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June 2013

The Conveyance Online
Restore or Retreat's E-newsletter
Restore or Retreat Executive Committee

Mike Plaisance, President

Plaisance Dragline and Dredging

 

Ted Falgout,VP

Ted M. Falgout and Associates

 

Robert Naquin, Treasurer

Capital One

 

Henri Boulet, Secretary

LA 1 Coalition

 

Tim Allen

Apache Louisiana Minerals

 

Charlotte Bollinger

Bollinger Shipyards

 

Berwick Duval

Duval, Funderburk, Sundbery, Lovell and Watkins

 

Dr. John J. Jones, Jr.

Jones Dermatology

Calendar
   Wednesday, June 12 -- 6:30pm

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Public Engagement Session,

Belle Chasse Auditorium

 

Thursday, June 13 --

6:00pm

RESTORE Council Community Meeting

Dulac Community Center
 

Wednesday, June 19 -- 9:30 am

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority,

La Salle Building,

La Belle Room
Baton Rouge

 

Thursday, July 18 --

6:30pm

NRDA PEIS Scoping Meeting,

Courtyard by Marriott,

Houma

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Today!

RESTORE Council releases federal plan; listening sessions this week
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council released its "Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan" last month; comments taken until June 24.
  

Oiled pelicanThe Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council publicly released their Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast's Ecosystem and Economy and accompanying Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment for formal public comment. The Draft Plan provides a framework to implement a coordinated region-wide restoration effort in a way that restores, protects, and revitalizes the Gulf Coast region following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

 

The Council, which was established by the Resources and Ecosystem Sustainability, Tourism, Opportunities Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012, or RESTORE Act, is charged with the responsibility of restoring the ecosystem and economy of the Gulf Coast region by developing and overseeing implementation of a Comprehensive Plan and carrying out other responsibilities.  

 

The Council is comprised of governors from the five affected Gulf States', the Secretaries from the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, and Homeland Security as well as the Secretary of the Army and the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Gulf States recommended and President Obama appointed the Secretary of Commerce as the Council's Chair.

 

According to the Council's press release, "this Draft Plan establishes overarching restoration goals for the Gulf Coast region; provides details about how the Council will solicit, evaluate, and fund projects and programs for ecosystem restoration in the Gulf Coast region; outlines the process for the development, review, and approval of State Expenditure Plans; and highlights the Council's next steps."  The Council expects to release a Final Plan this summer.

 

Before that final plan is released, the Council is hosting a series of public engagement sessions in each of the five impacted Gulf States in June to give the public the opportunity to provide input on the Draft Plan and the Council's restoration planning efforts. The 30-day formal public comment period for the Draft Plan and associated documents began in May, and ends June 24. Louisiana's public meeting to discuss the Draft Plan is:

June 12, 2013 
6:30 pm CST (doors open at 6:00 pm CST) 
Belle Chasse Auditorium 
8398 Louisiana Hwy 23 
Belle Chasse, LA 70037

Until June 24, comments can be made at the meeting or online here.   

RESTORE Community Meetings are also being held this week in Louisiana.

 

June 13 2013

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Dulac Community Center, 125 Coast Guard Rd, Dulac, LA 70353

Hosted by: Bayou Grace Community Services, BISCO, Gulf Restoration Network, Sierra Club and the United Houma Nation 

NRDA seeking early restoration comments

Early restoration was initiated by the April 2011 $1 billion Framework Agreement between the Trustees and BP.


The Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustees (Trustees) for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill announced new opportunities for the public to engage in the early restoration process.  

 

In a Notice of Intent published in early June, the Trustees announced plans to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, or PEIS, to evaluate the potential environmental effects of general types of early restoration actions, as well as specific projects including those that the Trustees intend to propose in the Phase III Draft Early Restoration Plan as announced in the Federal Register on May 6, 2013. The PEIS also will evaluate the cumulative effects of early restoration.  

 

Development of the PEIS will begin with a public scoping period, as prescribed by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA.) The 60-day scoping period, which extends from June 4 to August 2, 2013, will include the local public meetings listed below:  

 

Houma

Thursday, July 18

Courtyard Marriott

142 Library Boulevard

Houma, LA 70360

Start time: 6:30 PM

 

The Trustees invite the public to comment on the scope, content and any other significant issues the Trustees should consider in the PEIS. The public may comment in writing either via the Internet or through the U.S. Postal Service.

  1. Web: http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov
  2. Email: For electronic submission of comments containing attachments): [email protected]
  3. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 2099, Fairhope, AL 36533.

All written scoping comments must be received by the close of the scoping period to be considered.

 

A comprehensive Gulf Spill Restoration PEIS was initiated by the Trustees in February 2011 and is currently under development. The PEIS announced in June is specifically and more narrowly focused on early restoration.

 

For updates on the restoration process as it continues to move forward, and to submit restoration project ideas for review, visit

www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov
Thank you to everyone who has renewed their ROR membership for 2013 and for your continuous support!
 
Sincerely,

Simone Maloz

Executive Director

Restore or Retreat, Inc.