LA TIG: $215M for two restoration projects

The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group has approved the Final Phase 2 Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #1.2: Spanish Pass Ridge and Marsh Creation Project and Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project.

This is a major step forward in the continued restoration of Louisiana’s coastal ecosystems injured as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.

“This is the fifth major restoration plan announcement this year by the LA TIG and I’d like to applaud the Louisiana Trustees for their swift approvals on these major restoration projects,” said Edwards.

The Lake Borgne Marsh Creation – Increment One project is a component of an overall large-scale restoration strategy for the Pontchartrain Basin that will reestablish the bay rim and intertidal marsh habitat.

The Lake Borgne Marsh Creation project is located near Shell Beach in St. Bernard Parish.

The LA TIG plan approved approximately $114.7 million in funding for the project’s engineering and design, construction, operations and maintenance, and monitoring and adaptive management.

The Spanish Pass project is located near Venice in Plaquemines Parish.

Its primary goal is the creation and nourishment of approximately 132 acres of historic ridge and nearly 1,700 acres of marsh.

The estimated cost is approximately $100.3 million.