News Release

Atchafalaya Basin planning meetings cancelled

The Atchafalaya Basin Research and Promotion Board has cancelled its public meetings scheduled for Sept. 9, 10, and 11, 2008.

Due to Hurricane Gustav’s impacts to the basin parishes, the public meetings will be re-scheduled and announced at a later time, officials said.

The meetings were set up for members of the Basin’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to meet with citizens and representatives of groups with an interest in protecting the Basin to discuss ecosystem restoration to the Basin region and are now cancelled in Plaquemine, Henderson, and Morgan City.

The public meetings, when rescheduled, will be part of the newly established process for ecosystem restoration in the Basin, including new elements of transparency in planning and efficiency in developing water quality improvement and sediment reduction projects.

TAG members at that time will be hearing from citizens and groups at a series of meetings to review existing projects and offer new project ideas to improve water quality and reduce sediment in the Atchafalaya Basin.

An Atchafalaya Basin legislative oversight committee,  the TAG and a new planning process were all part of legislation championed by state Rep. Karen St. Germain and state Sen. Rob Marionneaux in the 2008 regular session to create a means to more quickly and efficiently plan, fund and complete Basin projects.

Those projects could draw on up to $100 million in new funding over the next decade if voters this fall approve Constitutional Amendment 4, which would in part re-direct 50 percent of the funds from oil and gas severance tax dollars from state-owned lands in the basin.