Gov. Edwards’ Testimony to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Field Hearing on Examining Shoreline and Riverbank Restoration in the Face of Climate Change

Published 11:24 am Wednesday, February 23, 2022

BATON ROUGE — This morning, Gov. John Bel Edwards testified before the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for a field hearing in Delaware on the importance of coastal restoration in the face of climate change. Gov. Edwards specifically discussed work on the state level to restore Louisiana’s coastline in the face of multiple hurricanes and the ongoing climate crisis.

An excerpt of his submitted testimony is below:

“Louisiana has developed an ecosystem restoration program that is as comprehensive and forward thinking as any other such plan in the world. We are attempting to restore a coastal ecosystem where over two million people live and where billions of dollars of industrial investment and critical infrastructure exist. The importance of our working coast to our state and the country cannot be overstated. We must restore and protect it.

Ensuring that the Corps has the authority and direction to increase its focus on coastal, shoreline, and riverine ecosystems is of the utmost importance to the overall sustainability of the State of Louisiana.”

Click here to read the Governor’s full written testimony that was submitted to the committee.