Public paper · October 14, 2026 · Government desk · Louisiana coast
Louisiana trustees approve $265 million Deepwater Horizon plan for East Orleans Landbridge and Raccoon Island
The Deepwater Horizon Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group approved a final restoration plan on Oct. 14, 2026, for two coastal habitat projects: Alternative 4 for the East Orleans Landbridge (about $109.4 million) and Alternative 3 for Raccoon Island (about $156.3 million). Together they are expected to restore up to about 1,700 acres of wetland, coastal and nearshore habitat.
The Deepwater Horizon Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group announced approval of a final restoration plan for two projects that will restore wetlands, coastal and nearshore habitats injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Notice Nearby summarized the trustees' Oct. 14, 2026, update in its own words.
The Final Phase 2 Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #8.1 covers the East Orleans Landbridge Restoration Project and the Raccoon Island Restoration Project. The trustees selected Alternative 4 for East Orleans Landbridge, with an estimated cost of $109.4 million, and Alternative 3 for Raccoon Island, with an estimated cost of $156.3 million — about $265 million combined.
East Orleans Landbridge
The East Orleans Landbridge project will create and restore marsh along the landbridge that separates Lake Pontchartrain from Lake Borgne and the Gulf. The trustees say restoring that coastal habitat helps compensate for injuries to wetlands, coastal and nearshore resources from the spill.
Raccoon Island
The Raccoon Island project will restore barrier-island habitat by placing sediment to create and enhance beach, dune and marsh. The trustees say the work will restore and protect coastal habitat that supports birds, fish and shellfish injured by the spill.
Public comment and next steps
A draft plan was released for public review on May 18, 2026, with comments open through June 17, 2026. The trustees held a public webinar on June 8, 2026, and received 15 public comment submissions. They say they considered the comments, updated project costs and design numbers, updated federal compliance status and revised the Raccoon Island Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan.
With the final plan approved, the Louisiana trustees can move ahead with the selected projects. Together the two projects are described as restoring up to about 1,700 acres of wetland, coastal and nearshore habitat.
Read next
Orleans Parish brief on the East Orleans Landbridge (https://noticenearby.com/briefs/la-orleans-east-orleans-landbridge-restoration-plan-approved-oct-2026), Terrebonne Parish brief on Raccoon Island (https://noticenearby.com/briefs/la-terrebonne-raccoon-island-restoration-plan-approved-oct-2026), the Louisiana hub (https://noticenearby.com/la) and all public papers (https://noticenearby.com/papers). Local businesses, parks and places nearby are on ZOST.app (https://zost.app).
Notes and sources
- Author: Ryan Standley / Record of Sale, LLC / Notice Nearby.
- Source: NOAA Gulf Spill Restoration / Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group news update, Louisiana Trustees Approve Final Restoration Plan for East Orleans Landbridge and Raccoon Island, posted Oct. 14, 2026 (https://gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/2026/09/louisiana-trustees-approve-final-restoration-plan-east-orleans-landbridge-and-raccoon).
- Hero image: NOAA Gulf Spill Restoration agency photo of Raccoon Island (oblique aerial).
- Discussed on @NoticeNearYou: (pending).
- Notice Nearby is a Public Register listing, not a newspaper, and this page is not Legal Publication. If the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group and NOAA and this note disagree, the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group and NOAA wins.
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Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).