The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group has released its Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #7: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats, and Birds. We accepted comment from August 20, 2020 through September 22, 2020 and held a public meeting on September 2, 2020.
The plan includes projects that restore the Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats and Birds restoration types. It includes five projects which have a total estimated cost of $234.6 million. The selected alternatives are:
Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitat:
- Grande Cheniere Ridge Marsh Creation – This project will create up to 624 acres of marsh near Bayou Grande Cheniere and approximately 12,480 linear feet of earthen ridge along Jefferson Canal. The project estimated cost is $65 million.
- Terrebonne Basin Ridge and Marsh Creation Project: Bayou Terrebonne Increment – This project will create up to 1,430 acres of brackish and saline marsh and restore up to 80 acres of earthen ridge. The estimated project cost is $157 million.
- Bird’s Foot Delta Hydrologic Restoration – This project provides engineering and design funding for restoration anticipated to restore the hydrology of the Mississippi River Bird’s Foot Delta by dredging parts of Pass-a-Loutre, South Pass, and Southeast Pass to reconnect the Mississippi River with the marshes of the eastern and central Bird’s Foot Delta. The estimated engineering and design cost is $6 million.
Birds:
- Isle au Pitre Restoration – This project provides engineering and design funding for restoration anticipated to enhance nesting conditions on the existing island by elevating portions of the island with dredged sediment and planting suitable vegetation for nesting brown pelicans and wading birds, shell rakes for American oystercatchers, and shell or small limestone on the perimeter of the island for tern and black skimmer nesting habitat. The estimated engineering and design cost is $3.5 million.
- Terrebonne Houma Navigation Channel (HNC) Island Restoration –This project provides engineering and design funding for restoration anticipated to enlarge the island from its current size of 32 acres to approximately 50 acres by importing dredged sediment from a nearby suitable sand source and disposing of it adjacent and onto the existing island. The estimated engineering and design cost is $3.1 million.
