Baton Rouge, LA – It is with great sadness and tremendous gratitude that we at the America’s Wetland Foundation bid farewell to Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco.
She was a gracious leader whose love of family translated into the compassion and kindness with which she led the state of Louisiana.
She served as a true public servant with honesty and integrity and a passion that never waned.
When faced with the extraordinary challenges of back-to-back Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, she worked tirelessly to lift up the state in its belief that recovery was possible. Out of the devastation, Governor Blanco led actions that changed the way we tackle coastal land loss and make government work in concert on one of the greatest challenges any state could face.
Her leadership was critical in the creation of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the completion of the state’s first coastal Master Plan. And it was during her tenure that Louisiana dedicated all future offshore oil and gas revenues to coastal restoration and protection, a move that helped pass GOMESA, the Federal law that gave Louisiana and other Gulf oil and gas producing states a greater share of the offshore revenues. Her strong leadership on these actions will leave a long and meaningful legacy for our coast.
Our hearts go out to the family and to all the people of our state who experienced Governor Blanco’s love of Louisiana. Future generations will benefit greatly from her wise and extraordinary leadership.
