After Hurricane Katrina, the state began reassessing its storm preparedness, and a bipartisan effort to better prepare the state for hurricanes emerged.Former Gov. Kathleen Blanco was ridiculed for the way she handled the preparation for and aftermath of the most devastating storm in U.S. history.Overlooked in the assessment of Blanco’s handling of the crisis were the policies she implemented in the years after the 2005 storm that current Gov. Bobby Jindal used in preparation for another major storm in 2008.On Nov. 6, 2005, the state Legislature gathered for an extraordinary session. Gov. Blanco eventually signed Act 8, a bill sponsored by state Sen. Reggie P. Dupre, Jr., and former state Rep. John A. Alario, Jr. This legislation amended portions of Title 49 of Louisiana’s Revised Statutes, creating an agency called the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority housed in the Office of the Governor.The CPRA was ordered to devise a “master plan” for protecting and restoring the coastal areas of Louisiana.In April 2007, Louisiana’s Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast was completed and submitted to the Legislature for review by the Blanco administration.Traditionally, The Department of Transportation and Development addressed the goals of flood and hurricane protection while the objectives of coastal restoration were part of the Department of Natural Resources.The CPRA was intended to be an Integrated Planning Team combining the resources of the two agencies to develop a “plan for coastal preservation and hurricane protection in a comprehensive manner,” said Chris Macaluso, spokesman for the CPRA.”We have learned that levees and wetland restoration projects can no longer be constructed in separate spheres. Instead, flood control and wetland restoration projects must be designed, built, and operated in coordination,” according to the Master Plan.Instead of viewing the need to protect against floods and hurricanes as separate from the need to restore and protect coastal ecosystems, the Master Plan understands the necessity of seeing the two as interconnected. By doing so, the plan can address its objectives to “reduce risk to economic assets, restore sustainability to the coastal ecosystem, maintain a diverse array of habitats for fish and wildlife, and sustain Louisiana’s unique heritage and culture.”Macaluso said the governor’s administration has made “a strong commitment” to the CPRA’s plan.Jindal issued an executive order commanding all state agencies to comply with the Master Plan and appropriated $300 million of surplus money to the CPRA last year, according to Macaluso. Another $300 million was announced through a Feb. 13 press release.But with the state facing a $1 billion shortfall next year, this may be the last surplus money the CPRA sees.To protect the new agency’s valuables, the CPRA is seeking to become an independent office during the upcoming legislative session.The Gulf Coast and the industries it supports are vital to Louisiana.The waters off the Louisiana coast are home to 30 percent of the nation’s oil and gas supply. The coast also helps support the world’s largest port system, Macaluso said.Coastal restoration and protection are essential aspects of hurricane and flood protection and the economic lifeblood of the state.The Master Plan is a step in the right direction, but without implementation it’s not of any use.The Blanco administration commissioned the study, and it’s up to the Jindal administration to make sure it gets acted on.——Contact Drew Walker at [email protected]