$62M OK’d for La. coastal projects

The joint federal-state Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act task force announced Feb. 15 that it had approved spending $62M to begin engineering and design work on four projects, and to move two projects into the construction phase. Final construction projects include the (1) Caminada Headlands Back Barrier Marsh Creation, which is to receive $28.7M to create/nourish 395 acres of back barrier marsh between Belle Pass and Caminada Pass in Lafourche Parish. (2) The Cameron-Creole Freshwater Introduction project, which is to receive $18.6M, to redirect freshwater into wetlands east of Calcasieu Lake in Cameron Parish. The four new projects include (1) $3.7M for planning of the Mid-Breton Land Bridge Marsh Creation and Terracing in Plaquemines Parish, just west of Delacroix along Bayou Gentilly. (2) $3.2M for the Bayou Cane Marsh Creation on the Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge in St. Tammany Parish. (3) $4M for the Northeast Turtle Bay Marsh Creation and Critical Area Shoreline Protection, located east of the Harvey Canal in Jefferson Parish. (4) $3.8M for the Sabine Marsh Creation to restore marsh habitat west of the Calcasieu Ship Channel in the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge in Cameron Parish. The task force's Jan. 25 meeting to consider approval of the projects was cancelled by a three-day federal government shutdown. The task force held an electronic vote on Feb. 9 to approve the projects. The task force was created by Congress in 1990. It has authorized 214 projects since then, with 154 projects still being active. The projects receive 85 percent from the federal government and 15 percent from the state. (Source: NOLA.com 02/15/18)