Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationThe Senate Committee on Natural Resources Thursday approved the state coastal master plan.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 by Sen. Dan Morrish, R-Jennings, now goes to the full Senate for approval.
The latest master plan, which is updated every five years, includes 124 projects that proponents say will build 802 square miles of land and reduce flood-related damage by $150 billion over 50 years.
The plan aims to exponentially mitigate the state’s coastal.
Saving the coast is expensive. The $50 billion plan relies heavily, but not entirely, on the 2010 BP oil spill settlement. Funding the rest was a cited concern.
Committee Chairman Norby Chabert, R-Houma, despite tearing up and dabbing his eyes with tissue paper as he spoke about his district and the coast, told the plan’s backers they can provide all the science they want but their mission needs to be backed up with finances.
Without action, the board expects Louisiana to lose more than 2,250 square miles of land and lose $12.1 billion through flood damages over 50 years.
The Legislature gets 60 days to finalize the plan once the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board submits it.