Posted on June 12, 2026
BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) has been awarded $90.8 million for the Chandeleur Islands Restoration project through the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council’s (RESTORE) 2026 Funded Priorities List, approved on Wednesday, June 10.
The award provides critical support for advancing the project towards construction.
“Southeast Louisiana plays a vital role in our state’s economy and culture,” said Gov. Jeff Landry. “The Chandeleur Islands are one of Louisiana’s greatest treasures that, for far too long, have suffered from land loss and erosion. This funding reflects the RESTORE Council’s continued commitment to Louisiana’s coastal restoration efforts and allows us to move closer to construction of one of the state’s most critical restoration projects to date.”
Located in St. Bernard Parish, the Chandeleur Islands serve as a critical barrier island chain along Louisiana’s eastern coast and are part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, the second-oldest National Wildlife Refuge in the country. It is estimated that the wildlife refuge spanned 11,000 acres in the late 1800s; however, the islands have lost nearly 90 percent of their landmass over the past 200 years due to hurricanes such as Georges and Katrina and manmade disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
“Our barrier islands are vitally important to strengthening both our wildlife habitats and our coastal defenses,” said CPRA Board Chairman Gordon ‘Gordy’ Dove. “We want to thank the RESTORE Council for their dedication to restoring this barrier island chain that will benefit Louisiana for generations.”
In addition to coastal protection, the islands are home to world-renowned recreational fishing and bird watching and serve as an important storm surge barrier for some of southeast Louisiana’s most populated communities. The island chain and surrounding seagrass beds provide important habitat for reef and game fish, sharks, colonial nesting waterbirds and foraging birds, and sea turtles including Loggerhead, Green and the endangered Kemp’s ridley.
“The Chandeleur Islands Restoration project reflects the science-based approach that guides Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan,” said CPRA Executive Director Michael Hare. “CPRA’s mission to protect and restore Louisiana’s coast is advanced through projects like this one that reduce coastal vulnerability and support the recovery of natural resources impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, creating benefits for both ecosystems and communities.”
St. Bernard Parish officials highlight Chandeleur Islands Restoration as a vital part of the St. Bernard 2022 Coastal Strategy document, outlining how the area is an important first line of defense for the parish and its communities.
“The Chandeleur Islands are the most ecologically significant archipelago in coastal Louisiana and home to some of the most unique habitats in North America,” said John Lane, executive director of coastal operations for St. Bernard Parish Government. “The proposed project is the most comprehensive and ambitious suite of restoration interventions that has been proposed for the islands. This approach is consistent with what coastal restoration advocates in St. Bernard Parish have championed for decades.”
The award includes $84.9 million from Category 2 of the RESTORE Council’s Funded Priorities List 4, along with nearly $5.9 million in previously approved project savings redirected to support the effort.
“The restoration and protection of barrier island habitats is a key component of Gulf restoration success, said RESTORE Council Executive Director Walker. “The Council is thrilled that CPRA has been recognized for the exceptional work on this project, which has both created critical habitat and strengthened the resilience of Louisiana’s coastline.”
The United States Fish and Wildlife Services, which manages the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, celebrated the news and its importance to the Chandeleur Islands Restoration project.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is pleased with the RESTORE Council’s approval of the Chandeleur Island Restoration Project,” said Mary Josie Blanchard, Department of Interior, Director of Gulf Restoration. “As one of the nation’s oldest national wildlife refuges — and a place once visited by President Theodore Roosevelt — the Chandeleur Islands hold extraordinary ecological, cultural and historic significance. This investment, made possible through significant partner contributions, will help strengthen Louisiana’s coast, enhance the resilience of the communities and economies that depend on it, and ensure this iconic refuge continues to provide vital habitat for generations to come.”
The project is estimated to cost $383 million. The RESTORE award builds on recent momentum for the project. Earlier this year, the Trustee Implementation Groups (TIGs) approved a final restoration plan that provides $247 million in Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) settlement funding. The approved plan includes $10 million for the Fisheries Engagement and $237 million for the Chandeleur Islands Habitat Restoration project. More information about these components is available here.
For more information about the Chandeleur Islands Restoration project, visit CPRA’s website.
The RESTORE Act allocates 80% of all Clean Water Act penalties paid by those responsible for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill disaster to Gulf Coast restoration activities. The RESTORE Act contains five different funding components, one of which directs 35% of the funds deposited into the RESTORE Trust Fund to each of the five Gulf Coast States in equal shares for ecological and economic restoration of the Gulf Coast region (the “Direct Component”). For a Gulf Coast State to receive funding under the Direct Component of the RESTORE Act, the State must first submit a plan to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for the expenditure of Trust Fund monies under those funding components.
In September 2015, Louisiana was the first state to have a plan accepted by both the Treasury and the RESTORE Council for the expenditure of all of its Direct Component and Spill Impact Component funds from the Transocean, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, and BP Exploration & Production Inc. settlements over a 15-year period.
