Legislature OKs coastal master plan

A $50 billion, 50-year proposal aimed at stopping coastal land loss in Louisiana has passed the state Legislature. The Senate voted 94-0 Tuesday in favor of the 2012 coastal master plan. By law, the state has to update it every five years. Funding for the plan remains uncertain, but the plan envisions getting $50 billion from a variety of sources, including offshore oil and natural gas drilling royalties, federal environmental programs, and a portion of what BP may be forced to pay in fines and ecosystem restoration for the 2010 oil spill. The plan envisions creating up to 800 square miles of land over the next five decades and foresees an end to land loss in about 30 years if enacted. Local and national conservation groups cheered the Legislature’s unanimous approval of the plan. “The $50 billion necessary to achieve the state’s vision of restoration is far from guaranteed, but it is vital for securing our future. Now more than ever, Louisiana is truly unified in addressing the coastal issues moving forward,” reads a joint statement from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Environmental Defense Fund, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation.