Preliminary coastal restoration plan to be unveiled today

State officials are taking a look outside the box, and looking at a new way of restoring Louisiana’s Gulf Coast.

Rather than restore the pieces n coastal, barrier island, and levee construction, as well as freshwater diversions n one by one, an unorthodox plan would tackle all of them at once.

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, created last December during 2005 legislation, has created a draft of a plan that would go for it all to restore Louisiana’s eroding coastline and valuable resources.

With a year of planning and discussion, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a preliminary plan has been draw.

Details will be unveiled during a series of public meetings. Terrebonne and Lafourche residents are encouraged to attend the meetings to view preliminary drafts before they are finalized early next year.

“It is imperative that the public attends these meetings, whether business owners, church or civic groups, everyone should speak-up,” said Henri Boulet, executive director of the La. 1 Coalition.

Boulet is encouraged that the states plans include reconstruction of the barrier islands as well as marsh conservation, but is skeptical about the level of protection the tri-parishes would actually see.

“The level of protection they are presenting is far below the level that is possible,” he said. “The nation depends on our oil and gas industry and the La. 1 energy corridor is extremely critical in that process and warrants the highest level of protection possible,” he said.

Boulet is concerned with the plan overemphasizing on New Orleans protection and neglecting the needs of the Terrebonne-Lafourche coastline.

The public meeting will be held on Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.