For Immediate Release: October 27, 2009
Contact: Chris Macaluso
(225) 342-3968
chris.macaluso@la.gov

In Case You Missed It --

State is dedicating huge resources to fight coastal erosion: a letter to the editor

By Letters to the Editor
October 15, 2009, 1:19AM

Re: "Obama, Jindal have a job to do: Save the coast," Other Opinions, Oct. 11.

We could not agree more. This is why we fundamentally restructured the state's coastal program, injected exponential increases in funding and have a tenfold increase in hurricane protection, flood control and coastal restoration projects under way.

We project that Gov. Bobby Jindal's strategic investments in coastal Louisiana will result in the smallest rate of land loss in over 50 years. Today, over 1 million citizens of our state have the best hurricane and flood protection that they have ever had - period.
Within eight days of being sworn in, Gov. Jindal signed an executive order requiring all state agencies to use their full authority and funding to advance the state's coastal master plan.

The state now has one entity that is accountable and working full-time on hurricane protection and coastal restoration rather than splitting this vital mission up among five state agencies. Leaders in the Legislature have unanimously supported these improvements.
Today, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana and our implementation arm, the Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration have nearly 250 hurricane protection, flood control and coastal restoration projects under way. That is a nearly tenfold increase in just two years.

Louisiana has dedicated over 10 times more funding toward Louisiana Coastal Area restoration projects than the Corps of Engineers, and we are working with the corps to prevent the wasting of dredged sediment by fully funding its use to rebuild our coast.
Mr. Marshall correctly expressed the goal of developing a resilient, sustainable, thriving south Louisiana.
With the historic progress we have made since the beginning of last year, we are already well on our way.

Garret Graves
Chairman
Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority
Governor's Office
Baton Rouge

For more information about Louisiana's coastal restoration and hurricane protection efforts, please contact Chris Macaluso at 225-342-3968 or by email at chris.macaluso@la.gov.

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The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority's mandate is to develop, implement and enforce a comprehensive coastal protection and restoration master plan. For the first time in Louisiana's history, this single state authority will integrate coastal restoration and hurricane protection by marshalling the expertise and resources of the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation and Development, and other state agencies, to speak with one clear voice for the future of Louisiana's coast. Working with federal, state and local political subdivisions, including levee districts, the CPRA will work to establish a safe and sustainable coast that will protect our communities, the nation's critical energy infrastructure, and our bountiful natural resources for generations to come. The CPRA of Louisiana was established by Act 8 of the 1st Extraordinary Session of 2005