Posted on August 18, 2025
For over 30 years, I have dedicated myself to the protection and restoration of Louisiana’s coast. As a legislator for 12 years serving as chairman of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee, a Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority board member representing the House of Representatives as well as parish president of Terrebonne Parish for eight years, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges and triumphs of coastal management. It is crucial that we maintain a balanced and strategic approach to coastal restoration.
In 2024, I was appointed by Gov. Jeff Landry and confirmed by the Senate to serve as board chairman of CPRA.
I immediately began reviewing the costly $3 billion-plus Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project. Prior to Gov. Landry’s tenure, CPRA leaders assured the public that no tax dollars would be used for this project.
Funding for the project was capped at $2.8 billion in Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement funds from the Trustee Implementation Group through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Natural Resource Damage Assessment, or NRDA.
In both business and governance, making tough decisions is a daily reality. As chairman, I understand the importance of operating within our financial means. This principle is not just sound business sense; it is essential for effective governance.
The recent decision by the Landry administration to cancel the diversion project exemplifies this approach. Along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a decision was made to suspend the Corps permit and reach an agreement with the Trustee Implementation Group to terminate the Mid-Barataria Diversion project.
The project aimed to address coastal erosion in a limited area and its initial construction costs were envisioned at approximately $700 million. However, as the project evolved, costs rose to over $3 billion.
This figure would have escalated because of mitigation issues that would have been caused by construction. There would have been post-construction and other costs, in the form of adaptive management (known as “pay as you go”). Recent engineering estimates suggested an additional $1.7 billion could be needed for maintenance dredging of navigable waterways in the 20-mile project area after construction.
Mitigation and adaptive management costs are not fully funded by Deepwater Horizon settlement funds. These escalating costs threatened to derail CPRA’s ability to fund other vital projects across our coast and obligate future funding streams, and 50 years to build land for coastal protection is just too long. We need, and can build, cost-effective projects that produce benefits within our lifetimes.
For example, the state announced intent to pursue the congressionally authorized diversion approved for engineering and construction in the 2007 Water Resources Development Act, known as Medium Diversion at Myrtle Grove, with dedicated dredging. This project will result in more land being built faster at lower cost and with fewer impacts than the Mid-Barataria diversion.
It will leave Louisiana with more money available to fund other vital projects along the coast.
The decision to halt the diversion project was not made lightly. Considering the uncertainties and questionable environmental outcomes recognized by various agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TIG, as well as the latest scientific modeling report, it was necessary to abandon the current project.
This ensures that no single project jeopardizes CPRA’s mission to deliver a comprehensive, coast-wide protection and restoration program. By stopping the financial bleeding, we can advance numerous other projects that will protect our communities without compromising the financial health of our coastal program.
Leadership requires making difficult choices, and I commend Gov. Landry for prioritizing fiscal responsibility. This decision allows us to return to a common-sense approach, focusing on projects that offer tangible benefits without breaking the bank. It is a reminder that while environmental ambition is important, it must be balanced with practicality and foresight.
As we move forward, let us embrace this opportunity to protect and restore our coast with a renewed commitment to fiscal prudence. The future of our communities depends on it.
