Yesterday Gov. John Bel Edwards commended the Louisiana Legislature for unanimously passing the 2023 Coastal Master Plan and the Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Plan.
These two measures are imperative to protecting Louisiana’s valuable coast.
Gov. Edwards said the projects identified in the 2023 Coastal Master Plan will restore and maintain over 300 square miles of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands and reduce expected annual damage by up to $15 billion. He said it builds on the 26,000 acres of coastal land restored and maintained and 83 miles of levees improved since he took office in 2016.
The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) is required by statute to update the Coastal Master Plan every six years. The 2023 plan is the fourth iteration and builds on the capabilities and advancements of previous plans.
The 2023 Coastal Master Plan, which is the most comprehensive plan to date, provides a path to respond to the loss of our coastal land and the threats from storm surges. Highlights include: 77 projects identified in the 2023 Coastal Master Plan that will restore and maintain over 300 square miles of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands and reduce expected annual damage by up to $15 billion compared to a future without action; Dedicates $25 billion to 65 restoration projects, including marsh creation, diversions, landbridges, ridge restorations, and hydrologic restoration projects; And identifies 12 structural risk reduction projects, including new levees and improving existing structures to withstand greater storm surges, to reduce flood damage.
