Green Projects Funded for Gulf Coast

The Gulf Coast is preparing to receive over 100 million dollars in funding for green projects. MPB’s Phoebe Judge reports on what those projects will look like.

The 117 million dollars in funding comes to the Coast through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program. Congress authorized the CIAP program in 2005 to mitigate against the impacts of offshore oil and gas production. Mississippi is one of six states to benefit. The 94 projects which are to be funded through the program cover a broad range, but all have a common theme says Elizabeth Barber, who works under contract with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources,

“Most of them are focused on land conservation, trying to protect green spaces. It’s really an idea to protect habitat and improve quality of life for Mississippians who live along the coast.”

Hancock County, one of the areas hardest hit by Katrina, will receive 8 million dollars through the program. Lisa Cowan who sits on Hancock Counties Board of Supervisors’ says the projects will have a huge impact,

“With these kind of dollars coming in for projects that will affect our environment especially and do a lot of cleansing of our waterways. It’s imperative for these projects to come our way, so we are very excited about it.”

Education projects were also funded. The Pascagoula Audubon Center received 400,000 dollars for conservation education. Mark LaSalle is the director,

“We want to engage people about the environment it’s not enough for us to say hey we are going to buy this land, but why is it important for you to understand the value of these natural resources and protect them.”

The money for the projects is expected to start being delivered within a ccouple of months.