Legislature unanimously adopts $1.54B coastal plan for FY2027
143 active projects, 70 in construction, and 18 dredging jobs moving 52.6 million cubic yards of sediment.
BATON ROUGE: The Louisiana Legislature has unanimously adopted the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority's $1.54 billion Fiscal Year 2027 Annual Plan for coastal restoration and protection, a bipartisan endorsement of the state's defining long-term project.
“The unanimous passage of this measure shows that coastal restoration rises above politics,” said Gov. Jeff Landry. The plan supports 143 active projects and the operation, maintenance, and monitoring of 188 completed projects.
The numbers describe a program operating at industrial scale: 70 projects in construction, 65 in engineering and design, and 18 dredging projects that will move 52.6 million cubic yards of sediment to create or nourish more than 11,733 acres of marsh. The plan supports more than 10,806 direct jobs and an estimated $636 million in labor income.
The money is overwhelmingly for building, not planning. Of the $1.54 billion, $1.21 billion is allocated for construction, with the balance supporting the operation, maintenance, and monitoring of 188 completed projects. A restoration program that does not maintain what it built is just a more expensive way to lose land.
Major efforts include the next phases of the River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp, the second-largest coastal forest remaining in Louisiana, and the launch of the Calcasieu-Sabine large-scale marsh and hydrologic restoration to sustain the Cameron-Creole watershed, supporting fisheries and reducing flood impacts.
The plan's public process was extensive: four public meetings and more than 300 public comments shaped the final document. That matters more than usual this year, because the FY2027 plan is the first written entirely in the shadow of the Mid-Barataria cancellation, and the debate over what replaces the diversion, a smaller diversion, dredging-based marsh creation, or something more experimental, is still open.
The majority of the $1.54 billion goes to implementation, with $1.21 billion allocated for construction. “This plan is another big win for Louisiana,” said CPRA Chairman Gordon “Gordy” Dove. “Protecting our coast means protecting our way of life and culture.”
Since 2005, the coastal program has secured $21.6 billion in funding, restored or protected 83,298 acres, improved 396 miles of levees, restored 6 miles of barrier islands, and moved 226 million cubic yards of sediment. The FY2027 plan, shaped by four public meetings and more than 300 public comments, continues that work, with the Mid-Barataria diversion now absent from the portfolio and the debate over what replaces it still open.
The long view is staggering. Since 2005, the coastal program has secured $21.6 billion, restored or protected 83,298 acres, improved 396 miles of levees, restored 6 miles of barrier islands, and moved 226 million cubic yards of sediment. The FY2027 plan continues that work at the same industrial pace, with the unanimous vote as its political foundation.
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