Coastal Protection and
Restoration Authority

SHELL BEACH, La. – Today, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) joined parish officials to celebrate progress on coastal restoration projects in St. Bernard Parish.

CPRA Chairman Chip Kline and Executive Director Bren Haase were joined by St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis, state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, state Rep. Ray Garofalo, and other parish officials for a tour of the Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project site and an overview of past, current, and future projects aimed at restoring the coast in St. Bernard Parish.

“The Lake Borgne project and others like it are vital to combating the land loss taking place in St. Bernard and all across coastal Louisiana,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “I want to thank CPRA for their continued efforts to design and implement projects to build a better future for coastal Louisiana and preserve our coastal communities.”

Since its inception, CPRA has invested over $6.5 billion across 26 projects in St. Bernard Parish. Over 4,700 acres have benefitted from 13 completed projects. Another 13 projects are underway and will benefit nearly 5,000 additional acres upon completion.

“St. Bernard Parish is a special place that is worth preserving, and we must do everything we can to protect the communities that call the Parish home,” said CPRA Chairman Kline. “Upon completion, the Lake Borgne Marsh Creation project will have a larger footprint than all other dredging projects completed in St. Bernard Parish to date. At over 2,700 acres, this project will be the largest marsh creation project by acreage ever built by CPRA statewide. We hit the ground running and have no plans to slow down our progress in the Parish and across the entire coast of Louisiana.”

The recently-released 2023 Draft Coastal Master Plan identifies multiple projects in St. Bernard Parish aimed at combating land loss and increasing storm surge protection. If adopted by the Louisiana Legislature, the updated Coastal Master Plan, which was developed utilizing the best available science and engineering as well as input from local stakeholders, will continue to allow CPRA to prioritize projects to address the challenges facing coastal Louisiana.

“Coastal restoration goes beyond building land and protecting us against storms. It’s about people and that is why it has always been a top priority for our administration,” said President McInnis. “The projects underway in our parish as well as those in the works will go a long way to protecting the communities in St. Bernard Parish. We are thankful for and proud of the relationship we have formed with CPRA and look forward to continuing our partnership to protect our parish and our people.”

Local officials including state Sen. Hewitt and state Rep. Garofalo commended the ongoing efforts to protect and restore the coast in St. Bernard Parish.

“Ensuring that our coastal marsh and wetlands remain strong in order to protect the residents of St. Bernard Parish is paramount,” Sen. Hewitt said. “I’m thankful for the investment the legislature is making in protecting, preserving, and restoring our coast. The projects being completed and planned by CPRA will add critical storm surge protection for our community for decades to come.”

“I applaud CPRA and its partners for the dedication they continue to show to protecting the coast in St. Bernard Parish,” Rep. Garofalo said. “The people of St. Bernard are no strangers to storm surge damage. The design and construction of projects across the coast and along our barrier islands will offer much-needed hurricane protection to St. Bernard Parish, allowing for our communities to flourish.”

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Additional photos and drone footage available upon request to coastal@la.gov.