Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle and South Lafourche Levee District Director Windell Curole addressed the annual conference of the Floodplain Management Association this week in Nevada. The pair also met with California’s Department of Water Resources officials in Sacramento, who helped coordinate the conference.

The national group held its yearly meeting and invited Angelle and Curole to share their insights and expertise in coastal protection and restoration. Over the course of two panel discussions on Wednesday, Sept. 5, Angelle discussed some of the challenges Louisiana has faced in coastal zone management after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Angelle told more than 300 attendees at the conference how the state had to reform the way it approached hurricane protection and coastal restoration with legislation and with a large percentage of citizen support.

Angelle outlined the formation of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, how the CPRA crafted a master plan for Louisiana’s coastline and the reform and consolidation of Southeast Louisiana levee boards. “I believe that strategic planning, the integrating of programs, and relying on sound science and engineering methods are the keys to achieving our goals,” Angelle said.

FMA member, Curole of Galliano, was asked this year to give the keynote lunch address. Curole has a long record of success at South Lafourche and is an integral member of the new CPRA. He spoke Wednesday on impacts of hurricanes, levee protection, community involvement, and the value of resources in coastal Louisiana.

Curole told the group that one of the lessons learned from the recent storms is that ‘evacuation worked’ - those people with the means and will to leave the flood-prone areas did so successfully. “I don’t believe any other major populated area elsewhere in the U.S. would have been able to do the same,” Curole said.

FMA conference committee member Ricardo Pineda of California said organizers were very interested in hearing how Louisiana will meet the challenges it faces with managing floodplain areas of the state’s coast and wetland restoration in an integrated manner. Pineda said Curole is a highly regarded floodplain manager with history-book knowledge of the Mississippi River System.