Edwin H. Lewis Nonfiction 1st Prize

Louisiana Coastal Erosion

Jessica Burrell

Positioned at the mouth of the Mississippi River, coastal Louisiana is home to two million people. By being home to the largest port complex in the world and the vibrant, historic city of New Orleans, it is no surprise that 20% of the nation’s waterborne commerce transits through this region (“Hazards”). Coastal Louisiana’s marshes, swamps, and waterways are the permanent habitat for many unique animal species, and these areas also serve as the winter migration destination for millions of birds each year. The significance of this region cannot be understated by locals and those who benefit from its location throughout the country. However, coastal Louisiana is especially sensitive to the negative effects of hurricanes and rising sea levels. The combination of natural and manmade wear and tear on southern Louisiana is summed up in one of the state’s most critical battles: coastal erosion. This paper will focus on the nature of coastal erosion, the policies necessary to protect the Louisiana coast, and the importance of the federal government’s involvement in environmental protection in the region.

Coastal Erosion

Coastal erosion is officially defined as “the wearing away of land or the removal of coastal wetland, beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage” (“Hazards”). Sediment supply, plant health, and water quality all interact and contribute to coastal erosion. According to the Louisiana Sea Grant research program, Louisiana has the highest rate of wetlands loss in the United States, with 35 square miles of critical land being removed from the coast each year (“Ocean Commotion”). The Louisiana wetlands serve as a buffer region from storms in one of the most hurricane-prone areas of the nation. Furthermore, losing wetlands is synonymous with increasing risk to regional infrastructure and local inhabitants. Some firms hypothesize that natural disaster related infrastructure and business disruption could cost $1.7 billion over the next 50 years if no significant preventative measures are taken (Barnes and Virgets).

In the event that a hypothetical hurricane followed the same eastern path as Hurricane Katrine in 2005, a Louisiana State University report maintains that current land loss conditions would result in $130 billion in replacement costs and $26 billion in business disruption (“Hazards”). Just as Hurricane Katrina proved, the socioeconomic implications for the people of coastal Louisiana from such a storm would be disastrous — leaving a poverty-stricken mark on the region for decades. Specifically, the costs and physical damages to business, residences, and infrastructure would cost over 9,000 jobs and $586 million in wages over the span of 50 years (Barnes and Virgets). Because of this, storms and coastal erosion can host a positive feedback loop for destruction, poverty, and loss of natural resources.

This ecological crisis would also have long lasting negative impacts beyond its immediate surroundings. For example, the transportation infrastructure and assets in coastal Louisiana are in an increasingly risky position. U.S. Highway 11, U.S. Highway 90, and the train tracks for Canadian Northern, Norfolk Southern, and CSX are all susceptible to damage from storms (“Hazards”). Due to this region’s ties to national trade, natural resources, and biological populations, the New Orleans city government states that “coastal erosion has the potential to have direct implications on the nation’s energy supplies, economic security, and environmental integrity” (“Hazards”). At the very minimum, natural disasters in coastal Louisiana will require national funding and resources to recover.

There are many projects that aim to improve structural integrity, property and natural resource protection, public education/awareness, and emergency services efforts in the region to rebuke the effects of coastal erosion.

Policy Considerations

There are many policies that may, and should, be implemented in tandem to prevent coastal erosion. For instance, preventative policies may include incentivizing businesses and homeowners to use sustainable building materials or collaborating with other agencies to standardize preventative measures, while natural resource protection policies may include protecting wetlands by establishing them as public parks or other restoration projects. The following policies may have a positive impact on the fight against coastal erosion.

The City of New Orleans (CNO) Department of Public Works is attempting to promote the use of pervious concrete by including it in city-contracted road work (“Hazards”). Pervious concrete allows precipitation to easily drain through it, which reduces runoff and replenishes groundwater levels (Obla). This policy objective aims to reduce the risk and vulnerability of current and future structures. Currently, the project is estimated to have a 1-5 year timeframe for completion.

The CNO Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is also attempting to assist other local agencies in the implementation of their hazard mitigation plans (“Hazards”). By working with local agencies on project scoping, grant management, and stakeholder coordination, the office will ensure that the overall sustainability goals of the city will be executed in an appropriate manner. Currently, this project is expected to be funded by the CNO general fund, and it is projected to have a 1-5 year timeframe for implementation.

The CNO Office of Resilience and Sustainability aims to create a set of common metrics to measure resilience progress across the region. Common data metrics would allow the various government, private, and NGO entities in Orleans Parish to be consistently measured with data-informed figures (“Hazards”). This initiative is important because success and progress cannot be guaranteed if it cannot be measured. Funding for this project will be provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (“Hazards”). This task is projected to have a 1-2 year timeframe for implementation.

The CNO Office of Resilience and Sustainability also aims to advocate on the state and federal levels for additional funding for the full Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline project (“Hazards”). This project calls for 47,000 feet of bioengineered oyster barrier reef near the marshes in order to reduce erosion. The Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline project contributes to the overall goal of decreasing risk and vulnerability in the wetland environment. Currently, the $3,500,000 cost of the project will be funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. EPA, state funding, and the private sector (“Hazards”). This project is expected to have a 5-10 year timeframe for completion.

In a similar project, the CNO Office of Resilience and Sustainability is pursuing the enhancement of the Sanfoka wetlands (“Hazards”). This project would create a wetland park and nature trail in one of the most notoriously poor wards in New Orleans. In addition to increasing flood water retention and mitigating stormwater overflow, this project will support economic development by creating an outdoor education and recreation space for residents and tourists alike. Funding for the Sanfoka wetlands enhancement project will come from grants from multiple sources, including the U.S. EPA, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), Kresge American Cities, Entergy Services LLC, Environmental Initiatives Fund, WK Kellog Foundation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) (“Hazards”). The Sanfoka wetlands enhancement project is expected to have a 1-2 year timeframe. I believe this is the most promising policy choice to prevent coastal erosion because it has a shorter time frame, generous public and private financial support, and a promise to socioeconomically boost the community it will simultaneously protect.

Considering Local And State Action For Policies

There are a considerable amount of environmental policies and projects that are already being pursued by the local governments and state government in Louisiana. In order to put these plans into action and effectively combat coastal erosion, it is imperative that local and state municipalities continue to petition national entities for funding. As aforementioned in the policy considerations section, a significant portion of the funding that allows the coastal restoration projects to occur comes from federal grants. Therefore, funding acquisition is especially critical when fighting the effects of coastal erosion.

In addition to advocating for federal funds, it is important for local and state authorities to develop common metrics for measuring the success of restoration and prevention projects. This will give more validity to the scientists who inform government officials, and therefore more validity and persuasion power to the government officials who must advocate for federal funding. From policies to data, every aspect of the natural resource protection and restoration effort must be understood by those that are involved.

Another policy route to rebuke the effects of coastal erosion presents itself in the opportunity to add more natural resource protection STEM education into the Louisiana K-12 education system, as well as making efforts to educate adults who may be home or business owners. Adding more environmental science education to younger groups of students will ensure that future generations are more environmentally conscious and may result in an increase of professionals pursuing “green” careers. Educating established adults will allow those who are receptive to the education to start making changes to their surroundings that will better serve them and their children during natural disasters.

State And Federal Government Relationship

The relationship between the state and federal government is absolutely critical to save Louisisana’s coastline. The state, in and of itself, cannot pay for the necessary natural disaster relief and natural resource protection measures without significantly detracting from other areas such as healthcare, education, and economic development. Just as the U.S. relies on coastal Louisiana for maritime commerce, coastal Louisiana relies on the national government for partial funding for many environmental protection efforts.

Specific examples of this mutually beneficial relationship include the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, whereby FEMA provides up to 75% of the funding needed for restoration projects. These grants are currently in use in Louisiana in the Pontilly Neighborhood Stormwater Network project, the Hagan Lafitte project, and the Mirabeau Water Garden project (“Resilience & Sustainability - HMGP”). FEMA also gives other grants to support emergency preparedness, which includes caring for the Louisiana coastlines.

In another example, the City of New Orleans submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the National Disaster Resilience Competition. It was awarded $141.2 million dollars to address the damages from previous hurricanes and implement systems that would prevent future storms from having disastrous impacts (“Resilience & Sustainability - Gentilly”). The funding and efforts from this grant will be used in the Gentilly Resilience District, which aims to benefit the people, culture, and infrastructure in the Gentilly region. In truth, the Louisiana coast would not be able to thrive today or in the future without federal funding.

Conclusion

Coastal Louisiana serves as a hotspot for, both, potential economic growth and potential ecological disaster. The region is characterized by its lively culture, a bustling port system, and an ecological hub of habitats. In order to mitigate the effects of climate change and heightened natural disasters, it is absolutely necessary to protect Louisiana’s coastlines. This goal can be achieved by maintaining the relationships between the local, state, and federal levels of government and enacting policies that will lead to positive changes.

Works Cited

Barnes, Stephen R, and Stephanie Virgets . “Regional Impacts of Coastal Land Loss and Louisiana’s Opportunity for ...” LSU College of Business , Economics & Policy Research Group, Mar. 2017, https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/lsu_edf_report_ executive_summary.pdf.

“Hazards.” Coastal Erosion - NOLA Ready, City of New Orleans, 2021, https://ready.nola.gov/ hazard-mitigation/hazards/coastal-erosion/.

Obla, Karthik. (2007). Pervious Concrete for Sustainable Development. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Recent Advances in Concrete Technology, RAC 2007.

“Ocean Commotion: Fast Facts - Louisiana Sea Grant.” Louisiana Sea Grant - Promoting Stewardship of the State’s Coastal Resources through a Combination of Research, Education and Outreach., Louisiana Sea Grant, 28 Sept. 2022, http://www.laseagrant. org/education/projects/ocean-commotion/facts/.

“Projects.” Coastal Protection And Restoration Authority, City of New Orleans, 2021, https:// coastal.la.gov/our-work/projects/.

“Public Works - Home - City of New Orleans.” Public Works - Home - City of New Orleans, City of New Orleans , 2021, https://nola.gov/next/public-works/home/.

“Resilience & Sustainability - (HMGP) - Stormwater Projects - City of New Orleans.” Resilience & Sustainability - (HMGP) - Stormwater Projects - City of New Orleans, City of New Orleans , 2021, https://nola.gov/resilience-sustainability/(hmgp)-stormwater-projects/.

Resilience & Sustainability - Gentilly Resilience District - City of New Orleans, City of New Orleans, 2021, https://nola.gov/resilience-sustainability/gentilly-resilience-district/.