months, and we are very pleased with the spirit of inter-agency
cooperation and commitment that is already in evidence," Darcy said
today.
Every plan proposed in the region in the last 20 years has
recognized the extraordinary rate of coastal wetland and barrier island
ecosystem loss in Louisiana and Mississippi and the importance of large
scale action to address the problem.
But persistent barriers have prevented the promised protection,
conservation, and restoration actions from fully materializing, the
Roadmap states.
Working Group meetings with key stakeholders both in the region and in Washington, DC heard that:
- Inadequate coordination within and among federal agencies impedes movement of projects to construction.
- Water resource policies in some cases inhibit ecosystem restoration
efforts such as those designed to use sediment to greater ecosystem
benefit.
- Inconsistent or opaque priority-setting undermines cooperation and support for projects.
- Incomplete research and science challenges all aspects of planning, priority setting, and project design.
- Budget constraints can compound these impediments and delay restoration efforts.
The Roadmap proposes to improve cooperation and coordination between
various federal and state entities through a new governance model.
"A greater emphasis on research and data sharing will
improve project planning and design as well as adaptive management over
time," the plan states.
"Considering possible statutory changes needed to address obstacles
that cannot be overcome through administrative remedies will ensure
greater alignment of Federal actions. Reconsidering critical policies,
regulations, and even statutes such as those governing sediment
management and mitigation will help, rather than hinder, restoration
efforts. The exploration of alternative financing mechanisms could
foster progress on projects."
"The resolution of these issues will not solve all of the
problems in the region, but they do represent the most urgent
short-term objectives and actions identified by the Working Group as
necessary to advance restoration and protection efforts in the region,"
the Roadmap says.
In Baton Rouge today, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and
Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Chairman Garret Graves
called the Working Group's report "a welcome road map to advance
restoration and protection activities in South Louisiana."
"The current federal process is broken and fundamental change
is needed to restore our coast and protect the more than two million
Louisianans that live in coastal Louisiana," the two state officials
said. "This road map is a good first step that clearly demonstrates a
positive shift in direction, but must be coupled with aggressive action
on the ground - turning dirt. There is no time for delay."
"One important lesson we learned from Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita is the need for a comprehensive vision," they said. As the state
begins working with the White House on the implementation of this plan,
we must insure the inclusion of all aspects of a multiple lines of
defense strategy to protect our citizens in addition to the coastal
ecosystem."
Graves said, "The challenges we face are complex and require
the full attention and high-level participation from numerous federal
agencies. This report lays out how the federal government can join the
state by coordinating resources from various agencies to reverse our
extraordinary coastal loss and proactively address vulnerabilities that
have developed over the last 80 years."
U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat, today expressed her suppport for the Roadmap.
"For the first time, a President has put together a cabinet
level group to take stock of the crisis in coastal Louisiana and
outline a roadmap to meeting these challenges now," Senator Landrieu
said.
"The first recommendation of this group is that we establish a new
model for implementing and executing this important work. I could not
agree more," she said. "We cannot be hamstrung by the bureaucracy of
the Corps or the red tape of any other federal agency. We need an
integrated, comprehensive approach that accelerates our work in coastal
Louisiana and builds a true partnership with the State."
Click here
to view the "Louisiana-Mississippi Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration
Working Group Roadmap for Restoring Ecosystem Resiliency and
Sustainability."
Source: Environmental News Service
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