[StBernard] Third public meeting for MRGO Ecosystem Restoration Thursday, Feb. 3

[Westley Annis]

Third public meeting for MRGO Ecosystem Restoration scheduled for Thursday,
Feb. 3rd

Public comment period ends Feb. 14, 2011

 

NEW ORLEANS, LA - Members of the public will have another opportunity to
submit comments on the Draft Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) ecosystem
restoration plan at the Corps of Engineer's Thursday, February 3, 2011
public meeting. The meeting will feature an open house session with subject
matter experts, followed by a presentation on the tentatively selected plan
for restoring the areas affected by the construction and operation of the
MRGO ship channel.

 

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the MRGO ecosystem
restoration Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Feasibility Study
report are available for a 60-day public review period, which ends Monday,
February 14, 2011. The report was made available for public review on Dec.
17, 2010 and can be reviewed by visiting www.mrgo.gov.

The public meeting date and location is:

 

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011

Light City Church

6117 St. Claude Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70117

Open house 6 to 6:30 p.m.

Presentation/discussion at 6:30

 

Members of the public can also submit comments by mail, email or phone.

Please contact:

Tammy Gilmore

Environmental Manager

Tammy.H.Gilmore at usace.army.mil

(504) 862-1002

US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District

C/O Tammy Gilmore, PDR-RS

Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Ecosystem Restoration

P.O. Box 60267

New Orleans, LA 70160-0267

 

The recommended MRGO Ecosystem Restoration Plan would benefit the Central
Wetlands, Lake Borgne, Lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi Sound, and the
Biloxi Marsh in St. Bernard Parish. Features outlined in the plan include
creating marsh using dredge material, planting cypress trees and other
wetland vegetation, protecting shorelines with breakwaters, creating oyster
reefs, and diverting freshwater from the Mississippi River near the
community of Violet, LA to reduce salinity and enhance wetlands and fishery
productivity.

 

The plan also includes proposed public access recreation features in Shell
Beach, Mereaux and the Lower 9th Ward. The coastal restoration plan is a
follow-up report to the 2008 deauthorization plan that the Corps implemented
to close the MRGO ship channel with a rock barrier at Bayou La Loutre.

 

###