General DNR News

State and Corps Announce New Permit Form

The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has just introduced a new Joint Permit Application form for most permitting work done within the Louisiana Coastal Zone. The form was created in conjunction with the New Orleans District U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to eliminate old forms that were deemed overly complicated.

DNR Secretary Jack Caldwell said the new form is a part of the agency's ongoing efforts to streamline the permitting process and to make application procedures more user-friendly. According to Caldwell, the Coastal Management Division worked extensively with form design experts and numerous stakeholders to eliminate unnecessary information requests. He said the form is available to the public online at www.dnr.state.la.us/crm/coastmgt/cup/cup.ssi.

Coastal management officials noted that during the development process, close consideration was given to creating a form that asked questions in a manner to better elicit essential information, and to organize the application document in a more logical way for the applicant. The goal was to ensure that applicants provided the regulatory and commenting agencies with the basic data needed to begin reviewing the proposed coastal use project from the first submittal. Department officials believe permitting time delays will be significantly reduced with the new form.

To introduce the new form and explain all changes and new procedures, the coastal staff will host a series of outreach meetings in various cities across the coastal zone. The meetings will allow for questions and answers with the public. Coastal Management Administrator David Frugé said, "We believe this new form simplifies the application process for coastal use permits and the Corps of Engineers." Frugé said the outreach meeting dates and locations are not yet final but will be announced in early January.

For questions on the new Joint Permit Application form contact, DNR project manager Rocky Hinds or Bill Pittman at 225-342-7591 or 800-267-4019.