[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 6, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1649-S1652]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 72--ACKNOWLEDGING THE SEVERITY OF THE WETLAND LOSS 
OCCURRING IN LOUISIANA AND SUPPORTING THE OBSERVANCE OF WORLD WETLANDS 
                        DAY IN THE UNITED STATES

  Ms. LANDRIEU submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Environment and Public Works:

                               S. Res. 72

       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;

[[Page S1652]]

       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
       Resolved, 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.

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I come to the floor today in honor of 
World Wetlands Day proc1aiming February 2 America's Wetlands Day.
  February 2, 1971 was the date of the adoption of the Convention on 
Wetlands in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian 
Sea.
  Each year since 1971, leaders from all parts of the world have used 
this day to raise public awareness of the value and benefits of 
wetlands--not only as ecological gems, but as economic boons, 
incubators of biodiversity, and a sportsman's paradise.
  The signing in 1971 of the Convention on Wetlands provided a 
framework for national action and international cooperation toward the 
conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Wetlands can 
be found in every country and are among the most productive ecosystems 
in the world.
  Those of us from Louisiana have a rather unique perspective on the 
subject of wetlands. You see, Louisiana's coast is really America's 
Wetland. It is not a beach, but a vast landscape of estuaries, rivers, 
freshwater marsh, forested floodplains, and vernal pools.
  The landscape that extends along Louisiana's coast is one of the 
largest and most productive expanses of coastal wetlands in North 
America. It is the seventh largest delta on earth, where the 
Mississippi River drains two-thirds of the United States. It is also 
one of the most productive environments in America--``working 
wetlands'' as they are known to Louisianians--producing more seafood 
than any other State in the lower 48. It's the nursery ground for the 
Gulf of Mexico and habitat for one of the greatest flyways in the world 
for millions of waterfowl and migratory songbirds.
  Even more importantly, Louisiana's coastal wetlands provide storm 
protection for ports that carry nearly 500 million tons of waterborne 
commerce annually--the largest port system in the world by tonnage. 
That accounts for 21 percent of all waterborne commerce in the United 
States each year. In fact, four of the top ten largest ports in the 
United States are located in Louisiana.
  These wetlands also offer protection from storm surge for two million 
people and a unique culture. Louisiana's low-lying coastal communities 
are home to more than 2 million people--nearly half the State's 
population. Even as those communities recover from the back-to-back 
2005 hurricanes, they remain threatened and compromised as the land 
they occupy erodes from beneath their feet.
  Tragically, Louisiana's wetlands are eroding at a devastating rate: 
approximately 24 square miles per year disappear--that is the 
equivalent of approximately one football field lost every 38 minutes. 
Within the next 50 years--even with current restoration efforts taken 
into account--those wetlands are expected to recede an additional 500 
square miles.
  The U.S. Geological Survey recently found that Hurricanes Katrina and 
Rita alone transformed 217 square miles of marsh to open water. 
Tragically, these eroding wetlands are Nature's levee system--they 
diminish a hurricane's destructive power by reducing storm surge and 
absorbing wave energy.
  Scientists have estimated for every 2.4 square miles of wetlands, 
storm surges are lowered by about one foot. Some studies suggest that 
only one square mile of wetlands may achieve this. Because these 
wetlands are nurseries for many species of fish and shellfish, their 
loss has a profound impact on the $1 billion dollar per year fishing 
industry supported by Louisiana's fragile coastal environment.
  The costs associated with Louisiana's coastal wetland loss are not 
only Louisiana's to bear--they are the entire Nation's. For instance: 
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita impacted more than 26,000 businesses, 
destroyed 275,000 homes, and caused more than $44.7 billion in insured 
losses.
  Today, more than 40 percent of the Nation's oil and nearly a quarter 
of the Nation's natural gas is produced in or transported through 
Louisiana.
  More than 20 percent of the nation's imported oil is delivered to and 
processed in Louisiana.
  Louisiana is second only to Texas in the number of oil refineries on 
its soi1--with 17 refineries, most of which are located in the coastal 
zone.
  The erosion of Louisiana's coastal wetlands--America's Wetlands--
endangers the U.S. energy supply and it endangers the Nation's critical 
infrastructure in the Gulf Coast: Refineries and petrochemical 
facilities that drive U.S. economic growth are at risk of being 
flooded, damaged and shut down, as we saw during the 2005 hurricanes.
  That is why I am submitting a Sense of the Senate resolution that 
will acknowledge February 2, as World Wetlands Day and express that it 
is the sense of the Senate that we must raise awareness of the Nation's 
imperiled wetlands--in Louisiana and throughout the country. We need to 
raise awareness of these critical issues and we need to work locally, 
regionally, nationally, and internationally to confront this problem 
head on.
  The good news is that scientists know how to restore the wetlands and 
they have been very successful in reinforcing barrier islands that 
protect these ecological gems. What has heretofore been lacking is not 
the will, but the resources with which to undertake this critical 
challenge. The passage of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act 
changed that and certified America's commitment to providing long-term, 
sustainable funding to address this problem. Today, we have the will; 
we have the way; let's get to work and preserve America's wetlands.

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