Coastal Management Division

The Coastal Management Division (CMD) of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources is charged with implementing the Louisiana Coastal Resources Program (LCRP) under authority of the State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act, as amended (Act 361, La. R.S. 49:214.21 et seq). This law seeks to protect, develop, and, where feasible, restore or enhance the resources of the state’s coastal zone. Its broad intent is to encourage multiple uses of resources and adequate economic growth while minimizing adverse effects of one resource use upon another without imposing undue restrictions on any user. Besides striving to balance conservation and resources, the guidelines and policies of the LCRP also help to resolve user conflicts, encourage coastal zone recreational values, and determine the future course of coastal development and conservation. The guidelines are designed so that development in the Coastal Zone can be accomplished with the greatest benefit and the least amount of damage. The LCRP is an effort among Louisiana citizens, as well as state, federal and local advisory and regulatory agencies.

The CMD regulates development activities and manages the resources of the Coastal Zone. A Coastal Use Permit (CUP) Program has been established by the Act as part of the LCRP to help ensure the management and reasonable use of the state’s coastal wetlands. The Coastal Use Permit is the basic regulatory tool of CMD and is required for certain projects in the Coastal Zone, including but not limited to dredge and fill work, bulkhead construction, shoreline maintenance, and other development projects. The purpose of the Coastal Use Permit process is to make certain that any activity affecting the Coastal Zone is performed in accordance with guidelines established in the LCRP. A prime concern of the CUP Program is to regulate activities that may increase the loss of wetlands and aquatic resources, as well as to reduce conflicts between coastal resource users. Submitting an application for a CUP does not imply that a CUP will be required; application is simply one step in following the Rules and Procedures for CUP’s so that the Coastal Zone will be protected.

The Coastal Management Division is divided into three main sections: Interagency Affairs, Permits/Mitigation, and Support Services:

• Interagency Affairs
  The Interagency Affairs section is responsible for three elements; Local Coastal Programs, Federal Consistency, and Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control.
• Permits/Mitigation
  The Permits/Mitigation program is responsible for the issuance of Coastal Use Permits and the mitigation for unavoidable losses of wetland function and value due to permitted activities.
• Support Services
  Support Services is responsible for field investigations and the field offices, enforcement and monitoring, Public outreach/education and technical support to the division.