[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6122895,"mediaKeyId","2692844-567f3cee5114c0eb2cb2350223bf087f","parentId",2692844,"title","CPRA board approves agenda and minutes, unanimously votes to enter executive session on two pending lawsuits","audioSeconds",5828,"startMs",95000,"endMs",5923000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2692844-567f3cee5114c0eb2cb2350223bf087f&start=95&end=5923","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2692844-567f3cee5114c0eb2cb2350223bf087f/thumbnail_95000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6122895/Louisiana/CPRA-board-approves-agenda-and-minutes-unanimously-votes-to-enter-executive-session-on-two-pending-lawsuits","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122895-e00523fc2a7cdddbc26843e17f60e630/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444815&Signature=dhnizzUyeiVrqJVKpRWxkuLpLWKTkrU64FVtrXDc7jI-c6DyzS5roMRxb73HUJkgt4d5buRP~9yD5R03b7tQ6SKWfjlbbq-iKVUmiYf8WrtslrwXqTZq2rvbdMXUy0UA~mfhD8qUiBnpgl5DrIJMpNo6nDmXlfqpm~Ed40jJpAyWQXHizvcyJi-Jsx9tRm10VfikANrBLQGzawwtfUaJ5E6ppSMHA5Y0yK26wt0fwrN3PJYrJ3KKzThSrqX0RfWdyKbwDHGmlShAbDWBGwtNRFZzCqzgmdHXOW2za1ijSmtz6wPA69J-n4bLh9XhLjYoV~-R1tIopwm7DSwulbmLdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","article","The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority board opened its March 19 meeting with routine procedural votes, then moved into a closed executive session after a unanimous roll-call vote.

Dwayne Bourgeois moved to approve the meeting agenda; the motion was seconded by Mister Hidalgo and approved by voice vote. The board then approved the minutes in a motion by Mister Aldagal, seconded by Mister Alfred; that motion also carried by voice vote. CPRA asked for public comment on the agenda and minutes; none were offered.

Later in the meeting the board voted to enter executive session to discuss the status of two pending lawsuits. The motion to enter executive session was made by Mister Bourgeois and seconded by Mister Davis. The board heard no public comments on the executive-session request and proceeded with a roll-call vote. The roll call recorded “yes” votes from Chairman Dove and the full board membership present; the meeting transcript recorded the vote as unanimous by those present.

Meeting staff announced the subject matter for the executive session: (1) a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana alleging National Environmental Policy Act and Administrative Procedure Act violations and Endangered Species Act claims related to Corps actions and regulatory agencies; and (2) a state-court lawsuit brought by Plaquemines Parish alleging CPRA did not comply with a local ordinance related to construction of the Mid-Barataria sediment diversion. CPRA then moved into executive session and the public broadcast was suspended as permitted under the board’s rules.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","CPRA 03/19/2025 - Part 1","oneSentenceSummary","On March 19 the CPRA board approved the meeting agenda and minutes, heard no public comments, then unanimously voted to enter executive session to discuss two pending lawsuits concerning the Mid-Barataria sediment diversion and related federal litigation.","taxTitle","Joint Committee Meetings, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Louisiana","taxId",77843,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6122901,"CPRA announces FY2025 parish matching awards for restoration, totals and project list revealed",325,4399000,4724000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2692844-567f3cee5114c0eb2cb2350223bf087f&start=4399&end=4724","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2692844-567f3cee5114c0eb2cb2350223bf087f/thumbnail_4399000.jpg","/articles/6122901/Louisiana/CPRA-announces-FY2025-parish-matching-awards-for-restoration-totals-and-project-list-revealed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122901-67c5b6b3147f3c28c73d28f279e5d470/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444815&Signature=HlUnrR~-mNMMWC1bpSJFI-k8VeKDL-N71EzrVWmmrpIXe3hHdzcqx2iOGDR6b0RzdBMEzzf8-KzTWyXKVQb3yA17EdbVgOmyABZkmshpkk0XfQlJYymwpNalRGYkHYb-AJodhr59iLWl2qE~-N8Vcw-fRHCLZtp3KQFSj2lBX68xcN4HUw9FSPnBjFjp-3DrzOz4UudhS9zg8uqCXuiQjO6hxb1I4bYWDUcn-JYQv06Pyrqb1iIBk1kE0Z9v5EKUGknlXoAXvgJlWjzj0NttiOR9mYMLLeUZo6CDdTvdBDuJKKcoYMa3mQTHUgLrRuz8NcDcRdZnyAKi59a~pE1jCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","CPRA staff told the board on March 19 that six projects from five parishes were selected for FY2025 Parish Matching Program awards intended to leverage local and federal matches and advance projects consistent with the state coastal master plan. Brandon Champine, CPRA coastal resource scientist supervisor, presented the awards and said the FY2025 program reimburses up to $6 million of eligible restoration or resilience work; the program is funded through the state WICOMICO/Restore allocation.

Champine said 11 proposals arrived from seven parishes and that CPRA selected six projects from five parishes. The announced awards and CPRA’s summary for this round were: Vermilion Parish — North Vermilion Bay Shoreline Protection Phase 2, $1,265,000; Tangipahoa Parish — Lead Landing Hydrology Project, $850,000; St. Tammany Parish — two projects totaling $2,000,000 (one focused on shoreline/breakwater protection near a historic lighthouse and one on Mandeville lakefront cypress swamp and a rock berm); Lafourche Parish — Highway 1 Terracing extension, $1,110,000; and Terrebonne Parish — Bay Racersy Terracing Phase 2, $775,000.

Champine highlighted last year’s awards as context: CPRA invested $7 million across seven projects that drew nearly $30 million in matching funds (a roughly 5:1 match ratio). He said the parish matching program prioritizes projects that are shovel-ready, leverage significant outside funds, and align with CPRA priorities for resilience and habitat.

The presentation included finished examples in Vermilion Bay and Rockefeller Refuge and noted that the program will support shoreline protection, terracing, hydrologic improvements and recreational/cultural protections. CPRA staff said the program evaluation included engineering and planning staff reviews of constructability, cost sharing, ecological and resilience benefits and synergies with other restoration projects.

Board members offered no substantive changes to the awards at the meeting; CPRA said staff would proceed with grant implementation steps.","CPRA announced six parish projects selected for the FY2025 Parish Matching Program, allocating state funds to leverage more than $37 million in matched projects and reimbursing eligible restoration or resilience work up to $6 million per award.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6122906,"NOAA describes Raccoon Island design options; short-listed sand sources and 30% design underway",646,2219000,2865000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2692844-567f3cee5114c0eb2cb2350223bf087f&start=2219&end=2865","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2692844-567f3cee5114c0eb2cb2350223bf087f/thumbnail_2219000.jpg","/articles/6122906/Louisiana/NOAA-describes-Raccoon-Island-design-options-short-listed-sand-sources-and-30-design-underway","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122906-43aa549dbe29c5e52f5a23115aed01c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444815&Signature=nf9ZhEikNVJa1koGSfM8BgtC5hxsucX-o97OHBtjODdXcdp1Xk~fjbPkhMuqvl-5rYeMAStr86PjwSj0Q~iqCvtlpQiyZvGi-CcWK9XGBv0KTJIxaRGMk3kU5f7PbGuHL2t4L3TgvpgQBEcaefhUL9KjcJIbTXkNDIaC9L2xpvFjBjjxy1GxdtuFbj68LV-Mo7FNBN9KCYwpc9lNH6BZNU9B6dE03anMRiwjlYzqTGpZTPAJ5XYlq5-Nftmnrs1PprlED-XF0U25chNx4eqOE8KNczaM3jY4W4ZYT6b-nZ3gnvcP7VSr2C8cgO~mYxOr88E31dgtvWAMeFjiVd9mLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","NOAA fisheries staff on March 19 gave the CPRA board a technical update on the Raccoon Island Engineering Design Restoration Project, which NOAA said “has come about as a direct result of injuries caused to natural resources from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.” Patrick Williams, marine habitat resource specialist with the NOAA Restoration Center, led the presentation and described a multi-alternative design evaluation now entering 30% design.

NOAA and its contractors evaluated two principal sand sources for Raccoon Island: Ship Shoal Block 88, about nine miles south of the island, and Raccoon Point Shoal, a nearshore deposit roughly a half-mile offshore. The design team told the board Raccoon Point Shoal is preferred by CPRA because it better aligns with the Louisiana sediment management plan and is far less expensive to pump; NOAA estimated pumping from Ship Shoal would add roughly $30–$35 million to project costs versus the closer bar.

Williams described five alternatives (no action plus four restoration options). All restoration alternatives include sand filling (beach, dune, back-barrier marsh and nesting mounds) and maintenance of the existing gulf-side breakwater field. Alternatives differ on bayside treatment: one alternative adds a low-overflow \"living shoreline,\" another uses a more emergent rock rubble-mound structure, and another adds gulf-side rock breakers to address an eastern-end gap. At the reconnaissance level, the team reported that every restoration alternative produced more acreage over a 20-year model run than the no-action scenario and substantially increased beach, dune and back-barrier marsh habitat.

On costs, the presentation cited an upper-bound construction estimate of about $130 million for the most robust alternative (including bayside rock and Ship Shoal mining). The team said the heavier alternatives that include bayside rock increase cost by roughly $25–$34 million compared with sand-only approaches; they emphasized all numbers were preliminary recon-level estimates and would be refined in 30% and later design phases.

NOAA said data acquisition for the 30% design phase is nearly complete and that it expects to finish 60% design in 2025. After a 30% design review the team will screen to a single preferred alternative and proceed through 60–95% design while preparing a restoration plan and environmental assessment for public review and a future Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group construction funding request.

Board members asked technical questions during and after the presentation. Representative Zorang asked whether restoration might try to “capture” the historical east-to-west sand migration by extending the island; Williams said budget and sediment limitations make a full re-creation of the historic spit unlikely but that bay-side features in the proposed alternatives are being evaluated to maximize sand retention. Another board member asked whether narrowing gaps in the existing breakwater field could slow sand loss; NOAA’s team said breakwater spacing, offshore distance and toe-depth interactions are part of the design trade-offs and that additional breakwater features are being considered on the eastern end to improve retention.

NOAA requested continued cooperation from CPRA and other co-implementing agencies as the design advances and said a public review process will follow the 60–95% design work.","NOAA presented progress on the Raccoon Island engineering-design restoration project: reconnaissance modeling shows several restoration alternatives would retain island acreage through 20 years, the team prefers a nearshore sand source, and NOAA expects to finish 60% design in 2025.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6122910,"CPRA outlines construction surge: Grand Bayou marsh project starts, Morganza-to-the-Gulf lock moves into major construction phase",224,161000,385000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2692844-567f3cee5114c0eb2cb2350223bf087f&start=161&end=385","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2692844-567f3cee5114c0eb2cb2350223bf087f/thumbnail_161000.jpg","/articles/6122910/Louisiana/CPRA-outlines-construction-surge-Grand-Bayou-marsh-project-starts-Morganza-to-the-Gulf-lock-moves-into-major-construction-phase","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122910-dadb190057b9dfd5454f3f85e810b496/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444815&Signature=lvJi~343xmKb5Tmns89Al0UiblbRLP7nYHorsYp-g8YdzyuWhkD2ds9tvNmKdy~CkvSndq10vTsdPtQt-HVyxynC3oD7m8q3usdWtplvceMYJGL21WpfM-dOKrw420sYYREpfPXOtA8QDucTLyYwDN203DQp7RVj0GWCBwL~mk5S99uEKBOD6nzJSRaIb7iSpc~scr8mAx1swo7PplMCfP7X2ylcR-NUNHKTDj6nxPRc4C2f5czjRvLHYWsoB8Tv4TDIcn-EV8HHWOpM0qdGHZ4DW2PclmuUxpgzREK9XSx26j~spvkVk0hs81oM47LuGFodyyoofzHn5XxO3sP3ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) gave the board a broad implementation update on March 19, 2025, reporting a rise in construction activity statewide and new work underway in Plaquemines and Terrebonne parishes. Glenn Laday, CPRA executive director, said the agency currently manages “we've got 108 active projects, 39 in construction, 65 in engineering and design, and 4 in planning.”

The most advanced new construction is the Grand Bayou Ridge and Marsh Restoration Project in Plaquemines Parish, a combined forested ridge and marsh creation effort of more than 500 acres. CPRA said the project uses a mix of federal, state and other funds; the total budget is “close to $56,000,000.” Weeks Marine was awarded the contract and has begun building containment dikes that will be converted in part to a 10,000-foot-plus forested ridge and used to pump sediment for adjoining marsh creation. CPRA said the work will continue through the year and that the agency expects to complete the project by December 2025.

Laday and CPRA board members also gave a detailed update on major elements of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane protection and flood risk reduction system, focusing on the Houma Navigation Canal Lock Complex. CPRA described the complex as a multi-phase construction program; the board heard that the current phase is roughly $350 million and about 20% complete, with roughly 3½ years remaining on this phase. CPRA said key features include a 110-foot clear-width sector gate, vertical battered piles already installed, dredging, an operations area, control building and a 75-foot access bridge. CPRA staff and board members said Restore Act dollars and other federal and state funding are primary sources for the work.

Board members and CPRA staff highlighted that the lock complex will provide flood protection, salinity control and navigation benefits. “It stops salt water,” said a board member at the meeting, arguing that the structure will help restore freshwater distribution throughout the system and benefit fisheries and communities in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes.

The update also noted several near-term public outreach items and offices: CPRA reminded the public that the draft fiscal year 2026 annual plan is open for comment until March 22, 2025, and offered email comments to coastal@la.gov or via the online portal at ap26.coastal.la.gov. CPRA said it will present the draft final plan at the April board meeting for adoption and transmittal to the legislature. CPRA also announced upcoming events: a Port Wonder ribbon cutting in Lake Charles (a children’s education center funded with Deepwater Horizon recreational-use dollars, including a $7 million CPRA allocation) and an open house on the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain/Bonnet Carre and Maurepas mitigation projects scheduled for March 27 in Reserve.

CPRA said the agency is closely coordinating with local levee districts and the Army Corps of Engineers on the Morganza-to-the-Gulf reaches and on tie-ins; several board members praised ongoing federal–state coordination and the outreach materials CPRA has produced to explain construction progress.

The board took no formal vote on the specific construction contracts during this implementation update portion of the meeting; presenters invited questions and emphasized continued partnership with local districts and federal agencies.","The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority told its March 19, 2025 board meeting that a 500-acre marsh-and-ridge project in Plaquemines Parish has begun construction and that the Morganza-to-the-Gulf Houma Navigation Canal lock complex is about 20% complete as work proceeds on a $350 million-plus phase.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

CPRA board approves agenda and minutes, unanimously votes to enter executive session on two pending lawsuits

CPRA announces FY2025 parish matching awards for restoration, totals and project list revealed

NOAA describes Raccoon Island design options; short-listed sand sources and 30% design underway

CPRA outlines construction surge: Grand Bayou marsh project starts, Morganza-to-the-Gulf lock moves into major construction phase