Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA)

In November 1990, Congress passed Public Law 101-646, the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protect and Restoration Act (CWPPRA). The Act directed that a task force consisting of five federal agencies and the state of Louisiana develop a "comprehensive approach to restore and prevent the loss of coastal wetlands."

CWPPRA has been the State of Louisiana's primary tool for responding to coastal wetland losses. CWPPRA emphasizes intergovernmental cooperation. As of February 2008, there are 145 active CWPPRA projects, 74 have been constructed, 17 are under construction, and 20 have been de-authorized. The remaining projects are in various stages of planning and design

The CWPPRA program is managed by the CWPPRA Task Force. The Task Force is composed of the State of Louisiana and five federal agencies: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), NOAA-National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities represents the state of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) serves as the local cost share partner for projects.

NRCS is the federal sponsor for 55 CWPPRA projects benefiting 36,596 acres of Louisiana's valuable coastal wetlands. Construction has been completed on 31 of the NRCS sponsored CWPPRA projects. Restoration projects with NRCS as the federal sponsor include:

Natural Resources Facts:

Louisiana's coastal wetlands are a national treasure. The wetlands:

• Support and protect a multi-billion dollar oil and gas industry.

• Provide nursery grounds for fish and shelfish for much of the nation's seafood.

• Protect over 400million tons of waterborne commerce annually.

• Provide winter habitat for about one-half of the Mississippi Flyway waterfowl population.

• Serve as a buffer from hurricanes and storms.