The coastal wetlands of Louisiana are among the Nation’s most productive and important natural assets in terms of habitat, wildlife diversity, storm protection, port commerce, and oil and natural gas production. Unfortunately, Louisiana coastal wetlands account for 90 percent of the total coastal marsh loss occurring in the Nation. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 accelerated the loss of Louisiana wetlands with deleterious effects on the ecosystem. The Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Ecosystem Restoration Plan was established to reverse the degradation trend of the Louisiana coastal ecosystem. The LCA Plan emphasizes the use of restoration strategies towards achieving and sustaining a coastal ecosystem that can support and protect the environment, economy, and culture of southern Louisiana. The LCA study area, which includes the Louisiana coastal area from Mississippi to Texas, is comprised of two wetland-dominated ecosystems, the Deltaic Plain of the Mississippi River and the closely linked Chenier Plain, both of which are influenced by the Mississippi River.

The LCA Plan identified the most critical ecological needs and a near-term program of cost-effective projects to address them. A Science and Technology (S&T) Program has been executed as a partnership between the State of Louisiana, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Geological Survey, and other Federal agencies for the purpose of improving LCA program performance through application of the best available science, technology and engineering. The S&T Program supports the LCA Ecosystem Restoration Plan by: