. >> jerome zeringue is head of the state's coastal restoration program. >> louisiana is doing what it can to participate and protect this valuable resource but it's a national issue and a national concern we need national interests to support us as well. >> while the state struggles to fund its plan, a question remains: who's responsible for the damage? we decided to go see the evidence for ourselves. ryan lambert and albertine kimble are coastal restoration experts. >> two thousand square miles essentially since 1950. two thousand square miles that's larger than the area of the grand canyon. gone just open water. just like this now. think about that - think about that! >> no wetlands equals no people. if we can't have these wetlands, pretty soon there'll be no habitat, and there'll be no people. that's the way i look at it, that's my simple saying. >> they're taking us to the venice gas fields, where oil giant chevron and other major firms have operated for decades. >> it looks like they've dug lots of little channels >> thousands. as you saw in this canal every 100 yards there's an