Project: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District

OVERVIEW

Luster provides Program Management support for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District's Coastal Restoration Branch. The focus of the Programmatic Approach is to maintain consistent project schedules, to maintain useful project scope/schedule/budget information, to extract project data and to assist the Corps project managers in their everyday activities. The projects associated with the Coastal Restoration Branch are focused on wetlands restoration to halt the disappearance of Louisiana's coastline.

In an effort to save the Louisiana coastline, Senator John Breaux (D-LA) initiated the Breaux Act in 1990. This legislation birthed the Coastal Wetlands, Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) program that selects specific projects designed to restore and preserve wetlands and mitigate coastline loss. Luster assists the Corps in overall management of individual CWPPRA projects while creating new ways to view individual project data, resources, budget and project schedule data in an overall program role-up. These projects must proceed through the normal design, construction and maintenance phases like their larger study counterparts. However, the Breaux Act initiative is intended to abbreviate the process, allowing the design and construction of an approved project to occur in a fast-track mode.

In alignment with and expansion of Breaux Act programs, the America's WETLAND: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana is a coast wide campaign to bring to the forefront the serious problem America is facing with the coastal degradation of wetlands and swamps. The program informs the public of plans created by federal, state and local governments, civic organization, and concerned citizens, to stop this loss and restore the natural resources vital to the American way of life. Louisiana's coastline contributes significant natural resources that are vitally importance to the well-being and economic growth of the nation and the state, including wintering waterfowl habitat, commercial fisheries, and natural gas and oil production.

As a part of America's WETLAND, the Corps, the State of Louisiana, its parishes, and others are committed to developing a comprehensive plan that provides sound, science-based strategies to restore wetlands, communities, industries and resources along the Louisiana coastline. Luster works directly with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Environmental Program, the U.S. Geological Service, and academia. Luster’s role is to provide project and program schedules, define project scope, and provide management assistance to ensure that the plan and its strategies are completed, approved and constructed.