NEW ORLEANS – Greater New Orleans, Inc. released the following statement regarding a $6 million budget cut for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority:
“As the economic development alliance charged with ensuring long-term wealth generation in the Greater New Orleans region, Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) views the proposed cuts of $6 million to the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA’s) as both an immediate and long-term concern for the economic security and continued advancement of coastal areas. Though the forthcoming settlement funds from the BP Oil Spill and GOMESA revenues are strong financial supports for coastal restoration, billions more dollars are still needed to fund crucial coastal projects: every dollar counts in the fight against coastal land loss.
“GNO, Inc. and our coalition of business advocates for coastal restoration, the Coalition for Coastal Resilience and Economy (CCRE), recognize our ability to attract and retain all types of industry is directly related to the stability—real and perceived—of our environment. While the state’s Coastal Master Plan provides the necessary framework for conveying and ensuring that stability, it is only as strong as the political will and funds supporting it. This recent budget proposal calls both into question.
“GNO, Inc. and CCRE recognize that our state leaders are forced to make difficult budget decisions around a range of critical programs and responsibilities. However, the state’s Budget Stabilization Fund is constructed explicitly for these types of crisis. Raiding the coastal fund sends the wrong message to not only Washington D.C., but current and prospective private interests as well. Sweeping funds from this critical issue is not in the short or long-term interest of the State of Louisiana.”
