A.  The secretary shall develop the overall state coastal management program consisting of all applicable constitutional provisions, laws and regulations of this state which affect the coastal zone in accordance with the provisions of this Subpart and shall include within the program such other applicable constitutional or statutory provisions or other regulatory or management programs or activities as may be necessary to achieve the purposes of this Subpart or necessary to implement the guidelines hereinafter set forth.

B.(1)  The secretary shall develop a management program and guidelines in conjunction with the secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries or his designee.  Notice of the issuance of the proposed guidelines shall be given to relevant federal, state, and local governmental bodies and the general public, and public hearings shall be held.  After consideration of comments received, the secretary shall adopt the guidelines in final form.

(2)  The adopted guidelines shall be followed in the development of the state program and local programs and shall serve as criteria for the granting, conditioning, denying, revoking, or modifying of coastal use permits.  The secretary, jointly with the secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries or his designee, shall review the guidelines periodically at the request of either secretary to consider modifications to the guidelines as a result of experience in issuing coastal use permits and results of research and planning activities.

C.  The state guidelines shall have the following goals:

(1)  To encourage full use of coastal resources while recognizing it is in the public interest of the people of Louisiana to establish a proper balance between development and conservation.

(2)  Recognize that some areas of the coastal zone are more suited for development than other areas and hence use guidelines which may differ for the same uses in different areas.

(3)  Require careful consideration of the impacts of uses on water flow, circulation, quantity, and quality and require that the discharge or release of any pollutant or toxic material into the water or air of the coastal zone be within all applicable limits established by law, or by federal, state, or local regulatory authority.

(4)  Recognize the value of special features of the coastal zone such as barrier islands, fishery nursery grounds, recreation areas, ports and other areas where developments and facilities are dependent upon the utilization of or access to coastal waters, and areas particularly suited for industrial, commercial, or residential development and manage those areas so as to enhance their value to the people of Louisiana.

(5)  Minimize, whenever feasible and practical, detrimental impacts on natural areas and wildlife habitat and fisheries by such means as encouraging minimum change of natural systems and by multiple use of existing canals, directional drilling, and other practical techniques.

(6)  Provide for adequate corridors within the coastal zone for transportation, industrialization, or urbanization and encouraging the location of such corridors in already developed or disturbed areas when feasible or practicable.

(7)  Reduce governmental red tape and costly delays and ensure more predictable decisions on permit applications.

(8)  Encourage such multiple uses of the coastal zone as are consistent with the purposes of this Subpart.

(9)  Minimize detrimental effects of foreseeable cumulative impacts on coastal resources from proposed or authorized uses.

(10)  Provide ways to enhance opportunities for the use and enjoyment of the recreational values of the coastal zone.

(11)  Require the consideration of available scientific understanding of natural systems, available engineering technology and economics in the development of management programs.

(12)  Establish procedures and criteria to ensure that appropriate consideration is given to uses of regional, state, or national importance, energy facility siting and the national interests in coastal resources.

D.(1)  In the development and implementation of the overall coastal management program, the secretary shall conduct a public education program to inform the people of the state of the provisions of this Subpart and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant hereto, and participation and comments by federal, state, and local governmental bodies, including port authorities, levee boards, regional organizations, planning bodies, municipalities and public corporations, and the general public shall be invited and encouraged.

(2)  All governmental bodies may participate to ensure that their interests are fully considered.

E.(1)  The secretary shall issue a request for proposals to all major manufacturers of alternative access vehicles and all major oil producers, and shall accept from any interested party proposals to physically demonstrate methods which are technically and economically feasible as well as environmentally sound to gain alternative access to the wetlands for the purpose of oil and gas operations in lieu of the need for dredging.

(2)  The secretary shall complete the demonstration project at no cost to the state and report his findings on the technical and economic feasibility of alternative access to the committees on natural resources of the Senate and House of Representatives by March 1, 1988.

Acts 1978, No. 361, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1979.  Acts 1983, No. 705, §4, eff. Sept. 1, 1983; Acts 1984, No. 408, §1, eff. July 6, 1984; Acts 1987, No. 497, §1, eff. July 9, 1987; Acts 1991, No. 640, §1; Acts 2004, No. 459, §1, eff. June 24, 2004.