permitting of activities in wetlands, in recognition of the seriousness of coastal land 

 loss, the Louisiana Legislature in its 1981 Extraordinary Session established the Coastal 

 Environmental Protection Trust Fund to be applied for projects such as controlled river 

 diversions, barrier island stabilization, and wetlands management. The first of these 

 projects are scheduled to commence in late 1982. 



Sound scientific understanding of the processes responsible, the effects on natural 

 resources, and the effectiveness of mitigative approaches will be critical to the success 

 of attempts to control land loss. It is to this purpose that the contributions in this 

 volume are addressed. 



The Conference and these Proceedings are products of a cooperative Agreement 

 (1 4_ 1 6-0009-8 1 - 1 1 6) between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Louisiana 

 Universities Marine Consortium related to research and informational services on 

 "Shoreline Erosion and Wetland Habitat Modifications in Coastal Louisiana." It reflects 

 the commitment of both of these organizations to address this most serious 

 environmental problem. 



Donald F. Boesch 

 Cocodrie, Louisiana 

 September 1982 



Any questions or comments about or requests for this publication should be addressed to: 



Information Transfer Specialist 

 National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

 NASA-Slidell Computer Complex 

 1010 Cause Boulevard 

 Slidell,LA 70458 



IV 



