Louisiana has 15,000 miles of winding shoreline that extends from the Pearl River westward to the Sabine River. The delicate coastal zone habitats, located in nineteen southern parishes, are an intricate inter-weaving of ecological systems. Renewable and non-renewable coastal resources abound in these areas. Because the Coastal Zone is ecologically and economically among the world’s richest estuarine regions, it is of vital public interest to manage this area with sound public policies.

The Office of Coastal Management is responsible for the maintenance and protection of the state’s coastal wetlands. The main function of the Office of Coastal Management is the regulation of uses in the Louisiana coastal zone, especially those which have a direct and significant impact on coastal waters. It is the goal of the Office of Coastal Management to protect, develop, and restore or enhance the resources of the state’s coastal zone.