The 2012 Master Plan is the Way Forward
A ground breaking planning effort by the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority shows that while the future looks bleak, we have the opportunity to take bold action to save the coast and secure south Louisiana’s future.
The CPRA’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan is based on a two year analysis involving some of the state’s best scientists as well as national and international specialists. The state used this analysis to select 109 high performing projects 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 pricetag of $50 billion, we could substantially increase flood protection for communities and create a sustainable coast.
Louisiana is in the midst of a land loss crisis that has claimed 1,880 square miles of land since the 1930s. Given the importance of so many of south Louisiana’s natural assets—its waterways, natural resources, unique culture, and wetlands—this land loss crisis is nothing short of a national emergency, one that takes a daily toll on the lives of coastal residents. To address this crisis the Louisiana Legislature passed Act 8 in 2006, which created the CPRA and required it to develop a coastal master plan every five years. The first master plan was approved by the legislature in 2007. The 2012 master plan was submitted to the legislature for approval on March 26th and was unanimously approved by the legislature on May 22, 2012.