Breaux Act Newsflash - Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Technical Committee Meeting Agenda for December 6, 2006 at 9:30 AM
***********************************************************************BREAUX ACT
COASTAL WETLANDS PLANNING, PROTECTION AND RESTORATION ACT
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING
AGENDA
December 6, 2006 9:30 AM
Location:
LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Louisiana Room
2000 Quail Dr.
Baton Rouge, La.
Documentation of Task Force and Technical Committee meetings may be found
at:
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pd/cwppra_mission.htm
or
http://lacoast.gov/reports/program/index.asp
Agenda Item
1. Report: Status of Breaux Act Program and Project Funds (LeBlanc) 9:30
a.m. to 9:40 a.m. Ms. LeBlanc will discuss the construction program and
the status of the CWPPRA accounts, to aid the Technical Committee in
making today's funding decisions.
2. Decision: Request for Additional Phase II Increment 1 Funding for the
West Lake Boudreaux Project (TE-46) (Clark) 9:40 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. The
Technical Committee will consider the request by the FWS and DNR for
additional funding for the West Lake Boudreaux Project due to the
increased costs of rock and hydraulic dredging after the 2005 hurricanes.
Phase II Increment 1 funding in the amount of $14.6 million was approved
by the Task Force on February 8, 2006. It is anticipated that additional
Phase II Increment 1 funding in the amount of $1,916,859 is needed because
rock and hydraulic dredging costs have increased as a result of the 2005
hurricanes.
3. Decision: Request Additional Phase II Increment 1 Construction Funds
for the Lake Borgne Shoreline Protection Project (PO-30) (Parrish) 9:50
a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The Lake Borgne Shoreline Protection Project received
Phase II Increment 1 funding in the amount of $16.6 million from the
CWPPRA Task Force on February 8, 2006. EPA and LDNR final project review
efforts prior to bid solicitation (anticipated in early 2007) indicate
pre-Katrina/Rita cost estimates for the authorized project should be made
consistent with post-hurricane material costs and recent project awards.
In order to avoid likely construction bid overruns in 2007, EPA is seeking
an increase in Phase II Increment 1 funding in the amount of $6,925,824.
4. Decision: Request for Phase II Authorization and Approval of Phase II
Increment 1 Funding (O&M only) for the "Lake Borgne Segment" of the Lake
Borgne/MRGO Shoreline Protection Project (PO-32) (Podany) 10:00 a.m. to
10:20 a.m. The 3rd Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act provided
funds for construction of shoreline protection in the area of the MRGO. A
portion of these funds are being utilized to build the Lake Borgne segment
of the PO-32 CWPPRA project. A contract for this work was awarded by the
Corps of Engineers in September 2006 and construction is scheduled to
begin in January 2007. The work is being completed using designs and NEPA
documents completed under CWPPRA Phase I. The project will build 18,820
feet of rock dike to protect 93 acres of marsh along the southern
shoreline of Lake Borgne between Doullut's Canal and Jahncke's Ditch. The
Corps is requesting Phase II authorization and Phase II Increment 1
funding (O&M only) for the Lake Borgne segment of the PO-32 project.
Increment 1 cost, not including initial construction, is $9,159,788 (fully
funded). The 20-year O&M cost is $13,799,013. It is proposed that the
required O&M funds be provided by CWPPRA to maintain the project under the
same procedures identified for CWPPRA projects constructed with CIAP
funds.
5. Decision: Request for Phase II Authorization and Approval of Phase II
Increment 1 Funding (Podany) 10:20 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. The Technical
Committee will consider requests for Phase II authorization and approval
of Phase II Increment 1 funding of projects on PPLs 9 through 15, for
recommendation to the Task Force. Due to limited funding, the Technical
Committee will recommend a list of projects to the Task Force for Phase II
authorization and Increment 1 funding within available program
construction funding limits. Each project listed in the below table will
be discussed individually by its sponsoring agency, Technical Committee
members, and the general public in the following format:
a. Agency presentation on individual projects (5 minutes max)
b.Technical Committee questions and comments on individual projects
c. Public comments on individual projects (Comments should be limited to
1-2 minutes)
Following presentations and discussion on individual projects, the
Technical Committee will rank all projects to aid in deciding which to
recommend to the Task Force for Phase II authorization and approval of
Increment 1 funding.
6. Discussion/Decision: Transitioning Projects to Other Authorities
(LeBlanc) 11:40 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. The P&E Subcommittee will give a report
to the Technical Committee on the process to transition projects to other
authorities. Unanswered questions related to the transfer process will be
discussed. The Technical Committee will be asked to approve the transfer
process, as recommended by the P&E Subcommittee.
7. Discussion: Funding of Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)/National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for Transferable CWPPRA Projects (Clark)
11:50 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Technical Committee will discuss issue of the
CWPPRA Program funding all, part, or none of EIS/NEPA development for
projects that maybe be potentially transferred to other authorities. The
results of this discussion will be reported back to the Task Force.
8. Discussion: Status of Unconstructed Projects (Podany) 12:00 p.m. to
12:10 p.m. As directed by the Task Force, the Technical Committee will
discuss the status of unconstructed CWPPRA projects which may be
experiencing project delays. The discussions will include individual
project delays and potential solutions. The results of this discussion
will be reported back to the Task Force.
9. Discussion: Long-Term O&M of CWPPRA Projects Including a Breakdown of
O&M by Project Type (Podany) 12:10 p.m. to 12:20 p.m. As directed by the
Task Force, the Technical Committee will discuss the funding of long-term
O&M of CWPPRA projects. This discussion will include issues such as
increases in O&M cost over time, breakdown of O&M cost by project type,
and the cost/benefit of continuing O&M activities. The results of this
discussion will be reported back to the Task Force.
10. Discussion: Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS)-Wetlands
Monitoring (Podany) 12:20 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Technical Committee will
discuss the status and funding of the CRMS program to get a better
understanding of the yearly funding requirements and program efforts.
11. Additional Agenda Items (Podany) 12:30 p.m. to 12:35 p.m.
12. Announcement: Priority Project List 17 Regional Planning Team
Meetings (LeBlanc) 12:35 p.m. to 12:40 p.m.
January 9, 2007 Region IV Planning Team Meeting (Rockefeller Refuge)
January 10, 2007 Region III Planning Team Meeting (Morgan City)
January 11, 2007 Regions I and II Planning Team Meetings (New Orleans)
February 7, 2007 Coast-wide RPT Voting Meeting (Baton Rouge)
13. Date of Upcoming Task Force Meeting (LeBlanc) 12:40 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.
The next Task Force meeting will be held January 31, 2007 at the LA
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in Baton Rouge, LA.
14. Scheduled Dates of Future Program Meetings (LeBlanc) 12:45 p.m. to
12:50 p.m.
2007
January 9, 2007
10:00 a.m.
RPT Region IV
Rockefeller Refuge
January 10, 2007
9:00 a.m.
RPT Region III
Morgan City
January 11, 2007
9:00 a.m.
RPT Region II
New Orleans
January 11, 2007
1:00 p.m.
RPT Region I
New Orleans
January 31, 2007
9:30 a.m.
Task Force
Baton Rouge
February 7, 2007
9:30 a.m.
Coast-wide RPT Voting
Baton Rouge
March 14, 2007
9:30 a.m.
Technical Committee
New Orleans
April 11, 2007
9:30 a.m.
Task Force
Lafayette
June 13, 2007
9:30 a.m.
Technical Committee
Baton Rouge
July 11, 2007
9:30 a.m.
Task Force
New Orleans
August 29, 2007
7:00 p.m.
PPL17 Public Meeting
Abbeville
August 30, 2007
7:00 p.m.
PPL17 Public Meeting
New Orleans
September 12, 2007
9:30 a.m.
Technical Committee
New Orleans
October 17, 2007
9:30 a.m.
Task Force
New Orleans
December 5, 2007
9:30 a.m.
Technical Committee
Baton Rouge
2008
January 30, 2008
9:30 a.m.
Task Force
Baton Rouge
Adjourn
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