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Environmental Priorities in the New Orleans District
Within the New Orleans District, the biggest environmental challenge is coastal erosion. The rapid and extensive loss of Louisiana's coastal wetlands has implications far beyond the elimination of an ecosystem. Coastal land loss affects the region's susceptibility to hurricane damage and the entire nation's energy supply. The Corps of Engineers plays an important role in carrying out federal initiatives aimed protecting and restoring Louisiana's coastal wetlands.
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Program (CWPPRA or "Breaux Act")
The Corps acts as the administrator of the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Program (CWPPRA or "Breaux Act"), which funds the planning and implementation of small, immediate coastal restoration projects that can be implemented in 3-5 years. Created in 1990, the federal CWPPRA program has been the state’s primary mechanism for addressing wetland loss. The program has funded important projects, but over the course of a decade policy makers discovered that its scope and funding are not adequate to address the magnitude of Louisiana’s coastal land losses. A much broader approach and substantially more resources would be necessary to reverse the breakdown of an ecosystem.
Visit the CWPPRA stakeholder site maintained by USACE New Orleans District
View descriptions of individual USACE-managed CWPPRA Projects
Visit CWPPRA-funded site maintained by the USGS National Wetlands Research Center
Louisiana Coastal Area Study (LCA)
The Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) initiative began in 2001 to address the large scale needs associated with restoring Louisiana’s coast. An interagency team was assembled with representatives from the State of Louisiana, the Corps, and five other federal agencies to develop a systematic approach to restore natural structures and processes. The study was completed in 2004 recommending 5 critical near-term restoration projects, a demonstration program, a program to demonstrate the beneficial use of dredged material, and a science and technology program.
Visit the LCA site maintained by USACE New Orleans District
Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration (LACPR)
Shortly after the completion of the LCA study, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit Louisiana in 2005. In 2006 legislation addressing hurricane recovery, Congress asked the Corps to examine, assess, and present recommendations for a systematic approach to coastal restoration, hurricane storm damage reduction, and flood control. This Congressional directive represents the first integration of planning to address these three enormous challenges. The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration (LACPR) effort is a collaboration managed by the Corps that will generate a single document, a technical report that can provide guidance for Congress in long-term decision making regarding hurricane protection and coastal restoration.
Visit LACPR stakeholder site maintained by USACE New Orleans District
Visit Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority
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