Archive for 2012 Coastal Master Plan
Coastal Master Plan passes another legislative milestone
May 16, 2012 | Posted by Elizabeth Skree in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Congress
Update on Louisiana's 2012 Coastal Master Plan:
Earlier today, the Louisiana House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources and Environment unanimously approved the 2012 Coastal Master Plan (CR 46) and Annual State Coastal Protection and Restoration Plan (CR 41). On Monday, both plans passed the House Transportation Committee by a vote of 11-0. The next and final step for the master plan is consideration by the full Louisiana House of Representatives, which will likely happen early next week.
The Coastal Master Plan lays out a bold 50-year vision for protecting and restoring Louisiana's coastal area. Earlier this month, the Louisiana State Senate passed the master plan and sent it to the House for review. Be sure to follow our Delta Dispatches blog for more updates.
No CommentsTake action: Help protect Louisiana's coast
May 15, 2012 | Posted by Elizabeth Skree in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Army Corps of Engineers, BP Oil Disaster, Diversions, Myrtle Grove Sediment Diversion, Restoration Projects
By Elizabeth Skree, Environmental Defense Fund
The Myrtle Grove sediment diversion is a linchpin of Louisiana's groundbreaking plan to restore the coast and repair damage inflicted by the BP oil disaster. However, the State and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are considering permits for the construction of a massive coal export terminal right next to this critical restoration project. Allowing these permits to proceed could stop the Myrtle Grove project in its tracks.
RAM Terminal, LLC has recently applied for permission to locate a coal export facility immediately adjacent to the location of the Myrtle Grove sediment diversion. The proposed facility will likely have a significant impact on the water and sediment flow in the river — and would therefore impact the Myrtle Grove sediment diversion’s ability to restore the surrounding wetlands and marshes.
For a state that has lost nearly 2,000 square miles of wetlands and barrier islands, Myrtle Grove represents one of the best opportunities to build and sustain our coast. By harnessing the river’s water and sediment, Myrtle Grove can sustain coastal communities and ecosystems for decades to come. Allowing the RAM coal export facility to proceed without demonstrating that it will not have a negative effect on Myrtle Grove would set a dangerous precedent. As the Coastal Master Plan moves through the State Legislature, Louisiana and the Army Corps must make restoration a top priority.
The public has been invited to comment on the project, but the deadline is close of business today!
Louisiana residents: Please take action and tell the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and State of Louisiana to demand proof that this coal export facility will not interfere with plans to restore our coast.
Action alerts:
Environmental Defense Fund: Take Action: Put Louisiana's Coast over Big Coal
National Wildlife Federation: Defend Habitat Restoration for Brown Pelicans
Since the 1930s, Louisiana has lost almost 2,000 square miles of coastal wetlands and barrier islands. Not only are these vital for species such as the brown pelican, they provide critical hurricane protections for Louisiana’s coastal residents. Louisiana's 2012 Coastal Master Plan estimates that restoration projects like the one at Myrtle Grove will create as many as 800 square miles of new healthy coastal habitats for pelicans and other wildlife over the next 50 years.
Take action and tell the State of Louisiana and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that restoring the coast is a national priority and should not be blocked due to a new coal facility.
Louisiana House Transportation Committee approves Coastal Master Plan
May 14, 2012 | Posted by Elizabeth Skree in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Congress
Today, the Louisiana State House of Representatives Transportation Committee unanimously approved the 2012 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan (SCR 46) and Annual State Coastal Protection and Restoration Plan (SCR 41). Last week, the Louisiana State Senate also approved both plans. The Coastal Master Plan lays out a 50-year vision for protecting and restoring Louisiana’s coastal resources and communities. Next, the master plan will go on to the House Natural Resources committee for approval. Check back over the coming days for updates on the plan’s progress through the Louisiana State Legislature.
Louisiana State Senate passes Coastal Master Plan
May 2, 2012 | Posted by Elizabeth Skree in 2012 Coastal Master Plan
Yesterday, the Louisiana State Senate unanimously approved the 2012 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan (SCR 46) as well as the Annual State Coastal Protection and Restoration Plan (SCR 41). The Coastal Master Plan lays out a 50-year vision for protecting and restoring Louisiana’s coastal resources and communities. In April, both the Senate Transportation and Natural Resources Committees also unanimously approved the plan. Now that that it has passed the Senate, the Coastal Master Plan will go on to the House Transportation and House Natural Resources committees for approval next week. Please check back as we continue updating on the plan’s progress in the Louisiana State Legislature over the next few weeks.
1 CommentSenate Natural Resources Committee approves Louisiana Coastal Master Plan
April 13, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2012 Coastal Master PlanBy Karen Gautreaux, The Nature Conservancy
On Thursday (April 12), the Louisiana State Senate Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved the 2012 Louisiana Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, helping the plan reach its first legislative milestone. State and local officials provided testimony in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 46 by Senator Dan Morrish (District 25), including Representative Joe Harrison (District 51), St. Mary Parish President Paul Naquin and Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District Director and former state senator Reggie Dupre. Oneil Malbrough from The Shaw Group represented the Coastbuilders Coalition and the business community in support of the plan. A number of members from the Restore the Mississippi River Delta Campaign were also present in support, including representatives from the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation and The Nature Conservancy.
Particularly encouraging was the recognition in comments from legislators and witnesses of the linkages between a healthy coast, a healthy economy and the future of coastal communities. There was also recognition that there are many specifics still to be addressed as the plan is implemented, and it will be important to remain engaged as the coastal program moves forward.
The Annual State Coastal Protection and Restoration Plan, which spells out anticipated programmatic and project expenditures for the next 3 years (Sen. Morrish, SCR 41), was also unanimously approved. Full legislative approval for both the Annual Plan and Coastal Master Plan will require approval by the Senate Transportation Committee (anticipated hearing on April 19), the full Senate and their corollaries in the House of Representatives.
No CommentsReport: Reengineer Mississippi River Delta To Protect Nation’s Economic, Ecological Assets
April 11, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Diversions, Reports, ScienceScientists call for “immediate action” to address disintegration of delta
News Release (Baton Rouge, La.—April 11, 2012) Building a series of engineered structures called diversions along the lower Mississippi River will yield tens of billions of dollars in net annual benefits to the nation and hedge against future disasters, according to a new report co-authored by 22 prominent scientists and engineers.
The report, “Answering 10 Fundamental Questions about the Mississippi River Delta,” makes a scientific and economic case for restoring the Mississippi River Delta wetlands, which have shrunk in size by nearly 1,900 square miles since the 1930s. The report also makes the case for reengineering the aging lower Mississippi River flood-control and navigation systems, which are increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic failures.
“Our research reveals considerable consensus within and across scientific disciplines about how the Mississippi River Delta functions and what actions must be taken to ensure long-term sustainability,” the report says. “It is clear that immediate action is warranted and is essential to the future stability of our nation’s economy.”
The report projects annual losses to the United States of $41 billion dollars if the delta continues to collapse unchecked. Conversely, it estimates an annual net benefit of at least $62 billion if the delta can be maintained and expanded. The report also makes it clear that the only way to maintain delta wetlands in the long term is through the construction and operation of structures called diversions, which release water and sediment from the river into the wetlands, mimicking historical flows. The report concludes that the use of diversions will satisfy a number of interlocking demands.
The report is timely because the Louisiana legislature is currently considering the state’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan, which relies heavily on river diversions to turn the tide on the state’s ongoing land loss crisis. The plan lays out a 50-year vision for protecting and restoring the coast, including increased hurricane risk reduction for coastal communities and eventually reaching a net growth, rather than a net loss, of wetlands.
A recent telephone survey found that 67 percent of likely voters nationwide believe it is an “extremely” or “very” important priority for the federal government to take steps to restore the Mississippi River Delta and that overwhelming numbers (84 percent) believe the Mississippi River Delta and Gulf Coast affect the nation’s economy.
The Mississippi River Delta Science and Engineering Special Team, which produced the report, is a network of eminent scientists and engineers convened by the National Audubon Society, the Environmental Defense Fund and the National Wildlife Federation to provide objective and independent analysis pertaining to Mississippi River Delta restoration.
The report released this week is a precursor to scientific articles that will be published in peer-reviewed journals and a book slated for release in the coming months.
Contacts:
John Day, Mississippi River Delta Science and Engineering Special Team, 225-773-7165, johnday@lsu.edu
David J. Ringer, National Audubon Society, 601-642-7058, dringer@audubon.org
Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund, 202-550-6524, scrowley@edf.org
Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225-253-9781, guidrye@nwf.org
86% of Louisiana voters support adoption of 2012 Coastal Master Plan
April 3, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, BP Oil Disaster, Media Resources, Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), RESTORE Gulf Coast States ActOverwhelming majorities agree coast vital to future and can be saved
(Baton Rouge, La.—April 3, 2012) Eighty-six percent of Louisiana voters say they want their legislators to approve the state’s 2012 Coastal Master Plan, according to a new poll released today. The plan lays out a 50-year vision for protecting and restoring the coast, including increased hurricane risk reduction for coastal communities and reconnecting the Mississippi River with disappearing coastal wetlands. Overwhelming majorities of the voters surveyed in the poll believe the state’s coastal areas and wetlands are important to the state’s future and express optimism that the coast can be restored, despite decades of decline.
Nearly all respondents, both in coastal and non-coastal areas of the state, feel that Louisiana’s coastal areas and wetlands are very important to the future of Louisiana.
“This poll shows Louisiana voters feel strongly that our state’s coastal areas and wetlands are crucial to our future,” said Buster McKenzie, president of Baton Rouge-based Southern Media & Opinion Research, Inc., which conducted the poll. “An overwhelming majority of voters want their legislators to approve the 2012 Coastal Master Plan because they agree that coastal Louisiana can be saved if the projects in the master plan are implemented.”
The state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority unanimously approved the 2012 Coastal Master Plan Mar. 21 and sent it to the state legislature Mar. 26. The legislature must approve the plan for it to take effect.
The poll found extremely high agreement statewide that Louisiana’s coastal areas and wetlands are “very important” to the state’s future:
- 91 percent of voters statewide,
- 98 percent of coastal voters,
- 87 percent of non-coastal voters (with an additional 11 percent saying “somewhat important”).
Additionally, the poll found that 88 percent of respondents express optimism that when adequate funding becomes available, coastal areas can in fact be saved. Two potential sources of funding include Natural Resource Damage Assessment dollars from the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster and legislation in Congress that would dedicate 80 percent of expected billions in penalties from the disaster to Gulf Coast restoration, including in Louisiana. Both houses of Congress have approved similar versions of the legislation, the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act. However, Congress still needs to resolve the differences between the two bills and get a final bill to the president’s desk before it can become law.
“Voters clearly realize that the state master plan is critically important to saving Louisiana as we know it because it will protect jobs, communities, fisheries and wildlife. That’s why it’s no surprise that such an overwhelming majority of voters in the state believe that coastal areas and wetlands can — and must — be saved,” said a joint statement by the Coalition To Restore Coastal Louisiana, Environmental Defense Fund, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation and The Nature Conservancy. “The message is clear: Let’s pass the 2012 Coastal Master Plan and get this vital work underway as soon as possible.”
The statewide telephone poll was conducted between Mar. 23 and Mar. 27, 2012. It sampled 801 registered, likely Louisiana voters, based on previous voting patterns.
The poll was funded by the National Audubon Society and has a margin of error of ± 4.0 percent.
Contacts:
Buster McKenzie, Southern Media & Opinion Research, 225-383-4509, mckenzie@smor.com
David J. Ringer, National Audubon Society, 601-642-7058, dringer@audubon.org
Scott Madere, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, 225-767-4181, scottm@crcl.org
Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund, 202-550-6524, scrowley@edf.org
John Lopez, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, 504-421-7348, johnlopez@pobox.com
Chris Macaluso, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, 225-344-6707, chris@lawildlifefed.org
Emily Guidry Schatzel, National Wildlife Federation, 225-253-9781, guidrye@nwf.org
Karen Gautreaux, The Nature Conservancy, 225-788-4525, kgautreaux@tnc.org
Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan moves on to state legislature for approval
March 29, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Community Resiliency, Diversions, Hurricanes, Restoration ProjectsBy David Muth, National Wildlife Federation
On March 21, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) unanimously adopted the revised Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, which lays out a 50-year restoration plan for Louisiana’s coast. The Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign has worked closely with the state in the development of the plan, and many of our recommendations for improving and strengthening the draft were adopted in the final version.
Map depicting sediment starved wetlands and areas of wasted sediment in southeast Louisiana. Credit: CPRA 2012 Coastal Master Plan final draft
One such recommendation made by our campaign was to create clear paths forward for implementation of the nonstructural hurricane protection program and the design of a lower Mississippi River realignment. The final version of the plan also includes revisions supported by coastal stakeholders during the public review process, including relocating marsh creation or shoreline protection projects to locations that would help buffer vulnerable coastal communities. While these revised projects were not necessarily the best projects for optimizing land creation, they were justified because of the synergies they could provide with nearby protection projects. Even with these changes, 85% of the projects in the final plan were chosen by the Planning Tool to optimize land building in the face of less optimistic sea level rise scenarios.
Proposed Mississippi River diversions. Credit: CPRA 2012 Coastal Master Plan final draft
The final Coastal Master Plan revolutionizes the way Louisiana intends to move toward a sustainable coast. It proposes to spend $3.8 billion to reintroduce 50% of the peak flow of the Mississippi River into the most sediment-starved and deteriorating parts of the delta — a key goal of our campaign. This reintroduction could build up to 300 square miles of new delta over the next 50 years in the face of moderate subsidence and sea level rise. The plan also recommends designing a new navigation system to free up most of the remaining 50% of peak river flow for a new lower river alignment that will build additional new deltaic land. It also dedicates $20 billion toward the creation of over 200 square miles of marsh through sediment pipeline delivery to areas that cannot be reached by riverine reintroduction of sediment.
Credit: CPRA 2012 Coastal Master Plan final draft
Additionally, the plan provides for increased hurricane risk reduction for every coastal resident, by building resiliency for coastal communities through nonstructural measures such as elevating buildings, strengthening infrastructure and facilitating voluntary relocation. This fundamental shift away from the old standard of total reliance on levees, floodwalls and floodgates ratifies another fundamental goal of our campaign.
The Coastal Master Plan now goes to the Louisiana Legislature for adoption during the current session, which began on Monday and continues through June 4, 2012. If adopted, we move an important step closer towards implementing the goals of our campaign. Louisiana could become a world leader among vulnerable coastal areas in learning to live with the realities of future climate change and in learning to start living with water and natural processes rather than conducting a futile fight to the death against them.
No CommentsFinal draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan approved by CPRA
March 23, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Community Resiliency, Meetings/Events, Reports, Restoration ProjectsThis story was originally posted on the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana's Coast Currents blog.
By Scott Madere, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
Click for a map of all projects in the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan.
With a unanimous vote of its members, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana (CPRA) approved the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan at its March 21, 2012 meeting held at the Louisiana State Archives.
The completed draft represents a milestone for Louisiana: a comprehensive science-based plan for coastal restoration and protection, built to last 50 years. The Coastal Master Plan represents thousands of hours of work from scores of contributors and CPRA staff members. As CPRA Director Garret Graves said, it is a document unlike any that has come before, detailed in its approach to Louisiana’s coastal crisis while considering possible limitations in funding and resources. “This plan for the first time ever puts us on a realistic trajectory for generations to come. It’s an achievable goal. It’s a fundamental shift in how we approach coastal planning for Louisiana,” said Graves.
The next step for the 2012 Coastal Master Plan is approval by the Louisiana Legislature, which will receive the document before March 26.
The final draft takes into consideration feedback entered after the introduction of the first draft, released to the public on January 12, 2012. The public comment period ended earlier this year on February 25.
“The comment period was very constructive,” said Graves. “We had over 2,000 comments received. Hundreds of people attended the public meetings that were held. Every single comment was read. Every single comment was considered, and every single comment was responded to.”
In addition to the general public, CPRA also sought the input of a 33-person framework development team, made up of governmental representatives, business and industry representatives, researchers and non-governmental organizations (including CRCL). Focus groups from the oil and gas, navigation and fisheries industries also played a key role in advising CPRA on the Master Plan.
“One of the things we want to do with these focus groups and the framework development team is understand a way to continue them,” said CPRA Chief of Planning, Kirk Rhinehart. “We got so much good dialogue. We learned so much from engaging with them that we want to make sure we continue that process.”
After considering and implementing public feedback, the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan differs somewhat from the original version released January 12. Here are many of the important differences between the two versions, broken down by coastal zone:
Click for a map of all projects on the Southwest Coast in the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan.
Southwest Coast
- Plans to include 500 year-level flood protection for Lake Charles via levee have been changed to study alternate means of providing the same level of flood protection for the city.
- CPRA will consider more shoreline protection for Cameron Parish.
- CPRA will work with navigation interests to determine the best way to implement a salinity control structure in the Calcasieu Ship Channel at the Gulf of Mexico.
- Hydrologic restoration for Gum Cove has been removed.
Click for a map of all projects on the Central Coast in the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan.
Central Coast
- Planned oyster reef in West Vermilion Bay will be redesigned with possible realignment.
- Bayou Chene flood control structure added.
- Marsh creation projects moved from Pointe au Fer and Bayou Penchant in western Terrebonne Parish to eastern Terrebonne Parish, along the rim of northern Terrebonne Bay and near Isle de Jean Charles.
Click for a map of all projects on the Southeast Coast in the final draft of the 2012 Coastal Master Plan
Southeast Coast
- Marsh creation added to west side of Bayou Lafourche to protect LA-1 corridor.
- Marsh creation for Lafitte area reconfigured, with project moved from the second implementation period to the first implementation period.
- Size of marsh creation plan for Biloxi Marsh doubled, with oyster reefs also added.
- Marsh creation project on Lake Borgne reconfigured.
- Added marsh creation project to Central Wetlands area.
- Projects to improve marsh areas and shoreline protection near the Lake Pontchartrain Barrier will receive planning dollars.
For All of the Louisiana Coast
- Funding added for a Mississippi River realignment study.
- Funding for parish-level nonstructural projects will be consolidated to implement across entire Louisiana coast.
- Creation of a project development and implementation program, to discover solutions for the most difficult areas of Louisiana’s coastline to serve.
- Explicit acknowledgement of climate change to be included in the Coastal Master Plan.
The next step for the 2012 Coastal Master Plan is approval by the Louisiana Legislature, where it will most likely be entered on or before March 26 as a Senate concurrent resolution. For a very detailed explanation of the approval process for the 2012 Coastal Master Plan, visit CRCL’s Coast Currents blog for Part Four of our Coastal Master Plan 101 series, “The Legislative Gauntlet.”
To view the final draft of the Coastal Master Plan, click here.
2 CommentsMardi Gras Pass: A new diversion on the Mississippi River springs to life
March 21, 2012 | Posted by Delta Dispatches in 2011 Mississippi River Flood, 2012 Coastal Master Plan, Army Corps of Engineers, Diversions, Science, VideosBy John Lopez, Ph.D., Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation
The Bohemia Spillway, located along the east bank of the Mississippi River two miles south of Pointe a la Hache, La., is a rare opportunity to observe the natural processes and potential benefits of the Mississippi River flow into the Louisiana wetlands. Because there is no artificial river levee to obstruct flow during high water, the river has been flowing into the adjacent wetlands for 85 years. In 2011, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) conducted a hydrologic study of how much water enters the spillway and where it flows during floods. It was over the course of this work that LPBF researchers made an unexpected discovery: a new channel was being cut by the flowing water from the Mississippi River.
Feb. 2012 -- Mardi Gras Pass as it reached the Mississippi River, just prior to a complete cut into the river. Credit: LPBF
As the 2011 flood waned, we began noticing this new channel, and in July, the channel made a dramatic breach into the nearby roadway. On Mardi Gras Day 2012 (Feb. 21), scientists noted that the channel had reached the bank of the Mississippi River and shortly after, a complete breach into the river occurred. With this milestone, the channel is now an extension of the Mississippi River that helps distribute the river flow through the new distributary channel.
At this time, the distributary flow through the newly-dubbed “Mardi Gras Pass” is small, estimated to be less than 1% of the river’s peak discharge (5,000 to 10,000 cubic feet per second). The channel is 30 to 40 feet wide near the river but deep enough to capture river flow continuously even under very low water. This new diversion was not manmade – it was the result of natural river forces seeking a shorter outlet to the sea.
March 2012 -- Mardi Gras Pass (Credit: LPBF)
It can be expected that Mardi Gras Pass will expand over time. The rate of enlargement is of great interest because this process has not been observed in modern times, and the concern is that the diversion may become too large. However, enlargement of the pass may be desirable, because just one mile away, the new draft Louisiana Coastal Master Plan recommends a large diversion of about 4% of the river’s peak flow (50,000 cubic feet per second). This new diversion is estimated to cost $220 million, so LPBF is encouraging the state and Army Corps of Engineers to consider Mardi Gras Pass as an alternative, since it may provide the same wetland benefits for a much smaller cost and much sooner than a constructed diversion.
March 2012 -- Mardi Gras Pass (Credit: LPBF)
Another exciting aspect of Mardi Gras Pass is the rapid emergence of the riverine ecology. When the channel was just a few weeks old, schools of fish were observed migrating up current toward the river. These pogy fish were feasting on the plant detritus being washed into the pass from the river. The influx of fish to the area attracted river otters, which have been commonly observed feeding in the pass. Additionally, beaver, heron and other critters have begun taking advantage of the bounty created by the river flow in Mardi Gras Pass.
Support for this research is provided by The McKnight Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, The Walton Family Foundation, Surdna and The National Audubon Society. To learn more about LPBF and the Bohemia Spillway, please visit SaveOurLake.org (go to Coastal > Technical Reports > Bohemia Spillway Documentation).
Additional resources:
- Video: Bohemia Rising: Exploring the Mississippi Delta in South Louisiana, (Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation).
- Resiliency of the Bohemia Spillway and the Evolution of Mardi Gras Pass, Southeast Louisiana, (Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation).
