Meeting Summary

The SCP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee held its inaugural meeting as a newly reestablished body. The committee, composed of representatives from planning, education, academia, business, and public service, received briefings on its statutory role under Louisiana law and local ordinance, its responsibilities in reviewing coastal permits and advising on coastal management, and recent departmental achievements including the completion of a draft SHIELD restoration plan and the cataloging of 68 previous permits into an online database. The committee nominated candidates for chairperson and vice-chairperson, with voting scheduled for the next meeting on November 21st.

Watch Items

The committee will vote on officer nominations (chairperson and vice-chairperson) at its next meeting on November 21st.

A proposed 2026 meeting calendar, establishing the second Tuesday of each month as the standing meeting date with the third Thursday as an alternative, will be reviewed by committee members and voted on at the next meeting.

The final draft of the SHIELD plan is under committee review. The committee will adopt this coastal protection and restoration plan before the end of the year, with final consideration scheduled for either the November 21st or December meeting.

The Office of Permitting and Compliance will demonstrate the Sunrise permitting system at the next meeting to familiarize committee members with the tool used to evaluate joint permit applications.

The Department of Conservation and Energy (formerly the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources) requires annual reports from the committee detailing coastal program activities, permit actions, enforcement efforts, and compliance issues.

Within the next year, the department will conduct a technical review and recertification of the Local Coastal Program document, with assistance from the Department of Conservation and Energy.