Rockefellar Landing Update 10/6/12

[Jrchip1]

"it will open in two weeks". That's what I've been hearing for the last 5 months.

I drove by there yesterday and the Joesph Harbor Landing is done, minus the limestone on the driving surfaces. No construction equipment or crew were there. I checked in the Headquarters hoping to to find the manager, Mr. Tom Hess, but he was gone for the day. I wanted to get the real story as to what was going on and why the launch opening was dragging on forever.

What I was able to find out is that there is in fact, as previously stated, a lawsuit going on between the Contractor and the State. And we all know if there's lawyers involved, then it mean's money. I was also able to find out that there is still about 1/4 million dollars ($250,000) worth of limestone gravel yet to be applied to the parking areas(+/- 7000 ton's worth). I found this very disturbing by the very fact that most lawsuits can drag on for years.

Rockefellar has abundant mineral revenues coming in, and could easily fix the parking lot while the lawyers do what they do, i.e. charge by the hour, i.e. multiple motions etc. I would think that Rockefellar could easily finish the work by hiring some local limestone supplier, then let the lawyers attempt to get whoever to pay-up.

It seems to me that the receiptionists in Baton Rouge's Fish and Wildlife and Rockefellar Refuge, are taking all the heat via phone calls from folks like me complaining, so upper management can concentrate on more important things, like lunch and planning their next vacation or retirement. Upper management may claim to care, but in government, is there any real incentive to take a principled stand on anything?

So give the poor receptionists a break and take it up the food chain. Maybe a petition or something to the Dept. Heads may at least make their existance a little more miserable, and get them to acknowledge the insanity of their inefficiency and wastefulness.

[ironworker]

heard exact same story 1-2 wks ago.... we need to get # to "upper management"......

[toolpush]

I have sent an e mail a month ago asking the same question and have never recieved a reply. It sure is ashame that they have to get lawyers involved, now we will not be able to fish there this year.

[fookie]

I am from north of I-10 and have never fished the refuge
I do however frequent the Mermentau. I would start by sending a letter to your congressman. Don't address it to him though, put it to his secretaries attention. Explain that this refuge is a source of sustenance for a large area of that part of the state and that the landing is the only way to reach it. Explain that the shrimping season isn't year round and that the state is interrupting the local peoples way of life. Then resend once a week till you have a response.

[fishingonewild]

i totally agree with everyone on here. this is where we need to come in and stand up to them to show them how many of us enjoy that place and its useless of them to just have it closed down due to money issue and lawyers invovled. we all need to get together and have one voice to make those people who just sit in their office and do other things than not thinking of those people like us who want to be able to go in st. joseph harbor to catch shrimp, crab and fish. so whoever makes a stand im backing it up! hope many of yall out there will do the same to make something happen to this place cux it cannot be closed down for so long just to have these goverement people collect money and whatnot while us fisherman just suffer.