U.S. Sen. Vitter lauds $4 million grant for Louisiana coastal restoration

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Gulf Coast Restoration this week awarded The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana (CPRA) a grant of over $4 million.

U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), who has lobbied for coastal restoration in his state, made the announcement.

The funding will go toward research, development, restoration and preservation within the region, and will be distributed through the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States (RESTORE) Act, which Vitter cosponsored in 2011 and 2012.

“Coastal restoration in Louisiana is more than a political catch-phrase. It affects our homes, businesses, and daily lives,” Vitter said. “I’ve worked for years to ensure Louisianians will be able to fight coastal erosion and protect our families in the future, and this grant announcement will help to do that head on.”

The grant will allow CPRA to create a center of excellence at the Water Institute of the Gulf and meet four out of five eligible disciplines as defined by the RESTORE Act, including coastal fisheries and wildlife ecosystem research and monitoring, economic sustainability, coastal sustainability and mapping and monitoring of the Gulf of Mexico.