Voluntary Action Leads New Louisiana Nutrient Management Strategy

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana (CPRA), the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF), the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) are working together to create a new Nutrient Management Strategy for the state of Louisiana. Their purpose is to manage nitrogen and phosphorous to protect and restore water quality in Louisiana’s inland and coastal waters – using incentives and voluntary action to get there. The task force released a review draft of the strategy in December 2013, calling on numerous state and federal agencies and stakeholders from the watershed to play a part in implementing the strategy.

The US BCSD’s Water Synergy Project is highlighted for proactively addressing nutrient management issues and is cited for providing input to the Louisiana Statewide Nutrient Management Strategy. The project's focus on stakeholder engagement, voluntary action, and cross-sector collaboration provided examples of nutrient management efforts already at work.

Implementation of the multi-component strategy includes creating river diversions, using best management practices and conservation practices at non-point sources, promoting wetland assimilation at point sources, providing incentives to practice stewardship, taking advantage of opportunities to leverage current efforts, and utilizing new science-based technologies and applications.

The state of Louisiana is currently accepting comment on the review draft of the strategy through January 31, 2014. To view the draft yourself, visit http://www.lanutrientmanagement.org/. For more information on the Louisiana Water Synergy Project, visit http://water-synergy.org/.