Permits/Mitigation Support Division
The Permits/Mitigation Support Division of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources is charged
with implementing the Louisiana Coastal Resources Program (LCRP) under authority of the State
and Local Coastal Resources Management Act, as amended (Act 361, La. R.S. 49:214.21 et seq).
This law seeks to protect, develop, and, where feasible, restore or enhance the resources of
the state’s coastal zone. Its broad intent is to encourage multiple uses of resources and
adequate economic growth while minimizing adverse effects of one resource use upon another without
imposing undue restrictions on any user. Besides striving to balance conservation and resources,
the guidelines and policies of the LCRP also help to resolve user conflicts, encourage coastal
zone recreational values, and determine the future course of coastal development and conservation.
The guidelines are designed so that development in the Coastal Zone can be accomplished with
the greatest benefit and the least amount of damage. The LCRP is an effort among Louisiana citizens,
as well as state, federal and local advisory and regulatory agencies.
The Permits/Mitigation Support Division regulates development activities and manages the resources of the Coastal Zone. A Coastal
Use Permit (CUP) Program has been established by the Act as part of the LCRP to help ensure the
management and reasonable use of the state’s coastal wetlands. The Coastal Use Permit is
the basic regulatory tool of Permits/Mitigation Support Division and is required for certain projects in the Coastal Zone, including
but not limited to dredge and fill work, bulkhead construction, shoreline maintenance, and other
development projects. The purpose of the Coastal Use Permit process is to make certain that any
activity affecting the Coastal Zone is performed in accordance with guidelines established in
the LCRP. A prime concern of the CUP Program is to regulate activities that may increase the
loss of wetlands and aquatic resources, as well as to reduce conflicts between coastal resource
users. Submitting an application for a CUP does not imply that a CUP will be required; application
is simply one step in following the Rules and Procedures for CUP’s so that the Coastal
Zone will be protected.
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