BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) – The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority said it is using a new federal grant for a major coastal restoration effort.
CPRA has been awarded over $122 million to support construction of the first phase of the Calcasieu-Sabine Large-Scale Marsh and Hydrologic Restoration project.
The grant comes from the the RESTORE Act, which uses penalties paid by those responsible for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill for Gulf Coast restoration activities. It is administered by the U.S. Treasury Department.
CPRA said in a news release that this award represents a significant step forward in helping to restore the 65,000-acre Cameron Creole Watershed in Cameron Parish.
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CPRA will begin the first phase of the project by constructing seven lake-rim drainage structures along the southeastern rim of Calcasieu Lake.
“This funding allows us to move from planning to construction for one of our most important coastal restoration efforts in Southwest Louisiana,” said CPRA Chairman Gordy Dove. “This project will help protect not only wetlands, but also the people, communities, and industries that depend on a healthy coast in this region.”
This region is vital to both Louisiana’s ecological resilience and the economic stability of Southwest Louisiana, according to Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.
“Southwest Louisiana plays a crucial role in our state’s economy and coastal identity, and for too long, we’ve watched this region suffer from land loss and erosion,” Landry said. “This funding allows us to move from planning to construction on one of our most critical restoration efforts. We will now be on the ground, moving dirt, restoring wetlands, and building real protections for the people, communities, and industries that depend on a strong, resilient coast.”
The Calcasieu-Sabine Basin has experienced dramatic land loss, with more than 128,000 acres of wetlands lost since 1932, according to CPRA. Projections show that an additional 110,000 acres would be lost over the next 50 years without intervention.
Land loss in Louisiana: The fight to preserve our coastline
The Calcasieu-Sabine project will progress in stages, focusing on large-scale restoration, improved marsh hydrology, and sustainable ecosystem health, CPRA said.
By preserving the wetlands of the Chenier Plain, the project also aims to provide storm surge protection for the Lake Charles area.
The total estimated cost of the project is approximately $260 million. CPRA was previously awarded a RESTORE grant for $28.6 million for engineering, design and permitting.
“The Calcasieu-Sabine project reflects the kind of large-scale, science-based restoration prioritized in Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan,” said Michael Hare, Executive Director of CPRA. “We’re now moving from planning to action in one of the most vulnerable areas of our coast, where this investment will make a measurable difference.”
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