Washington, D.C.– Representative Charles Boustany (R-Southwest Louisiana) today announced a grant totaling more than $350,000 to Calcasieu Parish from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation & Enforcement (BOEMRE).  These funds will be used specifically for the Horseshoe Lake marsh restoration, which is included in the State’s Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) plan.

The award will be used primarily to prevent further erosion to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Rita in 2005. The project is part of the CIAP plan, which was created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to distribute $250 million in federal assistance to energy producing states to mitigate the impact of oil and gas activities on the Outer Continental Shelf.

“These funds will go a long way to rebuild the infrastructure of Calcasieu Parish after the damage brought by Hurricane Rita,” Boustany said.  “I have pushed for more assistance from Washington for our ‘Forgotten Storm’, and I will continue to fight for the people of Southwest Louisiana until our region is completely rebuilt.”

Congressman Boustany is an ardent supporter of efforts to restore the Louisiana coastline.  Over 15,000 acres of Louisiana are lost each year to coastal erosion.  According to the U.S Geological Survey (USGS), the state has lost an estimated 1.22 million acres of coastal wetland in the past 70 years, which is roughly equivalent to the area of Delaware.

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