NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans announced that it has received a $500,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund for the City’s New Orleans East Landbridge project.
“New Orleans is a coastal city on the frontlines of climate change. Without action, the New Orleans East Landbridge is on track to disappear in the next fifty years, which could displace people, impact wildlife, and leave the Greater New Orleans region more vulnerable to future storms,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “We are very grateful for the $500,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.”
The goal of the project is to create a living shoreline and marsh creation on the New Orleans East Landbridge, the only remaining natural feature in the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan that protects the City of New Orleans from storm surge in the Gulf. This project will create a design that will include 1,563 acres of wetlands created using hydraulically dredged sediment from Lake Borgne and 21,597 linear feet of living shoreline protection features to be installed in Lake Borgne.
The City of New Orleans faces significant expected wetland loss over the next 50 years, with the potential to lose 32% of the land currently in the New Orleans East area.
“The future of Louisiana’s coastal communities depends on us and partners like the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation,” said U.S. Senator John Kennedy. “With $6 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, we can reduce land loss along our coast while protecting south Louisiana communities like New Orleans, St. Bernard and Delacroix. These resources will help safeguard homes, businesses and fishing and shrimping jobs by restoring wetlands and planting trees. Louisianians are enduring a brutal hurricane season, and I welcome aid that strengthens our defense against storms and flooding as we rebuild.”
The City’s grant is part of a larger $37 million grant that will support coastal resilience projects in 25 states and U.S. territories. The 46 grants announced today will generate $55 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $92 million.
The NCRF grants will contribute to the restoration or enhancement of natural features such as coastal marshes and wetlands, dune and beach systems, oyster and coral reefs, mangroves, forests, coastal rivers and barrier islands. These natural buffers can help reduce the impacts of storms, rising sea levels and other extreme events on nearby communities and habitats.
Awards this year will benefit coastal communities nationwide. A complete list of the 2020 grants made through the National Coastal Resilience Fund is available here.
