Date
5-22-2024
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)
Chair
Alan Harrelson
Keywords
environmental history, history, wetlands, Louisiana, coastal wetlands
Disciplines
Environmental Studies | History
Recommended Citation
Adams, Gloria H., "The Destruction of Louisiana Wetlands: An Environmental History, 1900-2000" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5677.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5677
Abstract
Louisiana experienced a loss of almost 1,800 square miles of land during the 1930s, primarily due to the sinking of the state's coastal wetlands. In the early 1970s, both public officials and private residents began to recognize the situation on the coast. State and federal leaders reached a consensus that immediate action was necessary to tackle the issue. Over a span of around four decades, authorities in Louisiana and Washington, D.C. enacted a sequence of legislation and regulations with the intention of safeguarding fragile ecosystems such as the wetlands in the state. In the 1980s, authorities also initiated the development of strategies to aid in the rejuvenation of Louisiana's diminishing coastline. Although significant advancements have been achieved in mitigating the sinking of land, the task of halting or reversing the gradual wearing away of coastal areas has proven to be exceedingly challenging. The state's conservation and restoration efforts in Louisiana have been hampered since the 1970s due to ineffective bureaucratic management, inadequate funding, and the lack of significant changes in land-use and water-use legislation. The devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina compelled authorities in Baton Rouge and the federal government to address specific persistent issues. However, the execution of a comprehensive restoration and management plan is still fragmented, even ten years after the destructive hurricane season of 2005. This dissertation investigates the overall political and economic conditions that led to the occurrence of coastal erosion in Louisiana. It specifically analyzes the actions taken by state and federal policies to address this disaster from 1970 to 2000.
