Study to restore Rabbit Island

[Ray]

A chunk of money will be spent on studying how to restore Rabbit Island, an important nesting ground for pelicans in Calcasieu Lake. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement says it has approved spending about $402,000 on the marsh island’s restoration. The money comes from a federal program that uses offshore drilling revenues to restore the coastlines of states that allow oil and natural gas drilling off their shores. On Rabbit Island, the funds will pay to come up with plans on how best to restore the island. In the future, officials say they plan to restore 200 acres of pelican nesting habitat and marsh on the island. Plans call for taking sediment from the Calcasieu Ship Channel to build new marsh land.

[PaulMyers]

Thanks for posting this Ray. Sounds like a piece of good news.

EVO

[DUCKGOGETTER]

Great news thanks for the info

[eman]

Glad to see something positive happening.
But, Havn't they done enough marsh restoration to not need all these studies???
C,mon 2+2 = 4 everytime. Shore it up , back fill it and plant it.

[flounder_smacker]

there used to be a rabbit island east of marsh island. not there anymore just a shallow spot now. i guess it wasnt important enough to restore.

["W"]

I'm glad they have been doing some good with our money.........looks like they have filled in a lot of new land along the ship channel to restore our banks and islands......I'm assuming they will protect the island with rocks and fill in with sediment..

I heard the next plan on the channel was to build back up the island by steam engine

[Ray]

They are running out of places to put the dredge spoil. All this time the dummies were piling it up on the spoil banks along the channel and it runs back into the channel.
Bout time they use their brain. Free soil, put it where it belongs.

[homerun]

hope its good for the white pelicans. but too many of browns already. they can be pest. no offense to anyone.

[Ray]

When I was young, that's all you saw in lower Cameron Parish. White Pelicans.
We saw no Brown Pelicans. Now it is turning the opposite.
Even in the Big Burns, nothing but flocks of White Pelicans in feeding frenzys.

[Gerald]

10 to 15 years ago, I use to sometimes see 4 to 8 white pelicans near the Hwy 171 bridge. I have not seen any there in many years now.

[Ray]

Congressman Charles Boustany has announced a grant Calcasieu Parish is receiving to restore habitat on Rabbit Island. His office has issued the following news release.
– U.S. Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD (R-South Louisiana) announced a $401,851 Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) grant awarded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) to Calcasieu Parish. This grant will fund the start of a marsh and pelican nesting habitat restoration project on Rabbit Island in Calcasieu Lake.
"Since coming to Congress, I have fought for the beneficial use of dredged materials in rebuilding South Louisiana's wetlands," Boustany said. "Rabbit Island and other restoration projects demonstrate we can use our own resources to restore our wetlands and develop habitats for wildlife across South Louisiana. As Louisiana's strongest advocate for coastal restoration, I spearheaded efforts to improve our coastal areas, including the Southwest Coastal Louisiana Study, the first comprehensive hurricane protection and coastal restoration plan in Vermilion, Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes. I will continue to lead this fight to protect our wetlands and rebuild our coast."
According to BOEMRE, the grant will fund the development portion of the Rabbit Island restoration project. This first phase includes planning, engineering and design, topographical studies, side scan sonar and magnetometer surveys, field investigations, permitting and final plans and specifications for the conservation initiative. The next phase will use dredge material from the Calcasieu Ship Channel to restore approximately 200 acres of pelican nesting habitat and marsh at Rabbit Island. In addition, 2,500 linear feet of limestone will be added to the west corner of Rabbit Island for shoreline protection.
"We are excited about this project as it helps to save wetlands, and encourages the brown pelican population," said Bryan Beam, Calcasieu Parish Administrator. "We appreciate the Congressman's effort to secure this grant funding."
The grant is part of the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP), which distributes funds from offshore mineral royalties to rebuild wetlands and coastal protections. The CIAP was authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 with Boustany's support.
Since taking office, Boustany has spearheaded recovery efforts from recent hurricanes and played a key role in rebuilding coastal wetlands and strengthening the coastline to protect South Louisiana's citizens and resources.

[mcjaredsandwich]

I'm glad they have been doing some good with our money.........looks like they have filled in a lot of new land along the ship channel to restore our banks and islands......I'm assuming they will protect the island with rocks and fill in with sediment..

I heard the next plan on the channel was to build back up the island by steam engine

I was taking soil samples last summer to see where the dreg
Dge material landed after the dumped it..it was making its way back to the channel after the dredge. Makes more sense to put it to use than constantly spend money year after year. Glad they are doing something good.

[MossLake]

Congressman Charles Boustany has announced a grant Calcasieu Parish is receiving to restore habitat on Rabbit Island. His office has issued the following news release.
– U.S. Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD (R-South Louisiana) announced a $401,851 Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) grant awarded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) to Calcasieu Parish. This grant will fund the start of a marsh and pelican nesting habitat restoration project on Rabbit Island in Calcasieu Lake.
"Since coming to Congress, I have fought for the beneficial use of dredged materials in rebuilding South Louisiana's wetlands," Boustany said. "Rabbit Island and other restoration projects demonstrate we can use our own resources to restore our wetlands and develop habitats for wildlife across South Louisiana. As Louisiana's strongest advocate for coastal restoration, I spearheaded efforts to improve our coastal areas, including the Southwest Coastal Louisiana Study, the first comprehensive hurricane protection and coastal restoration plan in Vermilion, Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes. I will continue to lead this fight to protect our wetlands and rebuild our coast."
According to BOEMRE, the grant will fund the development portion of the Rabbit Island restoration project. This first phase includes planning, engineering and design, topographical studies, side scan sonar and magnetometer surveys, field investigations, permitting and final plans and specifications for the conservation initiative. The next phase will use dredge material from the Calcasieu Ship Channel to restore approximately 200 acres of pelican nesting habitat and marsh at Rabbit Island. In addition, 2,500 linear feet of limestone will be added to the west corner of Rabbit Island for shoreline protection.
"We are excited about this project as it helps to save wetlands, and encourages the brown pelican population," said Bryan Beam, Calcasieu Parish Administrator. "We appreciate the Congressman's effort to secure this grant funding."
The grant is part of the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP), which distributes funds from offshore mineral royalties to rebuild wetlands and coastal protections. The CIAP was authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 with Boustany's support.
Since taking office, Boustany has spearheaded recovery efforts from recent hurricanes and played a key role in rebuilding coastal wetlands and strengthening the coastline to protect South Louisiana's citizens and resources.

All that money to cover just the "first phase". I'm with eman--Haven't they done enough "studies" by now. Sounds like somebody knows somebody that is related to somebody that knows somebody else that may just know somebody that has an engineering firm to "study and plan" this project for a "small" fee.
When the Studies are done, I hope there will be money for phase two that will actually get the work done.
Im just sayin....

[mcjaredsandwich]

All that money to cover just the "first phase". I'm with eman--Haven't they done enough "studies" by now. Sounds like somebody knows somebody that is related to somebody that knows somebody else that may just know somebody that has an engineering firm to "study and plan" this project for a "small" fee.
When the Studies are done, I hope there will be money for phase two that will actually get the work done.
Im just sayin....
400k is a drop in the bucket. The amount of work, time planning (so they dont fck up) cant be priced. When a grant is written, they have to explain and justify each expenditure. It also must have a reasonable time frame. Also, those conducting the study have to write their pay into the grant..and if its too much they will reject the grant. Its also not a 9 to 5 job. They have to have it completed in their provided time frame or face loss of grant. Its not as easy as you think it is.

[Slickhunter]

On the Calcasieau Ship Channel the material dredged is placed into the placement along the channel and testing is conducted daily using a hydrometer to ensure that no dredged material is placed back into the channel through the weir boxes. Unless USACE specifies for overboard pumping. Currently I am working on a project in Morgan City near the Berwick Locks and we are pumping dredge spoil overboard but it is sand not silt and is tested to see where the material is flowing. The placement areas along the Calcasieau Ship channels are becoming usless due to the amount of the material that has been placed into them over the years. There have been failures in the levee structures that empound the dredged material due to the material that is used to construct these levee's is what we call liquid soup. The placement areas are so full that along the shoreline and in the channel the ground is being pushed out and up. So I agree we do need to put the material back into the marsh where it belongs

[MossLake]

400k is a drop in the bucket. The amount of work, time planning (so they dont fck up) cant be priced. When a grant is written, they have to explain and justify each expenditure. It also must have a reasonable time frame. Also, those conducting the study have to write their pay into the grant..and if its too much they will reject the grant. Its also not a 9 to 5 job. They have to have it completed in their provided time frame or face loss of grant. Its not as easy as you think it is.
Ah hell, youre right, we all got $400k laying around. Most of us keep that change in our front pocket.
Sounds like you know that someone that knew that somebody that is related to that someone who went to school with that other somebody that....... :rotfl::rotfl:

You must work for Obama?? LOL
I'm just sayin.....

[beccrossee]

Glad to see feasible restoration work and a parish showing initiative. I volunteered and a non profit organization during the summer between high school and college. This gave me a taste of the grant writing/ feasibility study nightmare. On a project such as this there are many interest groups to consider (shipping, fishing, conservation,etc.). They all have lawyers and votes (voting influence). Spending money is a necessary evil. It's got to be win-win or win-neutral on paper at least. I wish more local governments acted like they have a pair. Thanks for posting the good news.