Landrieu, Dardenne Inscribe Poverty Point As World Heritage Site

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne and local officials inscribed Poverty Point as the 22nd World Heritage site in the United States. With this designation, Poverty Point now joins the ranks of sites like the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon.

Poverty Point will be preserved for generations to come and will boost Northeast Louisiana's tourism industry, attracting many explorers that seek out World Heritage sites. Poverty Point's designation as a World Heritage Site will also increase the demand for jobs in Northeast Louisiana, allowing families to have high-quality and high-paying jobs in their local communities.

"More than 3,000 years ago, Poverty Point was an economic engine for this region, and it will be again as a World Heritage Site. In the past, it brought goods and materials to be traded, today it will bring tourists and jobs to grow and expand the middle class," Sen. Landrieu said. "The process to secure this status for Poverty Point has truly been a team effort. Without the work of Lt. Gov. Dardenne and his staff, State Senator Francis Thompson, and the staff and high-ranking officials of the Departments of State and Interior who have spent countless hours on this nomination, we would not be here today. I appreciate that the World Heritage Committee gave Poverty Point this recognition and confirmed what we in Louisiana have known for many years: Poverty Point is a true cultural landmark and it deserves this recognition."

Poverty Point dates back more than 3,000 years, when a vast trading network stretched for hundreds of miles across the continent. The site is a large architectural complex consisting of three or four earthen mounds, one of which is the second largest earthen structure in North America; a series of six large earthen ridges, which are believed to have been living areas; and a large flat plaza. It is considered an engineering marvel that took five million hours of labor to build.

In June, Sen. Landrieu secured the attendance of a high-level U.S. official, the Department of the Interior's Acting Assistant Secretary Rachel Jacobson, to advocate for the site at the World Heritage Annual Convention that met in Doha, Qatar, during the last week. Jacobson led the federal delegation along with two Louisiana officials. That same month, Sen. Landrieu restored funding for the United States to pay its dues to the World Heritage Program so that the 21-voting member countries voted on the site's merits and not on the failure of the United States to pay its dues to the program.

Last year, Sen. Landrieu successfully added a provision in support of Poverty Point to FY 2014's Appropriations bill, but it was stripped by House Republican leaders. For years, Sen. Landrieu has supported Poverty Point and worked with local leaders to secure World Heritage site status.

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