Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast - Integrated Ecosystem Restoration and Hurricane Protection

The Comprehensive Master Plan is the principal means for establishing a clear set of priorities for comprehensive coastal protection in Louisiana. This first report from 2007 presents a series of recommended hurricane protection and coastal restoration measures. Maps and explanations about the measures, as well as a management strategy for implementing them are also provided. This Master Plan presents a conceptual vision of a sustainable coast based on the best available science and engineering. As a living document, this plan will change over time as understanding of the landscape improves and technical advances are made. While emphasizing sustainability of ecosystems, flood protection, and communities, this document proposes integrated flood control projects and coastal restoration initiatives for the long-term sustainability of  human and natural communities. The state is currently working on the 2012 Master Plan Update, and information regarding this process is available on the site.

Because of the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, in December 2005, the Louisiana Legislature restructured the State's Wetland Conservation and Restoration Authority to form the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). Act 8 of the First Extraordinary Session of 2005 expanded the membership, duties and responsibilities of the CPRA and charged the new Authority to develop and implement a comprehensive coastal protection plan, including both a master plan and annual plans. As charged by Act 8, the CPRA established an Integrated Planning Team (IPT) to jointly coordinate development of the master plan with state and federal agencies, as well as political subdivisions (including levee districts). The IPT consisted of senior staff from the Dept. of Natural Resources and Dept. of Transportation and Development. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, has also assigned a senior staff person to the team as a liaison.

Utilizing extensive existing work as well as input from a wide variety of stakeholders, the Integrated Planning Team formulated an overall master plan and annual plan that clearly portray the state's needs and desires relative to a sustainable vision of comprehensive coastal protection integrating hurricane protection and coastal restoration. The master plan addresses these coastal protection efforts from both short-term and long-range perspectives. It also incorporates structural, management, and institutional components of both efforts.