LCA Comprehensive Study Louisiana Coastal Area, Louisiana- Comprehensive Coastwide Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study

What is the Study? The next step in implementing the Coast 2050 Plan Will produce a report outlining implementation of a large-scale ecosystem restoration program based on the Coast 2050 Plan Considered by Congress in the Water Resources Development Act of 2004

The Goal A Federal and State commitment to a large-scale ecosystem restoration program in Coastal Louisiana

Study Process Phase I- Provide Study Focus Phase II- Strategy Definition Phase III- Alternative Plan Formulation Phase IV- Plan Selection Phase V- Plan Documentation Phase VI- Plan Review, Revision, and Submittal

Phase I- Develop Study Focus Public input Strategies which are more costly than existing programs can handle Strategies which provide fundamental shifts in the function of the system April and May 2002

Phase I- Develop Study Focus Public Scoping Meetings –Hammond, Belle Chasse, Thibodaux, Morgan City, Abbeville, Lake Charles –April 2002 Framework Development Team –State (DNR, GOCA, DWF), USACE (District, Division, HQ), EPA, NMFS, USFWS, NRCS, USGS, UNO, ULL, LSU, EDF, CRCL

Coast 2050 Region 1 regional ecosystem strategies

Coast 2050 Region 2 regional ecosystem strategies

Coast 2050 Region 3 regional ecosystem strategies

Coast 2050 Region 4 regional ecosystem strategies

Phase II- Strategy Definition Add more specific details to Coast 2050 concepts Alternative means of addressing each concept Establish technical feasibility of concept Rough costs and benefits June through August 2002

Phase III- Alternative Plan Formulation Combine individual projects into various basin-scale alternative plans Link individual Coast 2050 strategies to “the bigger picture”

Phase III- Alternative Plan Formulation Combine individual projects into various basin-scale alternative plans Link individual Coast 2050 strategies to “the bigger picture” Produce alternative coastwide restoration plans Refine costs and benefits August through December 2002

Phase IV- Plan Selection Public review of alternative coastwide plans Federal and State review of alternative coastwide plans Select plan January through March 2003

Phase V- Plan Documentation Write Integrated Feasibility Report/Environmental Impact Statement Final level of detail “Tells the story” April through June 2003

Phase VI- Plan Review, Revision, and Submittal Public review of draft documents Federal and State review of draft documents Revision of documents to incorporate comments Submission of documents through Corps of Engineers, Secretary of Army to Congress

And Then….

Public Participation Team to guide process Finalizing a plan to engage the public in meaningful participation in the plan formulation and selection processes Develop sense of public ownership Focused on cooperative efforts with the Parishes More details to come…

Public Meetings Tentatively scheduled for the first two weeks of September Hammond, New Orleans, Belle Chasse, Larose, Morgan City, Abbeville, Lake Charles