Sustainable Design Solutions’ President Kodi Guillory, P.E., and Chip Kline, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) chairman, join Stephanie Riegel to discuss Louisiana’s federal infrastructure funding and the progress of CPRA projects on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, for Its Baton Rouge: Out to Lunch.
Stephanie Riegel, the host of Out to Lunch and the Editor of the Baton Rouge Business Report, wants to know whether it is too late to save Louisiana’s eroding coastline.
Kline explains it’s essential to understand that Louisiana will never have the coastline it did in the 1930s and possibly even the 1970s and that the land loss rate will outpace our ability to rebuild enough land to “save our coast.”
However, CPRA says if the state’s fifty-year Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast is fully implemented, we can create over 800 square miles of land and preserve our working coast that protects the overwhelming majority of people that live in south Louisiana.
South Louisiana is a working coast, meaning there are many critical economic aspects, including the creation of job opportunities; however, Guillory and Kline stressed it’s not only Louisiana that the declining coastline affects – it’s the entire country.
The state is known for its rich history in fishing, hunting, and beautiful bayous, long holding the nickname of the ‘sportsman’s paradise.’ Still, many people don’t realize that it’s not just the top-ranked commercial and recreational fisheries’ that south Louisiana provides.
Louisiana possesses one of the largest port complexes in the United States, sourcing a substantial quantity of the nation’s oil and gas. These Gulf of Mexico assets are primarily serviced out of Port Fourchon and transported to the state’s refineries.
The Louisiana coastline also acts as a natural storm buffer reducing storm surge during hurricanes and other heavy rain and wind events.
Next year, the CPRA will oversee an estimated 1.35 billion in coastal restoration and protection projects, which include sediment diversions, marsh creation, construction of flood protection structures, and water management. These projects are estimated to create 7,600 direct jobs in south Louisiana.
Close to 7 billion dollars of funding comes from the 15-year BP Oil settlement, which will end in 2032. The other funding primarily comes from federal and state oil and gas production.
In addition to funding, the collaboration between the public and private sectors is key to ensuring the implementation of many infrastructure projects. With the need for sustainable solutions gaining more attention, there is a rise in career opportunities.
Because of recent funding opportunities such as The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more careers are being created for civil works projects, explains Guillory.
Guillory commented she is excited to see the growth of women in STEM and the new careers and job opportunities becoming available due to an influx in funding for infrastructure projects.
Listen to the show to learn more about the status of Louisiana’s efforts to protect and rebuild its coastline – Slip Sliding Away.