HLS 25RS-893 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 27
BY REPRESENTATIVE ZERINGUE
COASTAL RES/COASTAL ZONE: Urges and requests enhancement of the state's
participation in the Gulf of America Hypoxia Action Plan and Task Force
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the state of Louisiana's participation in the Gulf of America Hypoxia
3 Action Plan and Task Force.
4 WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana has been a participant in the Gulf of America
5Hypoxia Task Force, formerly the Gulf of Mexico Task Force, since 1998, and a signatory
6to the Gulf of America Hypoxia Action Plan (henceforth the "Task Force" and "Action
7Plan") since 2000, as cooperative endeavors utilizing voluntary actions and activities; and
8 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislature has repeatedly expressed and reaffirmed its
9support for the Action Plan, in resolutions including House Concurrent Resolution No. 47
10of the 2000 Regular Session of the Legislature, House Concurrent Resolution No. 80 of the
112007 Regular Session of the Legislature, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 40 of the 2010
12Regular Session of the Legislature, Senate Resolution No. 84 of the 2012 Regular Session
13of the Legislature, House Concurrent Resolution No. 70 of the 2016 Regular Session of the
14Legislature, House Concurrent Resolution No. 30 of the 2019 Regular Session of the
15Legislature, House Concurrent Resolution No. 48 of the 2021 Regular Session of the
16Legislature, and House Concurrent Resolution No. 98 of the 2022 Regular Session of the
17Legislature, as have numerous associations, boards, commissions, organizations, parish
18councils, and police juries; and
19 WHEREAS, the role of the state of Louisiana's representative on the Task Force is
20a high-level position engaged in collaboration with upriver states, federal agencies, and other
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HCR NO. 27
1stakeholders at the level of national policy to implement the Action Plan in the Mississippi
2and Ohio River Basins, and must necessarily report to the governor; and
3 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Governor's Office of Coastal Activities has played this
4role in recent years, due to its close connection to the governor, with other state agencies
5acting in supporting roles on the Task Force Coordinating Committee; and
6 WHEREAS, state agencies have acted in a supporting capacity on the Task Force
7Coordinating Committee and on the state Interagency Nutrient Team, to help Louisiana
8fulfill its basin-level and in-state obligations under the Action Plan, respectively; and
9 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislature in House Concurrent Resolution No. 49 of the
102024 Regular Session of the Legislature, commended the cooperative conservation work of
11the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Office of Soil and Water Conservation
12(OSWC) and the important role it plays in implementing the Action Plan, and supported the
13OSWC being a full partner in the state's gulf hypoxia policy effort; and
14 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, on May 2, 2024,
15passed a resolution commending the work of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in
16support of the Action Plan, and in support of its full partnership in the state's gulf hypoxia
17policy effort; and
18 WHEREAS, the Action Plan is in a critical ten-year period to achieve its 2035 goal
19of reducing the average annual size of the Gulf Hypoxic Zone, and thus Louisiana's actions
20at the national and state level have a heightened level of importance.
21 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
22recommend to the governor that:
23 (1) The State of Louisiana be represented on the Gulf Hypoxia Task Force by the
24Governor's Office of Coastal Activities.
25 (2) The Louisiana Office of Soil and Water Conservation act as co-chair of the
26state's Interagency Nutrient Team, working cooperatively with other agencies (Coastal
27Protection and Restoration Authority, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and
28Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources) involved in nutrient reduction
29activities.
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HCR NO. 27
1 (3) The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries be included as a member
2of this team so it can be involved in the state's Gulf Hypoxia policy effort as a full partner.
3 (4) The state Interagency Nutrient Team provide an annual presentation to the House
4and Senate Natural Resources committees that summarizes actions taken by Louisiana state
5agencies to specifically help attain the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan goals in the specified
6period of time.
7 (5) Any meetings of the Interagency Nutrient Team be public, and include an
8invitation to the chairs of the House and Senate Natural Resources Committees, or their
9designees.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
11governor.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 27 Original 2025 Regular Session Zeringue
Urges and requests the governor to enhance Louisiana's participation in the Gulf of America
Hypoxia Action Plan and Task Force.
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