CPEX’s research intend to inform CPRA’s Flood Risk & Resilience Program. This research was the basis for the present document, “The View from the Coast: Local Perspectives and Policy Recommendations on ‘Nonstructural’ Flood-Risk Reduction in South Louisiana.” “The View from the Coast” examines local perspectives from across coastal Louisiana, related to nonstructural risk reduction. It considers local attitudes, ongoing nonstructural initiatives, efforts, and existing needs and challenges. The document provides quantitative and qualitative research results, and it provides recommendations to CPRA and other state and federal agencies related to policy, programs, and legislation. The research presented in “The View from the Coast” reveals that local governments and populations are in many instances working hard to implement nonstructural strategies, but also that they often feel frustrated by challenges and barriers – among them state and federal programs that seem poorly aligned to help. Separately, this paper’s authors – supported by a team of experts from state and national non-profit
organizations, many of whom also participated in the development of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan – offer recommendations related to existing or new policy, programs, legislation, and coordination at the local, state, and federal levels. In offering these recommendations, the authors were informed by locals’ experience and opinions, but the recommendations are intended to make system-wide improvements towards implementation of nonstructural measures; they are not intended to convey changes specifically sought by local stakeholders. It should be noted that many of this report’s recommendations deliberately echo and reinforce those developed in the Nonstructural Implementation Strategy (Appendix F2) of the CPRA Coastal Master Plan. In fact, much of the content of these recommendations can be seen as pressing for concrete implementation of concepts that were initially advanced in the CPRA’s 2012 plan. Certainly, the most significant new recommendation is that the State dedicate funding to implementing nonstructural programs. The necessary initiatives have been proposed. The question is when.
Summary Research Findings • Elected officials do not necessarily distinguish between structural and nonstructural risk reduction measures • Elevation is the most frequently used and desired of all nonstructural strategies, but it has significant challenges related to cost and grant-program design
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the view from the coast
• Implementation of elevation is inconsistent across the coast and within communities • Cost and coverage uncertainties related to the National Flood Insurance Program and the Biggert-Waters Reform Act of 2012 are major concerns for local governments • NFIP reform and rules are pushing local officials away from nonstructural strategies that they would otherwise consider