A Southwest Louisiana coastal protection project is among six major projects in the state’s proposed $1.8 billion flood protection and restoration plan that was presented to the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

The draft plan covers the 2026 fiscal year, according to The Advocate, and it has to be approved by the Legislature. Lawmakers must give the plan an up-or-down vote, with no ability to make line-item changes.

Glenn Ledet, executive director of the coastal authority, said it works closely with levee districts and parishes and the program creates 12,249 direct jobs with $723 million in labor income.

Half of the funding comes from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and that funding runs out in 2031.

The Southwest Louisiana Coastal project is a large-scale plan to elevate homes and provide floodproofing in Calcasieu, Cameron and Vermilion parishes. The plan sets out $12 million for fiscal 2026, while the total cost is $3.4 billion, coming from state and federal sources.

The annual state plan includes a total of 133 projects stretching across coastal Louisiana. Seventy-three of those projects will be under construction, with the others in the planning or engineering and design phases.

Four hearings on the projects are planned. The one in Lake Charles takes place at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 28, at the Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial and  Economic Development (SEED) Center at 4310 Ryan St. The meeting will be in the second floor rooms D & E.

The full plan, an interactive map, further details and the opportunity to comment can be found at ap26.coastal.la.gov. The public comment period ends March 22.