Gov. John Bel Edwards today outlined his priorities for the state’s coastal program for his next four years in office and announcd that he has committed at least $115 million in state surplus dollars to the coastal fund, which will bring the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s planned expenditures for FY21 to over $1 billion.
Secretaries from the Departments of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Fisheries, Environmental Quality, Louisiana Economic Development, Transportation and Development, Louisiana Workforce Commission, and Public Safety and Corrections joined Edwards and CPRA Board Chairman Chip Kline at the LSU Center for River Studies to support the introduction of his coastal priorities. Edwards highlighted the need for collaboration across state agencies to accomplish Louisiana’s coastal goals, which include:
• Building resilience and establishing a Climate Initiatives Task Force;
• Pursuing a more integrated approach to the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers;
• Pursuing initiatives that will ensure a sustainable oyster industry;
• Growing, diversifying, and protecting the economy through investments in coastal protection and restoration and coordinated advocacy;
• Establishing the coastal innovation and collaboration hub to focus expertise and share knowledge.
“Each of these policy initiatives is designed to address a significant problem facing coastal Louisiana in new ways through strategic partnerships and enhanced information sharing,” said CPRA Chairman Chip Kline.
Edwards also announced two executive orders to support a broadened state approach to addressing the coastal crisis. The first establishes a chief resilience officer tasked with integrating Coastal Master Plan data into the decision-making of other state agencies to better identify vulnerabilities and improve the state’s ability to seize opportunities that present themselves when proactively and holistically addressing coastal change.
The second executive order, to be released in the near future, will establish the Climate Initiatives Task Force from Edwards’ list that will be charged with reviewing existing emissions data to quantify the amount of achievable emissions reduction by industry and through investments in the conservation and restoration of the coast.
Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association responded to Edwards priotiies list this afternoon in a news release pledging that the organization would work collaboratively with the governor’s administration.
As part of industry’s efforts to lead the way to climate solutions, LMOGA members have established a Carbon Committee to promote the advancement of carbon capture and underground storage (CCUS) technology, LMOGA stated. Read the full announcement.
