NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Obama administration has laid out a strategy to deal with the catastrophic dangers of rising sea levels, hurricanes and erosion on the Gulf Coast, and on Thursday backed efforts to invest in restoring barrier islands and wetlands in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Experts hailed the document as the strongest sign of support for coastal restoration on the Gulf Coast ever endorsed by a White House.
The document, called a "roadmap" for the coast, says the nation's energy supply, crucial ports and waterways, vital habitat for fish and wildlife and the Gulf Coast's "rich cultural legacy" were at stake.
At risk, the paper said, was "not only the economies of Louisiana and Mississippi, but also the economy of the nation as a whole."
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On The Web:
White House plan for Gulf Coast: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/Press_Releases/March_4_2010
