When prior generations leveed the Mississippi River, they severed the vital connection between the river and the wetlands it had built and sustained over thousands of years. As a result of this and other actions, Louisiana has lost a land mass equivalent to Delaware in less than a century.
This ongoing land loss crisis has become even more dire as the effects of climate change worsen and intensify. That’s because the delta not only provides valuable land for human settlement and wildlife — it also protects communities from destructive storm surge.
These are serious challenges. But with timely action, we can still protect the future of the Mississippi River Delta and all of its communities and wildlife. Our best hope lies in the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, a powerful project to reconnect the Mississippi River to build and maintain thousands of acres of wetlands into the future.
The sediment diversion project is exactly the kind of investment that Louisiana — along with other coastal areas around the country — needs to confront the challenges of a changing climate. President Biden’s American Jobs Plan also recognizes that revitalizing our economy must include investing in natural infrastructure that can help protect our coastal communities from sea level rise and hurricanes. And in Louisiana, wetlands are that vital infrastructure.
As the future of the New Orleans region hangs in the balance, Americans across the nation cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. Take action — help us overwhelm the Army Corps of Engineers with public comments supporting the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion today.
Thank you for standing with us,
Steve Cochran
Associate Vice President, Coastal Resilience
|
