Ballot initiative seeks to enhance restoration of Louisiana's coast

(The Center Square) − On Nov. 5, voters in Louisiana will decide on an initiative to deposit federal funds from renewable energy into Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund.

Currently, oil and gas production is the primary source of funding, but since the U.S. government began producing wind energy off Louisiana’s coast in 2023, the Pelican state has the opportunity to see revenue shares from alternative energy production.

One site includes 102,480 acres off Lake Charles and a 2024 proposal for a second wind lease sale including four areas off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas totaling 410,060 acres.

As Louisiana faces ongoing coastal erosion and climate challenges, the amendment may further enhance projects toward protecting its vulnerable coastline.

In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its partners restored 473 acres of marsh and over 11,000 feet of ridge habitat in Louisiana's Bayou De Cade.

The $14 million project, funded through NOAA’s Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act Program, aimed to combat land loss and protect Louisiana’s coastline. The restored marsh now supports key species like redfish and blue crabs and provides vital protection against erosion and flooding for the state’s billion-dollar seafood industry.

In 2023, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority outlined a long-term strategy for addressing coastal erosion and land loss, challenges made worse by climate change.

According to the American Society of Landscape Architects, the state has lost over 2,000 square miles of land to the Gulf of Mexico since the 1930s.

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority was created in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and has led the coordination of federal, state, and local restoration efforts since 2007, investing over $21.4 billion in projects aimed at restoring the landscape.

The amendment, introduced as House Bill 300, passed the House with a unanimous vote of 105-0 in April, though five members were absent. On May 30, the state Senate approved the bill with a 33-3 vote, with three members absent.