Brigadier General Jason Mafoes, the interim director of the governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOSEP), told the Senate Finance Committee on April 15 that proposed federal cuts to some programs have been reported but had not produced substantive reductions to FEMA hazard mitigation and preparedness grants that Louisiana depends on.

"Substantive cuts to FEMA's hazard mitigation and preparedness grants programs, which are our two largest sources of federal money from FEMA, have not been made to date, nor have they been announced," Mafoes said, adding that organizational changes at FEMA would be speculative until formally announced.

Mafoes said the administration is also in communication with NOAA and the National Weather Service after reported workforce reductions at NOAA, and that GOSEP had seen no immediate impact to weather prediction or river forecasts used by the state. He said GOSEP is staffing contingency options "in the event that we have some lapses" and will continue coordination with federal partners.

Nut graf: Mafoes, who was appointed in March to lead GOSEP while the state transitions GOSEP into a merged agency with the Louisiana Military Department, said the office will complete a roughly 90-day assessment and intends to pursue efficiencies by reducing duplicated administrative functions while preserving grant administration and disaster response capabilities.

River forecasts and spillway modeling
During committee questions, Mafoes reported the Mississippi River was cresting north in the coming days and that Corps of Engineers modeling continued to monitor levels at the Carrollton gauge in New Orleans, where a sustained level above 11 feet could prompt management of the Bonnet Carré Spillway. He said current modeling showed slower and less extreme crests than earlier forecasts.

On the GOSEP-Louisianna Military Department transition
Mafoes described the intent to merge GOSEP into the Louisiana Military Department and said the draft legislation was circulated to stakeholders for comment. He said the 90-day assessment will identify duplicative staff functions (for example, legal services and human resources) that could be consolidated and that grant administration capability will be retained. Any staffing changes, he said, would be approached through attrition and coordinated with the legislature.

Outreach and local readiness
Mafoes said he had met virtually with parish and regional emergency managers and provided contact information to local emergency operations center managers. He said he had prior domestic operations experience in many Louisiana communities and that GOSEP will continue to work with local emergency managers, parish representatives and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Ending: Mafoes pledged to keep the committee informed of any material federal changes and said GOSEP would act deliberately to preserve hazard mitigation, response and long-term recovery functions during the transition.