Louisiana Commits $1.8 billion to Critical Coastal Restoration and Protection Projects

01.15.2025 | In Press Releases

(New Orleans, LA – January 15, 2024) Today, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) released its Draft FY26 Annual Plan for public review and comment. The Annual Plan reflects which projects in the Coastal Master Plan will move forward in a given fiscal year and, upon its adoption by the CPRA Board and the approval of the Legislature, provides the authority to expend funds originating from the state, federal government and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  

Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a coalition of national and local organizations working to restore Louisiana’s coast, issued the following statement upon the plan’s release: 

“While we are still reviewing the details of this year’s Annual Plan, we are pleased to see the strong level of planned investment and continued emphasis on construction in CPRA’s proposed $1.8 billion plan. Louisiana’s coastal land loss crisis remains an existential threat to the communities, economies and ecosystems of Louisiana, and the state must meet this dire challenge with projects based on strong science that meet the magnitude of the problem. 

“We are particularly encouraged to see the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion funded for continued construction in this spending plan. After a year of uncertainty and delay, it is crucially important to see the state make this public commitment to advance this foundational project, which has been at the heart of every Coastal Master Plan since 2007. We look forward to reviewing the details of this plan more carefully and tracking CPRA’s progress as the dollars shown are translated into actual construction on Coastal Master Plan projects —only then will coastal communities receive the urgently needed benefits that these projects can provide.” 


About Restore the Mississippi River Delta
Restore the Mississippi River Delta is working to protect people, wildlife and jobs by reconnecting the river with its wetlands. As our region faces the crisis of land loss, we offer science-based solutions through a comprehensive approach to restoration. Composed of conservation, policy, science and outreach experts from Environmental Defense FundNational Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation and Pontchartrain Conservancy, we are located in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Washington, D.C.; and around the United States. Learn more at MississippiRiverDelta.org and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.