Planning Coastal Louisiana: Integrating Protection and Restoration for a Sustainable Future

Following the hurricanes of 2005, a focused effort has been undertaken in Louisiana to develop a comprehensive coastal protection plan that integrates hurricane protection with conservation and restoration of the coastal area. In November 2005 the Louisiana Legislature created the State Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and charged it with coordinating the efforts of local, state and federal agencies to achieve long-term comprehensive coastal restoration and hurricane protection. The CPRA was required to develop a Plan with clear priorities for delivering comprehensive coastal protection and restoration. The Master Plan produced presents a conceptual vision of a sustainable coast based on the best available science and engineering, envisioning a program that will cost tens of billions of dollars and take several decades to fully implement. By providing a technically sound starting point, the state has placed itself on an aggressive trajectory for addressing one of the most complex and time-critical water resources problems in the world.