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Ducks Unlimited (DU) has been awarded $4.4 million through the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF) to launch a critical land protection project in the Terrebonne Basin aimed at safeguarding Louisiana’s coast, wildlife, and communities from increasing climate threats. Partners on the grant include ConocoPhillips, Lafourche Parish Government, and the South Lafourche Levee District.

The project, Constructing Marsh and Living Shorelines to Enhance the Terrebonne Basin, will create 233 acres of marsh habitat, install 2,000 linear feet of living shoreline, and restore native vegetation through a volunteer-supported planting event. These efforts will provide critical wildlife habitat while serving as a natural line of defense for the Larose to Golden Meadow Hurricane Protection System, reducing flood risk to surrounding infrastructure, natural resources, and coastal communities.

“This project is a powerful example of nature-based solutions for community resilience,” said DU Coastal Restoration Coordinator, Amanda Voisin. “By restoring wetlands and building living shorelines, we’re creating natural buffers that will strengthen Louisiana’s coast against future storms. It’s about safeguarding communities while restoring the wetlands that sustain wildlife.”

The NCRF, established in 2018 by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in partnership with NOAA and private-sector leaders including Shell USA, Entergy, Oxy, and Salesforce, invests in projects that restore and reinforce natural infrastructure—such as marshes, wetlands, dunes, oyster reefs, and barrier islands—to mitigate storm impacts and enhance habitats for fish and wildlife. In 2025, 68 coastal resilience projects received a combined $78 million in funding, underscoring the urgent need for climate adaptation along America’s coasts.

Louisiana’s coast is disappearing at an alarming rate, leaving communities and ecosystems vulnerable to hurricanes and flooding. By leveraging nature-based solutions, Ducks Unlimited and its partners are building resilience where it matters most—protecting people, wildlife, and the natural resources that sustain them.