Louisiana Joins
State/Federal Partnership

By Charles East, Jr.

LOUISIANA AND FOUR OTHER states bordered by the Gulf of Mexico have joined together in a progressive partnership aimed at restoring and protecting the coastal environment.

Governor Edwin Edwards and the governors of Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas signed an agreement, finalized December 10, 1992, recognizing their states' common interests in the Gulf ecosystem and its future.

Also signing were the heads of 12 federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

The Year of the Gulf The following issues affecting the Gulf of Mexico have been identified as key areas of concern through the Year of the Gulf initiative: Marine debris is trash and waste discarded in the water. It is more than ugly. It is hazardous to plants, animals, and boats. Habitat degradation: Runoff from pesticides, sewage, marine debris, physical alterations such as dredging and construction, and other natural and manmade occurrences threaten the quality of habitat in the Gulf. Toxic substances and pesticides include anything considered harmful, destructive, or fatal to living organisms. They can reach humans through the food chain. Coastal and shoreline erosion: Many of our coastlines are retreating, and interior coastal wetlands are turning to open water. If this is allowed to continue, it can cause irreversible damage to the coastal environment as well as to our economy and quality of life. Nutrient enrichment: Nutrients found in fertilizer, sewage, detergents, and other substances entering the water can spur the growth of algae, blocking sunlight necessary for underwater animals and vegetation to survive. Public health problems in the Gulf are related to pollutants and other substances found in seafood and in the water and their possible impact on public well-being. Freshwater inflow: The balance of life in coastal estuaries depends on a mix of salt water and fresh water. Without inflow of fresh water from rivers and streams, aquatic resources in the Gulf would be less abundant, with a resulting impact on our economy and quality of life. Living aquatic resources: The wise management and protection of all organisms that depend on the Gulf are necessary to provide for our growing human population.

The signatories outlined a goal "to protect, restore, and enhance the coastal and marine waters of the Gulf of Mexico and its coastal natural habitats, to sustain living resources, to protect human health and the food supply, and to ensure the recreational use of Gulf shores, beaches, and waters --- in ways consistent with the economic well being of the region."

DEQSecretary Kai Midboe, assessing the significance of the partnership, says, "For the first time, these states are looking at the Gulf of Mexico as an ecological whole not in piecemeal fashion."

The commitment by the five states and the federal agencies is the latest development in the Gulf of Mexico Program, established by EPA in 1988 to respond to signs of serious long-term environmental degradation found throughout the Gulf Coast ecosystem. President Bush and Congress designated 1992 as "The Year of the Gulf of Mexico," and the observance is continuing, from June 1992 to July 1993.

"The incomparable beauty and resources of the Gulf of Mexico are threatened," reads the statement signed by the governors and agency heads. "The Gulf receives waste from much of the nation. Coastal marshes and seagrasses are being lost. This source of the nation's sustainable harvest of seafood is at risk. Many miles of the Gulf's beaches are washing away or are needlessly fouled."

Midboe, who serves on the Gulf of Mexico Program's Policy Review Board, says the participating parties have agreed to advance the ongoing program "from the study stage into the implementation stage." The action was necessary, he says, "to get it away from esoteric studies and direct it to concrete solutions."

In the agreement, finalized at a Gulf of Mexico Symposium in Tarpon Springs, Florida, the governors and federal officials issued a series of five-year environmental challenges. They pledged their efforts to obtain the knowledge and resources to accomplish the following:

» Significantly reduce the rate of loss of coastal wetlands.

» Achieve an increase in Gulf Coast seagrass beds.

» Enhance the sustainability of Gulf commercial and recreational fisheries.

» Protect human health and food supply by reducing input of nutrients, toxic substances, and pathogens to the Gulf.

» Increase Gulf shellfish beds available for safe harvesting by 10 percent.

» Ensure that all Gulf beaches are safe for swimming and recreational uses.

» Reduce by at least 10 percent the amount of trash on beaches.

» Improve and expand coastal habitats that support migratory birds, fish, and other living resources.

» Expand public education/outreach tailored for each Gulf Coast county or parish.

Midboe says the Gulf of Mexico Program is "very critical" to Louisiana's future, noting that about 40 percent of the U.S. coastal wetlands are located in this state. It is also estimated that Louisiana loses about 25 square miles of coastal marsh each year, accounting for more than 80 percent of the nation's total annual coastal wetland loss.

"The Gulf is such an important ecosystem," says Midboe. "We must preserve our vital wetlands, for this ecosystem is the breeding place for all life in the Gulf of Mexico."

Eight areas of environmental concern are being focused on during the Year of the Gulf: marine debris, habitat degradation, toxic substances and pesticides, coastal and shoreline erosion, nutrient enrichment, public health, freshwater inflow, and living aquatic resources.

A key point emphasized in the Year of the Gulf effort is that the Gulf of Mexico is "America's sea." There are also these facts to consider:

• The Gulf of Mexico yields more finfish, shrimp, and shellfish annually than the south- and mid-Atlantic, Chesapeake, and New England areas combined. The Gulf produces approximately 40 percent of the U.S. commercial fish yield.
• The Gulf provides critical habitats for 75 percent of migratory waterfowl traversing the United States.
• Ninety percent of U.S. offshore oil and gas comes from the Gulf.
• Nearly half of the U.S. import/export tonnage passes through Gulf waters (which include four of the ten busiest U.S. ports).
• Of the world's seas, only four have more surface than the Gulf's 582,000 square miles.

In addition to the federal agencies mentioned previously, others participating in the recently signed Gulf partnership are the Soil Conservation Service, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Parks Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Geological Survey, and Food and Drug Administration. The Chairman of the Gulf of Mexico Program's Citizens Advisory Committee is also a signatory.