A Houma-Thibodaux area congressman has introduced a measure that he says would make it easier and cheaper for local agencies to build levees and other flood-protection projects.

U.S. Rep. Garret Graves' proposal would let agencies complete work identified by the state's coastal master plan as a way of offsetting local flood-protection projects' impact to wetlands.

Graves, R-Baton Rouge, introduced the amendment to the Water Resources Development Act last week.

Federal law requires levee districts to replace damaged wetlands by restoring or improving land elsewhere known as mitigation banks.

But levee officials and congressmen say the areas the federal government has set aside for mitigation are illogical and make such repairs costly.

"In many cases, ... they're limited to one mitigation bank that has a government monopoly," Graves said. "The costs are really high, and, in many cases, the restoration projects, the mitigation banks, are not strategic and not part of the Master Plan."

A project the Army Corps of Engineers proposed in 2014 is one example. To offset wetlands damaged by work to protect New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, the corps proposed converting hundreds of acres of private land, including sugar-cane fields, in Raceland to wetlands.

The proposal sparked opposition from residents and state, local and congressional officials, and the corps dropped the plan and is looking at land elsewhere for the wetlands work.

Under Graves' proposal, the corps instead would work with the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to identify a mitigation project that fits the state's needs.

The council is made up of the five Gulf states' governors as well as federal officials who lead agencies that deal with commerce, the environment and homeland security.

Graves' measure directs the council to set up such a process so organizations, both public and private, could arrange mitigation projects.

Graves said he's still seeking input on the amendment before the bill goes to the full House later this year. His amendment is not included in the Senate version of the bill, which won committee approval last month.

Local officials say they support the concept behind Graves' amendment but are waiting to see what the final text will look like.

"It's a fantastic idea," South Lafourche Levee Director Windell Curole said.

Senior Staff Writer Jacob Batte can be reached at 448-7635 or jacob.batte@dailycomet.com.

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