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September 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, September 18, 2013 -- 9:30 a.m.
Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Meeting

University of New Orleans- Homer L.Hitt Alumni Center

New Orleans, LA


Wednesday, October 2, 2013 -- 9:30 a.m. Governor's Advisory Commission on Coastal Protection, Restoration, and Conservation

Lafitte Civic Center

Lafitte, LA


Wednesday, October 3, 2013 -- 6 p.m.  

Barnstorming  

to Save Our  

Coast
Charlotte Bollinger's
8847 Highway 308
Lockport, LA 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013 --  

9:30 a.m. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Meeting

LaSalle Building- LaBelle Room

617 N. third Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70802

In the News
Bayou Lafourche project to begin within the year-
Houma Today

Man-made modifications have greatly alerted coast-
Houma Today

Treasury releases RESTORE rules- Advocate

Gulf restoration council approves initial plan- nola.com

Bubba Dove Floodgate opens, offers protection- Advocate (video)
We've Moved!
The ROR office has moved!  We are still on the Nicholls State University Campus, now in South Babington Hall at 322 Audubon Drive.  Our mailing address and phone number will remain the same.
Quick Links
ROR is now on Facebook and Twiiter-
Like Us and Follow us @RestoreRetreat
Today!

The 'Storm is coming early this year!

Restore or Retreat's
12th Annual
Barnstorming to Save Our Coast
Thursday, October 3
6pm-9pm

at the home of
Ms. Charlotte Bollinger
8847 Highway 308, Lockport
one mile south of Bollinger Shipyards


Featuring:

* Music by Justin Rodrigue*

* Delicious buffet by Cashio's catering*

*Drinks and spirits provided by Buquet Distributing and other local vendors*

*Great silent auction and door prizes*

 

Scholarships and Reservations available!
Ticket form here or online payment option here

The theme is "Back to School" to showcase the ROR-NSU scholarship offered for those students interested in restoring our coast!  So wear your favorite school colors- Colonel red and grey, Tiger purple and gold, etc.! 

We hope to see you there!
David Pond
ROR's Local Project Updates

 

There is great momentum in the restoration world, with several important local restoration projects moving forward in anticipation of some funding resulting from the 2010 oil spill.  Below is a summary of projects in Terrebonne and Lafourche that Restore or Retreat follows and advocates for, and we hope there will be more good news in the future.

 

Long Distance Sediment Pipeline- Atchafalaya

In 2012, Terrebonne Parish approved the hire of a pair of companies to identify sources of sediment in the Atchafalaya River that could be harvested to rebuild Terrebonne marshes. Engineering firms Moffatt & Nichol and CB&I will identify and prioritize sediment resources in the Atchafalaya and develop a design for the pipeline project. The state matched up to $750,000 in offshore oil revenue for coastal restoration projects to get the project moving. 

 

A Notice to Proceed was issued on July 25.  A feasibility Study will be ready by end of March 2014 to determine best alignment, viable, renewable sediment sources in Atchafalaya River, and construction and operations and maintenance costs.   Terrebonne Parish will be meeting with CB&I and Moffatt & Nichol in September for more detailed planning. 

 

Bayou Lafourche

In November 2012, the voters of Lafourche, Assumption, and Ascension approved a 20-year, 2.11 millage renewal for the Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District by an overall 73% approval rating.

 

Terrebonne's 40-year contract with the Bayou Lafourche water district expires in 2014, so the Terrebonne Parish Council voted to put a new 2.11-mill property tax on the May 4 ballot, which is a requirement for Terrebonne to join the Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District (BLFWD,) which supplies the parish with 80 percent of its drinking water.  The new millage was approved by the voters, so Terrebonne Parish will bring 4 additional members to the BLFWD board.

 

Additionally, Phase 2 of the Mississippi River Reintroduction into Bayou Lafourche Project was initiated in February 2013, with funding coming from the State's Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) allocation.  In April 2013, the Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District (BLFWD) hired T Baker Smith, LLC (TBS) to provide professional services for the implementation of the project, and a recent report concludes the most beneficial location to continue dredging is immediately adjacent to where Phase 1 ended, which is approximately 1 mile north of LA Highway 998 Bridge in Belle Rose, LA.  TBS is beginning the Preliminary Design Phase of this next dredging reach in Belle Rose, and will be ready to bid out for construction in September 2014.

 

Lafourche Shoreline/Caminada

The $70 million project began in August.  The contractor mobilized equipment to Lower Belle Pass, where sediment is being pumped into the headland from Ship Shoal for the first time ever.  9The sediment arrives on barges after being dredged from Ship Shoal.)  

 

Restore or Retreat has spoken to the CPRA about co-hosting a media and stakeholder field trip to the construction site for this fall.

 

Oil Spill Follow-Up

In early September, the U.S. Treasury Department regulations were issued today with a 60-day comment period.  This can be found at: http://www.treasury.gov/connect/blog/Pages/Treasury-Issues-Proposed-RESTORE-Act-Regulation,-Opens-60-Day-Comment-Period.aspx

 

ROR Hosts Water Institute Luncheon for Area Stakeholders

Restore or Retreat once again invited the important stakeholders of the Bayou Region to an update with leaders of The Water Institute of the Gulf. Guests included parish presidents, local state delegation, Restore or Retreat Executive Committee, levee district directors, and representatives from industry.

 

The Water Institute's Dr. Chip Groat, CEO, and Terrebonne's own Dr. Denise Reed, Senior Scientist, updated guests on the accomplishments of The Water Institute since its inception in 2011, including:

  • Building a team of world-class leaders with proven expertise in a number of fields
  • Establishing a Science and Engineering Advisory Council, comprised of individuals that are world-renowned in their fields, and NGO Liaison Group (ROR is a member) to provide program advice on relevant missions and programs and to coordinate opportunities for collaboration    
  • Working actively on over 20 projects and have produced a number of reports and products for several clients, including the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Science Foundation, including the Louisiana Coastal Innovation Partnership Program
  • Planning strategically to support the Institute's initial focus on coastal Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, while laying the foundation for the export of capabilities that address water management issues in deltaic and coastal systems throughout the world.
  • Working on current issues impacting the Bayou Region, including working with GNO, Inc. on the devastating changes to the NFIP program through Biggert-Waters 2012. 

 

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.