III 110th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 72 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 6, 2007 Ms. Landrieu submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works RESOLUTION Acknowledging the severity of the wetland loss occurring in Louisiana and supporting the observance of World Wetlands Day in the United States.

Whereas Louisiana's coastal wetlands are among the Nation's most diverse and productive ecosystems, home to ospreys, egrets, alligators, shellfish, turtles, sea grasses, and bald cypress trees; Whereas Louisiana's wetlands are eroding at a rate of 25 square miles per year and, as a result of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, and Hurricane Rita on September 24, 2005, 217 square miles of wetlands were turned into open water, significantly advancing Louisiana's wetlands loss; Whereas the State has lost 2,100 square miles of coastal wetlands since the 1930s and is expected to lose another 500 square miles over the next 50 years if nothing is done to mitigate wetland loss; Whereas 2,000,000 residents, more than 50 percent of the State's population, live within Louisiana's coastal zone; Whereas Louisiana's working wetlands provide protection for coastal communities and for oil and gas pipelines that serve as the major energy artery in the United States, delivering more than 25 percent of the Nation's energy; Whereas wetland ecosystems throughout the United States are threatened by erosion, invasive species, runoff, and habitat loss; and Whereas World Wetlands Day is celebrated around the world on February 2 of each year by government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and groups of citizens in the global community: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)acknowledges the severity of the wetland loss occurring in Louisiana; (2)recognizes and supports the observance of World Wetlands Day in the United States; and (3)supports efforts to raise awareness about the critical need to sustain and preserve wetlands in Louisiana, the United States, and throughout the world.