Over the past two weeks, residents from six Louisiana parishes came together to learn more about the LA SAFE process, share their ideas and think about the next steps at our latest round of parishwide meetings.

So, we want to say: Thank you! You’re the reason this project is moving forward, building momentum and coming into sharper focus.

Thank you for your wisdom and your ideas—we’ll gather what you’ve said and prepare to meet in your communities again this fall to review projects, programs and policy recommendations as we draft parishwide adaptation plans.

We appreciate your voice. We’ve heard what you said. The LA SAFE team is taking in every idea and we’re getting closer to our shared goal of creating stronger, safer, more resilient communities.

Over the past several months, nearly 1,500 residents of coastal parishes joined in discussions to share their visions of how they would like to build stronger, safer communities. As we push past the midway point of this process, we’ve had meetings at both the community and parishwide levels—35 overall. We’ve shared information about coastal land loss and increased flood risks faced throughout Louisiana and started examining ways to address those challenges. After residents shared ideas at the local level, during this recent round we looked at them from a parishwide perspective, to see how they might lead to projects funded through LA SAFE.

Here is where we are: Our LA SAFE team will work on the information and ideas generated from this past round of parishwide meetings and will invite you to meet with us for a round of smaller, community meetings this fall. Here, you and your neighbors will provide feedback to proposed strategies, projects and programs that have been developed through this co-design process. Final adaptation plans will lead to an actual project–not some imaginary concept–that will be funded through LA SAFE to help build stronger communities.

We will stay in touch. Visit our website at LASAFE.la.gov. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (all at @LiveLaSafe). Stay tuned for the details on dates and locations for the next round of LA SAFE meetings and check the timeline below to track our progress.

Again, thank you for your interest. Your voice matters. Please stay involved because your participation and ideas are fueling the momentum of LA SAFE.

Kindest Regards,

Mathew Sanders, Office of Community Development — Disaster Recovery Unit
Liz Williams, Foundation for Louisiana
LA SAFE Team Leads