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Interim GOSEP director: FEMA, NOAA cuts not yet disrupting state forecasting; 90‑day merger review under way
Summary
Brigadier General Jason Mafoes, the interim director of GOSEP, told the Senate Finance Committee April 15, 2025, that FEMA and NOAA reductions have not yet produced substantive impacts on the state’s hazard mitigation or forecasting capacity and that a 90‑day assessment is underway to merge GOSEP with the Louisiana Military Department.
Brigadier General Jason Mafoes, the interim director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOSEP), briefed the Senate Finance Committee on April 15, 2025, about federal grant uncertainty and a state internal reorganization under review.
Mafoes, appointed March 20, said that while the administration is aware of federal adjustments affecting some programs — including changes to the Building Resiliency in Communities (BRIC) program — “substantive cuts to FEMA’s hazard mitigation and preparedness grants programs … have not been made to date, nor have they been announced.” He said the office will continue coordinating with FEMA and the National Weather Service to monitor any operational impacts.
The interim director said GOSEP and the state are also communicating with NOAA and the National Weather Service after federal workforce reductions were announced, and added that GOSEP has not yet experienced operational lapses in forecasting. “We’re communicating with NOAA and the National Weather Service to understand the impacts of those cuts, although we’ve not seen any impacts in GOSEP’s ability to, leverage those technologies and those resources for weather prediction capabilities,” he said.
Mafoes described a 90‑day assessment tied to the governor’s announcement to combine GOSEP and the Louisiana Military Department (Louisiana National Guard), a legislative vehicle introduced by a state representative to effect the merger. He said the agencies are reviewing duplicative functions such as legal services, human resources and contracting and that grant administration capabilities presently performed by GOSEP will be retained under the merged structure.
The director also provided an operational update on river forecasts, saying crests in parts of North Louisiana were expected over the next five to seven days and that the state regularly participates in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers briefings.
Ending: Mafoes pledged continuing updates to the committee as the department completes its 90‑day assessment and as federal grant or operational conditions change.
