Program Authorization: R.S. 30:311; 36:351, 358; 39:1481(a); 49:213
Each year, thousands of acres of productive coastal wetlands are lost to erosion and human activities. The mission of the Coastal Restoration and Management Program is to seek to reduce these losses through conservation, development, and where feasible, restoration and enhancement. To accomplish this the program regulates activities which impact wetlands and funds (partly or fully) the construction of projects designed to conserve or restore coastal vegetated wetlands. These activities are conducted with full consideration of the many uses of coastal resources and of the economic values of the area. The goal of this program is to restore and protect the coastal wetlands of Louisiana so they will remain productive and available for the continued economic and recreational use of the citizens of Louisiana. There are two activities in this program: Coastal Restoration Projects and Coastal Permitting.
OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
1. The Coastal Restoration and Management Program will ensure that, during FY 97-98, the loss of wetlands resulting from activities regulated by the program will be offset by actions which provide equivalent wetland functional value (as stipulated by permit conditions).
2. The Coastal Restoration and Management Program will develop and construct projects to create, restore, enhance or conserve 194,830 acres of vegetated coastal wetlands during the fiscal year.
1 This includes all projects-local, state, or federal funding-excluding Christmas trees and vegetative planting projects
2 These projects, coordinated with local governments, use discarded Christmas trees to induce sedimentation.
RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR THE PROGRAM
This program is funded with Interagency Transfers, Fees and Self-generated Revenues, Statutory Dedications, and Federal Funds. Interagency Transfer funds are from the LA Oil Spill Coordinator's Office for planning and assistance in the development of an oil spill emergency plan. Fees and Self-generated Revenues are derived from permit application and consistency fees. Statutory Dedications are derived from the Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Fund (Act 6 of the Second Extraordinary Session of 1989) which provide for the development and implementation of a program to conserve, restore, and enhance Louisiana's coastal wetlands, as well as the operational costs of this program in accordance with the Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Plan. (Per R.S. 39:32B. (8), see table below for a listing of expenditures out of each statutory dedicated fund.) Federal Funds are grants made to this program from the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Marine Fisheries, and the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA), Title III of S.2244 (P.L. 101-646) for planning and implementation of coastal restoration projects and activities. In addition, Federal Funds are also received from the Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for Louisiana's approved coastal management program. In FY 96-97, $7.8 M of General Fund was provided in order for the Office of Coastal Restoration to have sufficient funds to match and capture the federal CWPPRA funds for coastal restoration projects. At the January, 1997 meeting of the Revenue Estimating Conference, the estimates for the Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Fund for FY 96-97 was revised upward. Therefore, the General Fund Support was not necessary.
The total means of financing for this program is recommended at 47.1% of the existing operating budget. It represents 47.9% of the total request ($65,719,207) for this program. The 52.9% decrease is primarily due to non-recurring carryforwards for multi-year coastal restoration projects. This program does not have any positions that have been vacant for 1 year or more.
ACQUISITIONS AND MAJOR REPAIRS