BATON ROUGE -- The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana (CPRA) submitted the state's comprehensive master plan for coastal restoration and hurricane protection and the Fiscal Year 2008 Annual Plan to the Louisiana Legislature today for consideration during the current legislative session.

"This is a great day in Louisiana," said CPRA Chair Sidney Coffee. "It marks the first time our legislature has had before it a plan that brings together both hurricane protection and coastal restoration efforts in a comprehensive way. This master plan will serve as the overarching vision for how we ultimately restore our coastal environment and rebuild and protect our communities and some of our nation's most critical assets."

Copies of these final plans are being submitted to the House Committee on Natural Resources, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, the House Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works and the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works for approval, pursuant to La R.S. 49:213.6. The full legislature will consider the final plans after they have been approved by the committees.

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority approved the final draft of the plan at its meeting April 12.

Entitled, "Integrated Ecosystem Restoration and Hurricane Protection: Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast," the plan represents more than 18 months of extensive research, writing, planning and public discussion and is designed to be the guide for all coastal protection and wetland restoration projects in Louisiana over the next several decades. More than 30 meetings with civic groups, coastal scientists, concerned citizens and various stakeholders were conducted since the summer of 2006 to gather input and introduce the public to some of the concepts and potential projects in the plan.

A complete draft of the plan is available by clicking the following link: www.lacpra.org/masterplanfinal. A copy of the FY 2008 Annual plan is available atwww.lacpra.org/2008annualplan.

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority's mandate is to develop, implement and enforce a comprehensive coastal protection and restoration master plan. For the first time in Louisiana's history, this single state authority will integrate coastal restoration and hurricane protection by marshalling the expertise and resources of the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation and Development, and other state agencies, to speak with one clear voice for the future of Louisiana's coast. Working with federal, state and local political subdivisions, including levee districts, the CPRA will work to establish a safe and sustainable coast that will protect our communities, the nation's critical energy infrastructure, and our bountiful natural resources for generations to come. The CPRA of Louisiana was established by Act 8 of the 1st Extraordinary Session of 2005.