Hurricane Season has Begun State Wetland
Management and Conservation Plan Coastal Zone Boundary
Map Available DNR Goes On-Line
With Home Page Local Programs Receive
Yearly Awards Coastal Nonpoint
Pollution Control Program Update Subscription Info
The Gulf of Mexico hurricane season began on June 1 and will extend through November 30. This period is when weather conditions are the most ripe for hurricane development. Most hurricanes occur in August, September, and October. On the average, our region experiences about six tropical storms each season, with an actual strike occurring once every two years. One hurricane forecaster has predicted that the 1996 Atlantic hurricane activity is likely to be near average. He estimates that we will experience 11 named storms, seven hurricanes, and two major (intense) storms. The 1996 season is expected to be less active than 1995, during which we experienced 19 named storms (11 hurricanes, 5 intense hurricanes), but more active than the average of the last decade or so. It is possible that we are entering an extended active period, which could produce more hurricanes than usual for several seasons.
A hurricane usually begins in an area over a warm ocean where winds coming from different directions converge. After having maintained its identity for at least 24 hours, this moving area of thunderstorms is termed a tropical disturbance. These systems gain their strength from heat released by condensing water vapor and the rotation of the earth. Tropical disturbances having counter-clockwise motion and winds no greater than 39 miles per hour (mph) are considered tropical depressions. These depressions become tropical storms when their wind speed increases to between 40 and 74 mph. It is at this point that the storm is given a name. If the storm maintains its counter-clockwise circulation and has sustained winds of 75 mph or greater, the storm is then classified a hurricane.
Usually accompanying tropical storms and hurricanes are high winds and heavy rainfall. Following initial impact, when the center of a hurricane passes over a fixed point, there is a period of relative calm as the eye of the hurricane passes over the area. This calm is characterized by extremely low barometric pressure and is sometimes accompanied by a small rise in temperature and clearing skies. This quiet is short-lived (about a half-hour) and is followed by a period of more wind and rain. This time, however, the strong winds will be coming from the opposite direction.
Perhaps the most serious effect of a hurricane is the destruction to coastal areas that can result from the storm surge which usually precedes the hurricane. The storm surge associated with a hurricane is usually the storms biggest killer. These storm surges often cause much erosion and breaching of barrier islands. A storm surge is an irregular, accelerated rise in sea level that occurs temporarily along an open coast during a hurricane or other storm. The rise is caused mainly by onshore wind stresses or by a drop in atmospheric pressure, and results in large amounts of water being "thrown" up against the coast. The surge acts like a giant bulldozer, sweeping everything in its path. Storm surges are most destructive when accompanied by high tides since height of the tide is added to the height of the storm surge.
When the threat of hurricane conditions are expected in an area within 24 to 36 hours, a hurricane watch is issued. A hurricane watch doesn't guarantee that you will get hit by a hurricane, but the probability is getting uncomfortably high. A hurricane warning is issued when actual hurricane conditions (winds of 74 mph or greater, or dangerously high water and rough seas) are expected in 24 hours or less. If a watch becomes a warning, it is likely that you will feel the storm. It may be a direct hit or just a glancing blow.
The strength of a hurricane is ranked from a category one (minimal) to a category five (catastrophic) storm on what is known as the Saffir-Simpson hurricane intensity scale. Although tropical storms are not ranked on this scale, they can produce extensive damage with rainfall-produced flooding. The force of a hurricane is governed by an area's barometric pressure (air pressure). Barometric pressure refers to the pressure exerted by the atmosphere on any surface beneath or within it. The lower the pressure, the higher the winds.
For the Atlantic Basin, of which Louisiana is a part, the number of intense hurricanes (category 3-5) has declined during the 1970's and 80's, both in intense hurricanes as well as those making landfall along the U.S. coastline. Category three, four, and five storms are all referred to as major hurricanes, and although they cause over 70% of the damage they account for only 20% of the landfalls.
From 1950 - 1952, storms were identified by the phonetic alphabet (Able-Baker-Charlie-etc.), but the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) switched to women's names in 1953. In 1979, men's names were for the first time included in the list of Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico tropical storms and hurricanes. If a hurricane becomes strong and causes significant damage, its name is retired from the list and will not be used again. Some of the names that have been retired from the list include Audrey, Camille, Hugo, and Andrew. The names for this year's Atlantic storms are:
Go to the Table of
Contents
State Wetland Management and Conservation Plan
With funding assistance from EPA the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has initiated development of a comprehensive State Wetlands Management and Conservation Plan (SWCMP) for non-coastal wetlands. The plan will include sections on existing regulatory programs affecting development of wetlands; restoration and enhancement activities being conducted by state and local governments and private organizations; and an evaluation of possible incentive-based programs that could be implemented to encourage voluntary preservation of wetlands. Creation of new or expansion of existing regulatory programs is not a component of the SWCMP.
In 1992, DNR received a grant from EPA to study the feasibility of state assumption of permitting authority found in Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), currently administered by the Corps of Engineers. At that time, DNR felt that a state-managed program would reduce confusion and processing delays for permit applications and would be more responsive to specific Louisiana circumstances. Due to many unresolved obstacles, the idea of state assumption of the Section 404 program was eventually abandoned by DNR. The obstacles included: 1) a provision in the CWA that precluded the state from assuming the permitting authority over tidal wetlands, navigable waters, or wetlands adjacent to such areas; 2) lack of any federal financial support for a state-run program; 3) the fact that EPA would continue to exercise veto autority over permit decisions made by the state; and 4) the lack of public support for state assumption.
Prior to the conclusion of the Section 404 assumption study, EPA recommended that DNR apply, on behalf of the state, for financial assistance to develop a SWMCP to support state Section 404 permitting. Such a request was made and a grant was issued to DNR in 1993. DNR is now actively working towards plan completion.
Although no longer viewed as an initiative aimed at obtaining Section 404 permit program assumption, DNR believes that the plan can be a useful tool in the state's efforts to conserve, restore, and enhance wetland resources by providing a forum for innovative and creative concepts for wetland preservation, and by serving as a mechanism for involving all interested parties in wetland policy development.
Plan development tasks included in the grant are:
For more information on the plan contact Rocky Hinds, program manager, at (504) 342-7591 or 1-800-267-4019.
Go to the Table of
Contents
Coastal Zone Boundary Map Available
CMD now has copies of the coastal zone boundary map, at a scale of 1:500,000, depicting the Louisiana coastal zone. The maps are accompanied by a legal description of the coastal zone boundary as found at La. R.S. 49:214.24. The maps are intended for use as a planning tool only. If you have a proposed project which on the map appears to be located near the coastal zone, you should apply for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) or contact CMD for more information. You will be informed as to whether or not a CUP is needed. This will avoid the possibility of performing work affecting coastal waters without proper authorization. For copies of the coastal zone map or to contact CMD, call 1-800-267-4019. Also available are packets of materials containing information that will assist you in applying for a CUP.
Go to the Table of
Contents
DNR Goes On-Line With Home Page
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has joined the international network of computers known as the Internet by launching its home page on the World Wide Web. The home page provides another avenue of public information that allows users to access important facts and services of the department. DNR has been operating its home page since the fall of 1995.
DNR has also become a part of the state's information service called "Info Louisiana." Info Louisiana has been operated by the Division of Administration since the spring of 1995 and have been adding "links" since its inception. Links allow users to go from site to site without having to return to the original site and enter another address. Data available through Info Louisiana includes state government information, visitor and travel information, facts, history and culture of Louisiana, population statistics, maps, job listings, and more.
The home page allows the department to have a greater degree of communication with the public and with people all over the world. More citizens than ever have the opportunity to know and understand just what our natural resources are. The DNR home page address is: http://www.dnr.state.la.us/.
Information is available on all of the DNR offices. Examples of data available through the DNR home page are data on mineral lease sales, news releases, several departmental newsletters, and other departmental information. A large percentage of state users have learned that many of their questions can now be answered with the click of a mouse.
Features of the DNR home page include an explanation and description of each office operating within the department as well as graphic illustrations, maps, current public documents, and forms. Several newsletters can be accessed, including Louisiana Coast Lines. DNR technicians are always constructing, expanding and updating additional data on the home page. It is also possible to access other information through the DNR home page as we have links to a large number of other sites that are also on the Internet.
The establishment of the computer network site has been attributed to the management information system staff of DNR whose skill and expertise has placed DNR in line with the latest technology.
DNR also hosts a server for the Department of Civil Service which has begun its home page. Their address is: http://www.dnr.state.la.us/~cs. The Civil Service home page offers information about state employment, listings of job openings, civil service rules, and will soon include general circulars and expanded testing information.
Go to the Table of
Contents
Local Programs Receive Yearly Awards
Each year, the Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Management Division awards monies to the eight coastal parishes with approved local coastal programs. The awards provide funding for participating parishes to continue implementing their local coastal management programs. These programs, which have received approval from both the state and federal governments, allow the parishes to regulate "uses of local concern" within the coastal zone of their individual parishes and to provide public assistance with permitting matters. The programs also ensure that the parishes have a venue and a conduit to ensure the best management of coastal resources within the parish.
DNR Secretary Jack Caldwell said that the yearly awards made to these parishes are important in maintaining a healthy relationship with the parishes. "The interaction of local government officials with the citizens of a parish is very important to the overall success of our coastal management program at the local level."
The eight parishes for which contracts were awarded are: Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, St. Bernard, St. James, and St. Tammany. Each of these parishes has developed a comprehensive plan for the management of coastal resources within their respective parish. The plans describe the resources, set goals for the management of those resources, establish the process by which activities that are uses of local concern will be permitted, and spell out how the parish will interact with DNR and other state and local agencies. In parishes without approved local programs, DNR retains the responsibility of administering and permitting activities that are considered uses of local concern. Local coastal program administrators and their advisory committees provide important comments to DNR with respect to the impacts of projects of state concern that are proposed to occur within their parishes. They also provide local expertise with respect to management needs for the resources of the coastal zone.
Total state costs for the implementation of the eight programs this year is $265,000. The approved local programs were awarded contracts in the following amounts:
The monies for program implementation are provided for in a cost-share agreement which requires at least a 50 percent match by each participating parish. The state is able to establish these cooperative agreements through federal funding provided to DNR's Coastal Management Division by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under provisions of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, as amended.
Go to the Table of
Contents
Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program Update
Nonpoint source pollution, or polluted runoff, is our nation's biggest water quality problem and it threatens coastal waters and habitats in Louisiana. DNR's Coastal Nonpoint Pollution staff continues to carry out initiatives of public outreach and education on how nonpoint source pollution impacts our coastal resources, and how we all can help in the reduction of this problem.
The Louisiana Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program (CNPCP) plan document was submitted to federal reviewers in November of 1995. The document went out under the signatures of the secretaries of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. While the draft plan stressed the voluntary programs in place that combat nonpoint pollution, the document included a review of existing enforceable policies that pertain to coastal nonpoint pollution. The plan document also outlined a process by which we believe we can ensure that Louisiana's program will contain adequate enforceable policies, as is required by the U.S. Congress.
Since the plan's submittal, DNR's Coastal Nonpoint Pollution staff has responded to federal reviewers' requests for additional information, and soon expect a report summarizing their findings. About a dozen states have received review reports thus far, usually receiving conditional program approval with specific conditions imposed regarding completion of any undeveloped program elements. However, just as the status of our state's proposed CNPCP plan is pending, the status of the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution program nationwide is undergoing review by Congress and the White House as well, with substantial changes under consideration.
This public document was published by the Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box
44487,
Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA 70804, to inform the public about Coastal Zone
Management
under authority of 16 U.S.C. 1451, et seq., and La. R.S. 49:214.21 et seq.
To subscribe to the paper version of this newsletter, please send your request to
webmaster@dnr.state.la.us.
Go to the Table of
Contents
Go to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration