In his lengthy public policy career, Ethan Melancon has worked on some of the most important issues in Louisiana, from education to economic development. But none carries the existential weight of his new role as advocacy director for the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL).
“As the land erodes, so does our culture,” Melancon observed. “Saving our coast is saving our culture.”
A Thibodaux native now residing in Baton Rouge, Melancon’s family has lived on the south Louisiana bayous for generations.
“I have a passion for our coastal areas,” he said, “and this was the perfect time to combine that with the skills I have from years of working with the Legislature.”
This experience includes everything from being a legislative aide to Rep. Charles Boustany to working with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the Louisiana Department of Education. He stepped into his current role this past March, where he is responsible for the coalition’s legislative strategies and advocacy at the federal, state and local level.
Melancon described his biggest challenges as “getting everyone to understand the issues we face, and at the same time, understanding the movement patterns of both our opposition and our stakeholders and trying to find the common interests. Coastal restoration is a controversial space, and it requires a lot of strategy.”
Central to this is ensuring that the coastal master plan is funded and implemented, with a focus on restoring land-replenishing processes.
One new initiative for CRCL is its Coastal Leadership Institute, which will provide training in four areas: the ecology and science of the coast, coastal culture, the coastal economy, and the politics surrounding it all. The program will combine classroom and experiential learning, with the purpose of building a cohort of future advocates and even state leaders.
Melancon is also responsible for coalition outreach, and he regards people as the biggest resource in his work.
“I’m excited to tap into these populations along the coast,” he said. “The human story tells a bigger story than the science.”
