News Release

DNR and Atchafalaya Basin meetings in October

The Atchafalaya Basin Research and Promotion Board has set a rescheduled series of public meetings for mid-October to allow citizens and groups to review existing projects and offer new project ideas to improve water quality and reduce sediment in the Atchafalaya Basin.

The public meetings are 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.

The number and size of projects, as well as the length of time needed for completion, will depend on funding – which could be boosted if state voters approve Constitutional Amendment No. 4, re-directing up to $10 million in funds from existing state severance taxes per year to basin projects. The amendment would neither create a new tax nor raise any existing taxes.

The meetings will be held on Oct. 14, Oct. 15 and Oct. 16 at the following locations:

Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m.
City of Morgan City Auditorium
728 Myrtle St.
Morgan City

Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m.
Iberville Parish Council Chambers
58050 Meriam St.
Plaquemine

Thursday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m.
Town of Henderson Recreation Building
1015 Park Ave. (Amy Street)
Henderson

All members of the public are invited to bring project ideas up for consideration by the Basin’s Technical Advisory Group, which will go on to accept project nominations, verify the need and evaluate the benefits of potential projects before submitting a project list to the Atchafalaya Basin Program Research and Promotion Board for inclusion in the Atchafalaya Basin annual project plan.

The Basin board will submit a draft of its annual plan to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, which will check the plan for consistency with the state’s Master Plan for Coastal Restoration.

Once approved by the CPRA, the Basin plan goes back to the Basin board for public hearings before the board submits it to the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources to bring before the state Legislature for final approval.

The annual planning process and the nine-member Technical Advisory Group – chaired by a representative of the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries – are part of a new process, passed by the state Legislature in the 2008 regular session for approving and funding Basin projects.

Changes also included creation of a legislative oversight committee for the Basin, creation of the Atchafalaya Basin Conservation Fund, and drafting of a constitutional amendment to secure dedicated recurring funding that will be put before the voters this fall.

Constitutional Amendment No. 4 would, in part, re-direct up to $10 million a year in existing severance tax dollars from state-owned land in the Basin to pay for projects through the Basin conservation fund. If passed, the amendment would require that 85 percent of that money go to pay for water quality and sediment reduction projects within the guide levees. The other 15 percent could be used for projects to enhance recreation, tourism and other projects consisted with the master plan for the Basin.

Attendees to the October meetings are asked to bring project ideas and their knowledge of the ecosystem.