The Times-Picayune is reporting that Louisiana expects to spend $600 million of state money on levee, coastal restoration and coastal infrastructure projects in fiscal year 2011, according to a draft report released on Wednesday. For the first time in its three-year history, would spend the most money on coastal restoration projects.
According to the article, the highest-ticket item is the rebuilding of a six-mile stretch of shoreline in Cameron Parish on the state’s western edge, for $43.8 million. Other projects targeted for funding include:
- Two projects along the edges of Lake Borgne, with $22 million paying for shoreline protection on the bridge of land along U.S. 90 in eastern New Orleans that makes up the lake’s northwest rim, and $21.5 million going to a similar project aimed at protecting the Biloxi Marsh in St. Bernard Parish.
- $5.5 million for the Central Wetlands project, which will rebuild a cypress forest wetland between the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, the Lower 9th Ward, and the Arabi and Chalmette areas of St. Bernard Parish.
- Almost $17 million for the state’s share of construction and design costs for 34 restoration projects being developed under the federal Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act.
- $19.3 million for its share of monitoring, operations and maintenance costs for all restoration projects.
- Almost a third of the plan money will be used to pay the state’s share of levee project construction costs, including $82.2 million for the controversial Morganza to the Gulf project that will provide protection to Houma and neighboring communities.
- $15.8 million to be spent on levees, floodwalls and other types of tidal protection around Jean Lafitte, Lafitte and Rosethorne.
- $20 million will spent to continue raising the Larose to Golden Meadow levee.
- $24.2 million as its share of the cost of building the new Louisiana 1 bridge from Leeville to Port Fourchon.”
For those interested in commenting, the state Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration will hold a public hearing on the plan at 3 pm on February 8 at the St. Bernard Parish Council Chambers, 8201 W. Judge Perez Drive, in Chalmette. Hearings also will be held in Houma and Lake Charles.
Coastal Restoration and Levees Would Share $600 Million From State in Fiscal Year 2011 Under Proposal, The Times-Picayune.
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