Copyright 2000 The Times-Picayune Publishing Co.
The Times-Picayune
July 23, 2000 Sunday, ORLEANS
SECTION: METRO; Pg. B06
LENGTH: 324 words
HEADLINE:
COASTAL RESTORATION BILL NEEDS SOME FINE-TUNING
BODY:
As so many of us are aware, Louisiana's valuable and fragile coastline is in
jeopardy. Years of development and neglect, particularly offshore oil
development, have caused massive deterioration of our coastal wetlands.
The U.S. Congress has been mulling over a bill by Sen. Mary Landrieu
that, if properly targeted toward conservation efforts, could
significantly address this problem. The "Conservation and Reinvestment
Act," or CARA, would provide historic levels of funding for critical
coastal restoration efforts, as well as for other valuable land, wildlife and
historic preservation projects.
But flaws in the bill must be fixed if
it is to truly help our coasts. Sen. Landrieu has been an essential player in
efforts to move this promising legislation forward, and we should all applaud
her efforts. The senator should now take the lead in fixing the bill's remaining
flaws to ensure that CARA does not wither away before the end of this Congress.
Sen. Landrieu is in a position to remove from the bill dangerous
incentives for new offshore oil drilling in sensitive coastal areas. She can
also help ensure that the bill's "coastal impact" program funds are used only
for coastal and marine restoration and protection -- not for the damaging
coastal development that threatens to further degrade our precious coastal
resources.
The senator should also include a mandatory trust fund in
CARA, which would provide a permanent endowment to each state. This would ensure
that the money would not be squandered, as other federal revenues have been. A
trust fund would also guarantee that some of the principal would be available
for the future, after oil revenues cease.
Sen. Landrieu stands to become
a true champion for Louisiana's precious and unique coastal environment. Let's
hope her powerful position in the Senate will help gain our state a true
conservation victory.
Wendy King
Sierra
Club-New Orleans
New Orleans
LOAD-DATE: July
23, 2000 
