The so-called "annual plan" acts as the funding vehicle for the state's 50-year, $50 billion coastal Master Plan for hurricane surge risk reduction and coastal restoration projects, as well as for programs that support the development of new projects and monitor the success of projects that have already been built.
In presenting the plan to the CPRA board of directors, Executive Director Bren Haase pointed out that funding of some projects with offshore oil revenue remains uncertain, as the amount of money the state will receive in fiscal year 2021 has not been determined.
The authority will vote on the plan in February, after public hearings and a public comment period.
Haase said the list of projects does not include several major restoration projects funded by BP money that are being built by federal agencies.
Much of the BP money will be used for coastal restoration projects in the southeastern and south central parts of the state, which were most affected by oil from the BP spill.
The plan, which will be presented to the Legislature next spring, also will use a portion of nearly $113 million of the state’s share of offshore oil revenue to pay part of the costs of several long-awaited flood protection projects.
The plan represents an increase of more than $170 million in coastal levee and restoration spending, compared to the fiscal year 2020 plan that is in place now — a jump of nearly 20 percent.
The state also predicts it will spend about $901 million on coastal projects in fiscal year 2022 and $1.27 billion in fiscal year 2023, again largely because of expected BP-related revenue.
A variety of BP-related settlements will direct more than $12 billion to the state through 2029, the end of the settlements' 15-year payment schedule.
In the New Orleans area, the proposed spending includes a $35 million first payment for a project to re-create part of the Golden Triangle marshes in the northwest corner of the Lake Borgne shoreline, adjacent to the lake's surge barrier.
Another $21.5 million is to be spent to begin building a “living shoreline” of oyster reefs along the rapidly eroding eastern edges of the Biloxi Marsh, on the southeastern edge of Lake Borgne in St. Bernard Parish.
Both of those projects are expected to be funded by money from the $5 billion that BP has agreed to spend in Louisiana to restore natural resources after the spill. But both are also still awaiting final approval by federal and state trustees who oversee the natural resource damage assessment process.
Other pots of BP money come from criminal and civil settlements of federal law violations; those must be used for other environmental or economic restoration projects.
Already approved, however, is the $76.1 million first increment of a plan to re-create marsh along the southwestern edge of Lake Borgne, where the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet contributed to major erosion problems.
Also already approved is $50.8 million for the Spanish Pass portion of a larger plan to rebuild a ridge and create marsh in the Barataria Basin in Plaquemines Parish.
The spending plan also includes $23 million in engineering and design money for the proposed Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion near Myrtle Grove on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines, and $22.5 million for the proposed Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion on the east bank.
Another $72.2 million in BP money is set aside for part of the cost of the West Grand Terre beach nourishment and stabilization project in southern Plaquemines. And $103.7 million in BP money will be used for similar barrier island restoration and beach nourishment projects in Terrebonne Parish.
The flood-risk reduction projects proposed for funding by the annual plan include $50 million for a permanent Bayou Chene barge gate, which will aim to reduce damage in the Morgan City area from high water on the Atchafalaya River during spring floods. A temporary barge gate was installed early this year to deal with that threat.
The east and west bank levee systems in the New Orleans area will gain $38 million being set aside for land and other expenses that local sponsors are required to pay when the Army Corps of Engineers builds or improves levee projects. Another $11.7 million will be spent on segments of the east bank levee system, and $500 million has been set aside for other West Bank levee expenses.
The annual plan also includes $4 million in state money to repair St. Bernard Parish pump stations that are being turned over to the parish by the east bank levee authority as part of a settlement of differences over who will pay future interior drainage costs in the parish.
The Morganza to the Gulf levee project also will receive $2.7 million from the state.
The annual plan also will continue to fund levee improvements in the Jean Lafitte area of Jefferson Parish, including $6.5 million for part of the Rosethorne Basin levee and $600,000 for tidal protection.
The plan also will continue to support initial efforts to improve storm surge protection in St. Tammany Parish, with $600,000 for a parish coastal protection study and $100,000 for planning costs of a ring levee in Slidell.
In addition to the $580.4 million from BP spill-related settlements, the annual plan expects to receive $113 million from the federal Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, which directs 37 percent of revenue from federal leases off Louisiana's coastline to the state.
The state also includes in the plan about $98 million associated with the federal Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act. While most of that money represents the 15 percent share of individual CWPPRA projects that the state pays for, some of it also represents surplus money returned after some projects are completed.
Public hearings on the annual plan will be heard on Jan. 6 at Lakefront Airport in New Orleans, on Jan. 7 at the Houma Civic Center, and on Jan. 8 at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Each of the hearings will begin at 5:30 p.m with an open house, followed by a presentation on the plan and time for public comments.
Public comments can be submitted to the CPRA on the spending plan through Feb. 15 by email at coastal@la.gov, or by mail at 150 Terrace Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70802.
©2019 NOLA Media Group, New Orleans. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
