Today the Bureau of Governmental Research sent a letter to Governor Jeff Landry urging him to keep Louisiana’s separate coastal protection agency.
BGR’s letter responds to the governor’s request for public comment on a proposal to consolidate more than a dozen state entities into the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources. These may include the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and its board. Public comment is open through February 21.
Any new governor should seek efficiency in the organization of state government. But BGR offers several reasons to keep the CPRA and its board separate from the Department:
- Their work is distinct from the Department’s mission. The CPRA and its board bring together multiple agencies and perspectives essential to coastal policy making.
- The CPRA and its board provide public transparency and accountability. The public knows they are the state’s voice on coastal protection and restoration. BGR supported the creation of the CPRA in 2006.
- The CPRA and its board can help make the case for future federal funding for the coast. A key funding source runs out in about eight years. The governor must keep that financial horizon in view. The CPRA and its board can help by maintaining the pace of coastal restoration projects.
Click here to read BGR’s letter or access it here on our website.