A state coastal restoration plan that will be financed by new federal offshore oil revenues is nearing completion in Louisiana. The plan will address the rapid loss of coastal wetlands, a problem that has been ongoing in Louisiana but that finally won strong national attention after 2005's devastating hurricanes. Louisiana contains 40% of the coastal wetlands in the Lower 48, and these wetlands furnish rich habitat for fish, shellfish and waterfowl. They also provide natural protection from storm surges, and help shield communities, marine traffic, and gas and oil infrastructure from the effects of tropical storms and hurricanes. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 217 square miles of Louisiana's coastal lands were transformed to water after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The most affected areas were in Cameron Parish and Breton Sound. In the area between Calcasieu Lake, in Cameron Parish, and White Lake, in Vermilion Parish, 62 square miles of land disappeared when marshes were flooded. Not all this land may be permanently gone, however, as some flooded portions may still recover. But the scale of the destruction is alarming, especially when added to the 1,900 square miles of coastal lands Louisiana lost between 1932 and 2000, according to USGS estimates. The powerful 2005 hurricanes have already taken 42% of the total land expected to be lost between 2000 and 2050, even with storms factored in. For more on this, see the April issue of Oil and Gas Investor. For a subscription, call 713-260-6441.

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