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| Conservation
Issues |
AMERICA'S WETLAND
[June 11, 2003] - By JIM SUMMERS
What is America's Wetland, you ask. Well, it is only the seventh largest delta on earth and is the heart of an
intricate ecosystem on the verge of collapse. These wetlands are the wintering grounds for millions of waterfowl
and migratory birds whose habitat is lost as the wetlands disappear. The potential collapse of this ecosystem will
have enormous negative consequences for wildlife habitat and marine life. Do you know that 95% of all marine species
living in the Gulf of Mexico spend all or part of their life cycle in Louisiana's wetlands, and more than 30% of
the nation's fisheries catch comes from offshore Louisiana. This valuable wetland that extends along the coast
of Louisiana is disappearing at a rate of 25 to 35 square miles per year, and 40% of our Nation's wetlands are
in this Delta. But it also has 80% of all the coastal wetlands loss in the continental United States. The Louisiana
Delta serves as protection from hurricanes and storm surges for more than 2 million people living and working in
the coastal zone, including the city of New Orleans, and acts as a buffer for the number one port system in the
United States, responsible for moving the nation's goods to world markets. The navigation corridors and port facilities
for commerce and national defense are valued at more than 15 billion dollars annually. Do you also realize that
all the water flowing out of our area goes to the Louisiana Delta? America's Wetland accepts the drainage of two-thirds
of the United States through the Mississippi River, along with high concentrations of nitrogen from agricultural
runoff. This contributes to the Hypoxia problem and results in the largest dead zone in the world at the mouth
of the Mississippi River of the Louisiana shore. Here is the real kicker in this problem facing our nation. Can
you believe one quarter, 25%, of our Nation relies on these working wetlands, which provide natural protection
for oil and gas pipelines that serve as a major artery for the delivering of fuel to heat homes and power automobiles
across America. Conditions in the Delta worsen everyday and the environmental damage in the event of a hurricane
could devastate our country. The nation's economic and energy security would also be put at risk as the probability
increases for interruption of oil and gas production and distribution. Recently the power went out on the east
coast for a couple of days and a pipeline broke out west gas prices jumped 20 cents in some parts of the country.
What would happen if the 25 per cent were cut off because we as a Nation did not act to correct the problem in
the Louisiana Delta? The good news is that Scientist, the State of Louisiana and the Corps of Engineers have a
solution to the problem and can start to correct the problem. The cost 14 billion dollars to correct and the cost
of not correcting the problem 150 billion dollars. Now I can't speak for everyone but in my opinion 14 billion
dollars is a small price for our Nation to pay to insure the security of 2 million people in the Delta and to keep
25% of the oil and gas flowing into our Nation, and to maintain the security of the U.S. Strategic Oil Reserves.
If we can spend billions to tear up Iraq because we believe it has weapons of mass destruction and then spend billions
to rebuild what we tore up, I believe we can spare 14 billion for AMEREICA'S WETLAND because it is a fact, "Mother
Nature does have weapons of mass destruction". Please contact our Representatives in the House and Senate
and tell them the Louisiana Delta needs a little help to insure the security of our country. |
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