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A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Army to carry out a program for ecosystem restoration for the Louisiana Coastal Area, Louisiana.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3288-3289)

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Apr 6, 2005

Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out a program for ecosystem restoration, Louisiana Coastal Area, Louisiana, substantially in accordance with the report of the Chief of Engineers, dated January 31, 2005. Directs the Secretary to give priority to any: (1) portion of the program identified in that report as a critical restoration feature; (2) Mississippi River diversion project that protects a major population area of the Pontchartain, Pearl, Breton Sound, Barataria, or Terrebonne Basin and that produces an environmental benefit to the coastal area of Louisiana or Mississippi; and (3) barrier island or shoreline project that is carried out in conjunction with a Mississippi River diversion project and that protects a major population area.

Directs the Secretary, in coordination with the Governor of Louisiana, to develop a plan for protecting, preserving, and restoring the coastal Louisiana ecosystem. Establishes the Coastal Louisiana Ecosystem Protection and Restoration Task Force.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a plan for modifying the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet that addresses wetland losses attributable to the Outlet, channel bank erosion, hurricane storm surges, saltwater intrusion, navigation interests, and environmental restoration; (2) establish a coastal Louisiana ecosystem science and technology program; (3) contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct a study to identify causes of degradation of the Area ecosystem attributable to an action by the Secretary; and (4) review each federally-authorized water resources project in the Area to determine whether each project could contribute to ecosystem restoration through modification of the project's operations or features.

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Who introduced it

Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA] · R–LA

Committees

  • Environment and Public Works Committee
1 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3288-3289)

  2. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR 3288-3290)

  3. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

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Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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