The Coastal Impact Assistance Program of 2005
The Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) of 2005 was authorized by Section 384 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The program will provide $135 million annually of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) mineral revenues to Louisiana for four years, beginning October 1, 2006 (Federal Fiscal Year 2007); funds will also be provided to other mineral-producing coastal states. The total (4-year) CIAP funding to Louisiana is estimated at $540 million, of which 35 percent ($189 million) is dedicated to coastal parishes.
CIAP funds can only be used for one or more of the following purposes: a) conservation, restoration and protection of coastal areas including wetlands; b) mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife and natural resources; c) planning assistance and the administrative costs of complying with this section; d) implementation of a federally approved marine, coastal, or comprehensive conservation management plan; and e) mitigation of the impacts of OCS activities through funding of onshore infrastructure projects and public service needs. Not more than 23 percent of the funds received by the State or parishes for any fiscal year can be used for the purposes described in items “c” and “d” above.
Louisiana’s final CIAP Plan was transmitted to the Secretary of the Interior and the
U.S. Minerals Management Service
(MMS) on June 1, 2007, following approval of the CIAP Plan by the CPRA. Louisiana’s plan was the first submitted of any of the six eligible states. The 2005 CIAP Plan consists of 115 Tier One (or high priority) projects including: 10 projects to be supported by the state’s share of the CIAP funds; 13 projects jointly funded by the state and parishes; and 92 projects involving parish-only CIAP funds.
The 2005 CIAP Plan was formally approved by the MMS on November 29, 2007. With this approval, the state and coastal parishes can apply for noncompetitive grants to fund their projects. The LDNR has started to implement many of the projects included in the CIAP Plan using money from the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Trust Fund.
Louisiana’s Vanishing Wetlands |
