“We want to see our state’s Coastal Master Plan remain the wonder that it is: the most
comprehensive coastal plan in the country, guided by the best-available science,” say concerned signers
NEW ORLEANS — A group of 40 natural and physical scientists, engineers and social scientists with extensive research and technical experience related to Louisiana’s coast have co-authored and signed a letter voicing support of Louisiana’s long-standing, science-driven Coastal Master Plan (CMP).
“While there is much to be concerned about along our coast, there is also a significant bright spot: our state’s Coastal Master Plan,” the letter states. “In the years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Louisiana adopted a planning process that is second to none. The Coastal Master Plan uses high-end computer models to find the projects across our state that build and maintain the most land, and the projects provide greatest reduction in flood risk. They do this in a way that incorporates the things that makes Louisiana’s coast so unique and complex – the sinking of our land, floods and droughts of the Mississippi River, the rise in ocean waters that is taking place across our planet, and the relationships of plants, animals, and of course people.”
As scientists, the signers say they welcome new ideas and embrace innovation, but their message is simple. They want to see the state’s Coastal Master Plan remain the wonder that it is: the most comprehensive coastal plan in the country, with meaningful input and broad support from coastal stakeholders, while ultimately guided by the best-available science. New ideas should follow Louisiana’s gold standard.
In the letter, the scientists acknowledge how no state in the country has a plan as sophisticated as Louisiana’s, and of the places that do have coastal plans, few places are taking as much action as Louisiana. Louisiana’s coastal program is so well respected and widely supported that it has allowed the state to bring in large quantities of funding for restoration and protection projects. Louisiana is now efficiently and strategically spending $1 billion every year to protect and restore the coast.
“Louisiana’s coastal science community understands the gravity of our land loss situation and the path forward for restoration,” said Dr. Alisha Renfro, senior manager of science and policy for the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf program. “We want to see Louisiana’s coastal program remain anchored in sound science – and remain the gold standard it has become for other areas across the country dealing with their own coastal issues.”
“Science should play an important part in our state’s coastal efforts because it helps distinguish between the projects that will be more and less effective,” said Dr. Alex Kolker, coastal scientist and signer of the letter. “Science can help us make good coastal decisions because it is rooted in data and a deep understanding of the natural processes that govern our coastal ecosystems.”
To read the full letter with a complete list of the 40 signers, visit this page.
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