$15 million pledged to coalition that supports Louisiana coastal restoration

The Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition, made up of five national and local environmental groups, will get $15 million over two years to continue supporting Louisiana's implementation of its coastal master plan restoration projects, the Walton Family Foundation announced Monday (June 26). The coalition includes the Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.

They are to use the money to advance priority restoration projects and programs in Louisiana's recently updated coastal master plan, many of which have target construction dates of 2020. Part of the money may be used to protect and maximize restoration funds, develop innovative funding mechanisms and ensure that the money dedicated to projects is spent properly, the Walton Family Foundation said in announcing the grant.

The foundation is the philanthropic arm of the family that owns Walmart. It also is giving $20 million over two years to environmental groups for restoration efforts in the Colorado River Basin.

The five groups in the Mississippi River Delta Coalition began focusing on Louisiana issues through a series of 2008 meetings that were underwritten by the foundation. Those efforts led to the funding of scientific research to help state and federal efforts to determine whether the Mississippi River carried enough sediment to support a permanent sediment diversion into the Barataria Basin, said Steve Cochran, campaign director for the coalition and associate vice president of the Environmental Defense Fund. Research funded by the group also was aimed at finding the best location for the diversion.

Read more: http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2017/06/enviro_groups_get_15_million_t.html