Louisiana's 2012 Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast

Louisiana's 2012 Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast was presented and unanimously approved by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority on Wednesday, March 21st and has been submitted to the Louisiana Legislature for their consideration.

You can view the final plan, as well as supporting appendices, by clicking on the link below:
http://www.coastalmasterplan.louisiana.gov/2012-master-plan/final-master-plan

The master plan is based on a two-year analysis involving some of the state's best scientists and engineers as well as national and international specialists. The state used this analysis to select high-performing projects and supporting programs that could deliver measurable benefits to our communities and coastal ecosystem over the coming decades. The plan shows that if these projects were fully funded, at a price tag of approximately $50 billion, we could substantially increase flood protection for communities and create a sustainable coast for Louisiana.

A draft version of the plan was released for public review on January 12th. On January 23rd, 24th, and 25th, we hosted three public hearings (New Orleans, Houma, and Lake Charles) to receive comments on the draft plan. Over 750 people attended these meetings. Each meeting included a five hour open house that allowed citizens to speak with our staff informally and receive answers to their questions firsthand. We received over 100 formal public comments during our three public meetings. In addition to feedback received at public hearings, our team received over 2,200 comments via email, website, and mail before the public comment period ended on February 25th.

The comments we received showed citizens' passion for and knowledge about the coast. Many comments reflected strong opinions about the projects that the plan should contain. We reviewed and considered each of these comments and worked hard to incorporate these views as we finalized the plan. Project specific comments were evaluated to determine the implications of each change. The changes or additions that were incorporated into the plan were principled responses to the feedback we received, grounded in science, and responsive to the needs of our coastal communities.

Please visit www.coastalmasterplan.la.gov for more information on Louisiana's 2012 Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast.