The Conveyance: ROR's E-newsletter 
                  December 2016
CPRA Prepares to Release 2017 Master Plan and Annual Plan; Public Meetings Scheduled
Baton Rouge, La-- As part of the 2017 Coastal Master Plan, the Coastal Protection and Authority will soon take public comment on the draft 50 year plan to protect and restore Louisiana's coast, in accordance with Louisiana Legislative Act 8 of the First Extraordinary Session of 2005. 

Act 8 mandates CPRA provide an update to the Master Plan every five years, to take maximum advantage of new science, innovation and lessons learned.  At public meetings in January, CPRA will present the state's most up-to-date information on future land change and flood risk, as well as the best investments the state can make to create a more sustainable coast now and in the future. Feedback will be used in the development of the final master plan, due to the Louisiana Legislature this spring. 

For more information on the 2017 Draft Coastal Master Plan, please
 visit    http://coastal.la.gov/a-common-vision/2017-master-plan-update/ or contactmasterplan@la.gov .  The plan is set to be released on January 3. 

CPRA is also required to update their Annual Plan.  This annual spending plan provides more information about near-term projects, anticipated revenue sources, and exp e cted funding allocations over the next three  years. For more information on the FY 2018 Draft Annual Plan, please visit http://coastal.la.gov/a-common-vision/annualplan/  or contact chuck.perrodin@la.gov

As part of both the Master Plan and Annual Plan process, CPRA has scheduled four public meetings to take comment on both Draft Plans.  Public comment and feedback will be accepted until March 26, 2017. The schedule for public hearings is as follows:
 
Lake Charles
January 17, 2017
Lake Charles Civic Center
Jean Lafitte Room
900 Lakeshore Drive
New Orleans
January 18, 2017
Port of New Orleans
Auditorium
1350 Port of New Orleans Place
Houma
January 24, 2017
Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center
Pelican Room
346 Civic Center Boulevard
Mandeville
January 25, 2017
David C. Treen Instructional Technology Center - Conference Center
2024 Livingston Street
 
All four public meetings will include:
  • 3:30-5:30 p.m. Open house with information about both the Coastal Master Plan and Annual Plan;
  • 5:30-7:30 p.m. Presentation on the 2017 Coastal Master Plan and public comment session followed by presentation on the FY 2018 Draft Annual Plan and public comment session.
   
CPRA wants to hear from you!
  • Feedback is encouraged in person and all comments at the public hearings will be recorded by a court reporter. Participants may also submit written comments during the meetings.
  • If, because of a disability, you require special assistance to participate, please contact the CPRA Administrative Assistant, at P.O. Box 44027, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4027 or by telephone at (225) 342-7308, at least five working days prior to the hearing.
  • If you can't make the events, email the master plan team at masterplan@la.gov; or email chuck.perrodin@la.gov with comments pertaining to the annual plan.
  • If you prefer mail, please send written comments to: Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority, c/o Chuck Perrodin, P.O. Box 44027, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4027; letters must be mailed to arrive no later than March 26, 2017.
  • Public comments will be accepted until March 26, 2017.
  Birds' Eye View of the Coast
The flyover route stretched over 200 miles, from the Wax Lake Outlet of the Atchafalaya to West Grand Terre in the Barataria Basin. 

Galliano, La-- On one of most beautiful days all year, Restore or Retreat hosted a flyover for critical coastal stakeholders.  
 
ROR has been working with a fellow non-profit organization, SouthWings, to provide the impressive birds' eye view of our disappearing coast.  Past flights have departed from New Orleans' Lakefront Airport and have included views of the Mississippi River, Birds' Foot Delta, and protection systems surrounding New Orleans, as well as the Davis Pond freshwater diversion in St. Charles Parish. 
 
The late November flyover took a different route, however.  The group departed from the South Lafourche Leonard Miller Airport, which was acquired by the Greater Lafourche Port Commission in 2001. 
 
Louisiana Senate Natural Resources Chairman Norby Chabert was joined Representatives Stuart Bishop and Chris Leopold, chair and vice-chair of the House Natural Resources Committee respectively.  Representative Jerome Zeringue served as a co-host and guide for the day, which also included a beach and waterfront tour of Port Fourchon.  The group was briefed by Simone Maloz of ROR and David Muth of Restore the Mississippi River Delta prior to their departure on the flight route, which included 24 critical projects in the State's Master Plan, and also previewed projects and scenarios that might be included in the State's impending 2017 revision to the Master Plan. 

Tanner Johnson, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund Director for Louisiana and Texas, also joined the group for the day.  NFWF directs the Gulf's criminal fines from the Deepwater Horizon incident, and had previously awarded over $140 million to the State for Caminada Headland and Beach Restoration, which was part of the flyover.   NFWF also recently announced an additional award to five additional Louisiana projects totaling more than $245 million to CPRA, including the Increase Atchafalaya into Terrebonne project which was a flyover point. 
 
"Even though we live and work here every day, the flyover offered a great perspective of our coast.   We lose sight of the vulnerable of our coastal communities and the significance of our land loss. However, it is encouraging to see projects constructed and the land building potential of the Atchafalaya and the Mississippi Rivers. I am glad I had the opportunity to share with my colleagues all of the challenges, and opportunities, we have in front of us," said Representative Zeringue.
Thank you for supporting ROR's fall fundraiser!
This year, we moved our annual Barnstorming fundraiser to the Central Lafourche Marketplace, and still had a great time for a good cause!

Thank you to everyone who supported the event, including our sponsors:
Special Event
Duplantis Design Group, P.C
Entergy

Heron
AECOM
Apache LA Minerals
Thibodaux Regional Medical Center

Egret
Bayou Industrial Group
Charlotte Bollinger
Danos
Jason Furrate
John Deere Thibodaux
Parker Marine Services
Plaisance Dragline and Dredging
Synergy Bank

Sandpiper

J. Wayne Plaisance
Jones Dermatology
L&M Botruc Rental
Lafourche Chamber of Commerce
Lori LeBlanc, LLC
Martin Ecosystems
Morgan Stanley
Paul's Insurance Services
Picciola & Associates
South Louisiana Bank
South Louisiana Economic Council
Triche-Doverspike Financial Group
Water Institute of the Gulf

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Coastal News
Coastal Calendar
Release of the 2017 Master Plan
January 3

2017 Coastal Master Plan and Annual Plan Public Meetings

January 17 Lake Charles
January 18 New Orleans
January 24 Houma
January 25 Mandeville
 
Governor's Advisory Commission
February 1, 9:30am  Baton Rouge


For more information, check out
www.restoreorretreat.org!
Thank you for your support in 2016, and we look forward to an exciting 2017 with you!

Sincerely,
Simone Maloz
Executive Director

John Lombardo
Outreach Coordinator