Lafayette, LA - U.S. Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD (R-Southwest Louisiana), announced a grant of $186,455 for shoreline protection and marsh creation at Tiger Point in Vermilion Parish. The grant from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation & Enforcement (BOEMRE) was awarded to the Vermilion Parish Police Jury and will be used to install a breakwater device to reduce wave energy and shoreline erosion rates in the area.

“Our coast is vital to our state’s economy and heritage, and supports countless jobs throughout Louisiana,” Boustany said.  “We must continue to protect and restore these lands for future generations. I will continue the fight in Washington to rebuild our coastal marshes and wetlands.”

“The loss of wetlands in southern Vermilion Parish is a serious problem that requires immediate attention,” said Wayne Touchet, President of the Vermilion Parish Police Jury. “This project will slow down and hopefully stop the erosion of our shorelines at Tiger Point, protecting the fragile wetlands located behind the coastal ridges. These wetlands are vital to maintain the Vermilion Parish coastal ecology as well as to provide a buffer for storm protection. The entire parish will benefit from this coastal protection project.”

Boustany remains a leader in the fight to restore the Gulf Coast, especially for his strong advocacy to create and implement the Southwest Coastal Louisiana Study, the first comprehensive coastal restoration plan for Southwest Louisiana.  He has secured funding for coastal restoration projects, and worked with the Corps of Engineers, state and local officials, and other key stakeholders to expedite restoration efforts.

This grant is part of the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP), which distributes funds from offshore mineral royalties to rebuild wetlands and coastal protections. The CIAP was authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 with Boustany’s support.

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