Since 2021, Cameron LNG has been a steady supporter of coastal restoration in southwest Louisiana. Through a partnership with Ducks Unlimited, the company has invested more than $100,000 to support wetland restoration and enhancement projects at Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Cameron Prairie NWR, Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge, and White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area. In addition, the company is a long-standing supporter of the Hackberry, Louisiana, Ducks Unlimited chapter.
“Our ties to southwest Louisiana run deep,” said Stevie Trahan, Cameron LNG External Relations Manager. “Cameron LNG’s namesake is Cameron Parish, known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation. Cameron LNG’s dedicated employees based in Hackberry and Houston are working to safely transform natural gas to LNG, and we have made a commitment to safeguard the area's wildlife and marshlands, support our community and improve our quality of life. Our ongoing partnership with Ducks Unlimited is part of that.”
Louisiana’s wetlands are critical natural resources and an economic driver in the state. Coastal and inland wetlands provide habitat for millions of waterfowl and other birds, protect infrastructure and communities from storms, support industries like commercial fishing, sustain Louisiana’s culture, and provide nursery grounds for fish and shellfish. Unfortunately, Louisiana has lost more than 1.2 million acres of wetlands since the 1930s and has the highest coastal wetland loss rate of any state in the U.S.
Ducks Unlimited has been working with diverse partners in the Bayou State since 1985 to address wetland loss and degradation. To date, DU has conserved more than 629,000 acres in Louisiana and invests more than $15 million annually in additional projects.
Cameron LNG’s latest $50,000 grant will support extensive water management infrastructure repairs at the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area (WCA). The White Lake WCA is a contiguous 71,905-acre area located along the north shore of White Lake and the western boundary of Vermilion Parish, about 9 miles south of Gueydan. Divided into several marsh management units, native prairie, and adjacent agricultural lands, the combination of different habitats allows the area to support a wide variety of wildlife. The endangered whooping crane, which disappeared from Louisiana in 1950, was reintroduced on the WCA in 2011. DU’s efforts to enhance habitat on White Lake WCA and surrounding rice lands have helped support this successful endeavor.
“This project will repair levees and replace water control structures to enhance 21,000 acres in two units on White Lake WCA,” explained Bob Dew, DU Manager of Conservation Programs for coastal Louisiana. “The primary public benefit of this project will include water quality improvements, flood storage, storm surge protection, nutrient uptake, protection of coastal communities and nationally significant infrastructure, and a host of fish and wildlife habitat-related values which benefit Louisiana’s economy and society.”
The area is owned and managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and is open to the public for hunting and other recreational opportunities. It is one of Louisiana’s most popular and frequently visited public lands.
