Gov. John Bel Edwards joined the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on Tuesday, Apr. 5, in announcing his proposal to allocate $150 million in surplus funding toward coastal restoration and protection projects.

“At this moment, we are reaping the rewards of over a decade and a half of planning and implementation efforts,” said Gov. Edwards. “We have invested in the science and directed every available dollar toward projects that deliver real benefits to our people. Our track record of investment and implementation has allowed CPRA’s program to grow steadily into the success story it is today. The confidence we have in our coastal program has now been reaffirmed by an even larger investment from the federal government. I am now asking the Legislature to help us recover further from the devastating hurricanes of 2020 and 2021 by dedicating $150 million of state surplus to projects that will make us safer and more resilient well into the future.”

Fifteen coastal projects will receive surplus funding, including $84.5 million allocated to restoration efforts and $65 million toward hurricane and flood protection projects across 13 parishes.

“This is a pivotal moment for the coastal program. Our 2023 Annual Plan is the largest in CPRA history, with over a billion dollars allocated for construction and major investments in hurricane protection, sediment diversions, and 23 dredging projects across our coast,” said CPRA Chairman Chip Kline. “We are excited to see the prioritization of vital coastal restoration and protection projects in this year’s surplus funding.”

Projects include:

•$8 million in funding for the Cameron Gulf Shoreline Protection project in Cameron Parish

•$10 million toward the Southwest Coastal Project in Cameron, Calcasieu, and Vermilion parishes

“Coastal Louisiana’s importance to the Nation is underscored by the Administration and Congress’ recent investment of more than $2.6 billion under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs acts,” said Col. Stephen Murphy, commander of the USACE New Orleans District. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the State of Louisiana in delivering their commitment to support the area’s recovery and improve its resiliency to future conditions.”