Posted on July 27, 2026
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana applauds the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority for its stakeholder meeting in Baton Rouge, putting into action its plan to “build infrastructure, not paperwork.”
As participants heard loud and clear from St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell, one delayed permit due to a bloated bureaucratic process may have been the difference between residents flooding during a recent tropical storm or remaining dry. Our communities need a process that moves quickly and efficiently.
One of the biggest recent wins for Louisiana was utilizing restoration projects as the required mitigation for storm protection. The River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp project must serve as the model for all future project planning.
As the corps and others continue to reimagine restoration in Louisiana, it is important to keep in mind our fundamental problem: We need more of the material that comprises land here: sediment.
The rivers of our state are our most powerful tool for restoration, because they constantly deliver us more sediment. That idea extends into the realm of dredged material. Each year, the corps clears the way for our robust maritime industries by dredging federal waterways. Therein lies opportunity. What they are moving is the DNA of our coast, and we can put it to good use.
The corps now has a goal of using 80% of dredged material beneficially for purposes such as restoration. That is admirable, but we believe we can do better. CRCL urges the corps to press beyond that target, ensuring sediment is not just cleared from waterways but used to build and protect wetlands across our coast, supercharging the projects in our state’s Coastal Master Plan.
