[StBernard] ST. BERNARD NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN APPROVED FOR RESTORE PROGRAM

[Westley Annis]

ST. BERNARD NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN APPROVED FOR RESTORE PROGRAM

 

President Peralta announced this week that St. Bernard Parish's new
Comprehensive Plan was approved and certified by the Louisiana Governor's
Office for meeting the requirements of the RESTORE program.  The RESTORE the
Gulf Coast Act of 2011 will distribute funds received as a result of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill penalties and violations of the Clean Water Act.
Funds will be used to restore, protect, and make sustainable use of the
natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine habitats, coastal wetlands,
and economy of the Gulf Coast.   

 

The new St. Bernard Parish Comprehensive Plan was approved for this program
because of its consistency with State coastal zone management objectives and
its coverage of stormwater protection, environmental, and recreational
issues. 

 

While it is unknown at this point how much funding will be coming to St.
Bernard as a result of the RESTORE Act, initial estimates are that $1.4
million will be available in 2015.  Examples of projects which could be
funded under the RESTORE program include barrier island restoration,
shoreline protection for erosion control, and wetlands management and
restoration.   In 2012, the Parish, with the assistance of the St. Bernard
Parish Coastal Zone Advisory Committee, updated its coastal zone management
plan which will provide guidance in the selection of these projects together
with other specialized environmental studies the Parish has undertaken over
the last 5 years.     

 

St. Bernard is proud to be one of the first parish's to receive this
approval and certification.  This is an important hurdle for the Parish to
overcome on its way to restoring the natural areas impacted by this
environmental catastrophe.