The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) voted unanimously on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 to approve the 2023 Coastal Master Plan. LWF worked extensively with CPRA and conservation partners to build support for the plan and gather input from residents through nine Community Conversation meetings across the coast prior to the official release of the draft version of the plan. LWF fully supports this robust, science-based plan and has been pleased with the increased outreach and engagement efforts by CPRA. The 2023 plan represents the fourth iteration of the state’s Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast and the most comprehensive plan to date.
Immediately upon approval by the CPRA board, the plan went straight to the Louisiana Legislature where it is making its way through relevant committees before a full floor vote. Passage at the legislature is a crucial final step in putting the plan into action.
LWF members and supporters are urged to contact their representative and encourage them to approve the plan.
“Implementing the projects in the plan over a 50-year period could reduce risk from tropical storms and hurricanes to coastal communities to less than what the current risk level is today. A better protected and more resilient Louisiana should give the people of this state hope for decades to come”, said CPRA Chairman, Chip Kline in a recent press release.
T h i s b e a r s r e p e a t i n g…
Implementation of the 2023 Coastal Master Plan could mean that in 50 years, Louisiana’s coastal communities would have LESS flood risk from tropical storms and hurricanes than we experience today.
A recent poll of Louisiana voters show that people largely approve of how the state is tackling its land loss crisis, with 92 percent agreeing it is important to have a comprehensive plan to deal with land loss using the latest science.
Since the 1930s, Louisiana has lost nearly 2,000 square miles of coastal wetlands. The state stands to lose an additional 4,000 square miles in the next 50 years without additional action on restoration and protection projects from the state’s Coastal Master Plan. A nearly unanimous 95 percent of voters agree the state should work to preserve as much coastal land as possible, even if restoring the state to its original footprint is not possible.
Louisiana needs the 2023 Coastal Master Plan. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has made incredible progress advancing large-scale projects that are desperately needed, securing over $21.4 billion for projects, and completing over 150 projects since 2007. It’s important to keep up that momentum so that we can continue to advance the projects needed to match the scale of the challenges our coast faces.
By law, the Master Plan must be updated every six years to incorporate the best available scientific and engineering data and community input to prioritize projects. Lawmakers will be voting on this plan soon. They represent YOU. Tell your representative you support the updated 2023 Coastal Master Plan to provide our state with the most effective means to protect and restore our coast.
Read the full 2023 Coastal Master Plan or check out the Executive Summary.
Learn more about the Coastal Issues Poll.