12/10/2024 | Press release | Archived content
Congressman Garret Graves and Terrebonne Parish President Jason Bergeron announced today House-passed legislation to add Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, among the parishes and counties included in the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), a federal agency that promotes economic development and community resiliency in America's Delta Region. Graves is a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which has jurisdiction over the program.
"We made Terrebonne Parish's priority our priority. Now Terrebonne has new access to critical federal infrastructure and economic development funding," Graves said. "This bill also includes other Terrebonne wins like nearly $20 million in federal funding access for stormwater and wastewater infrastructure and $100 million in lower costs to complete Morganza-to-the-Gulf. Adding Terrebonne Parish as a member of the Delta Regional Authority - and having greater access to hurricane protection and critical infrastructure funding - means parish elected and economic leaders can take the reins and grow jobs and the economy for Terrebonne's future while protecting its people and communities."
"We are starting to see the results of our hard work with partners like Congressman Graves to move Terrebonne Parish forward. Being included in the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) gives us another funding source that supports the needs of our communities as we improve infrastructure and fuel business growth. Our focus continues to be identifying opportunities to improve the quality of life in all aspects for Terrebonne residents which reflects the priorities of DRA," said President Bergeron.
Background
First established in 2000, the Delta Regional Authority is a joint collaboration among the eight states in the Lower Mississippi River and the federal government. It is intended to improve the quality of life and economic opportunity in the Mississippi River Delta. Adding Terrebonne to the Delta Regional Authority will serve as a catalyst to increase federal investment in other areas, including workforce training, health care access, and to develop strong and sustainable jobs in South Louisiana. Over the past four years, the Delta Regional Authority has supported 73 projects in Louisiana, resulting in an additional 2,364 jobs and positively impacting more than 60,000 Louisianians.
Congressman Garret Graves and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (a co-author of this legislation) currently represent Terrebonne Parish in the 118th Congress.