Atchafalaya basin research support laboratory feasibility st

ATCHAFALAYA BASIN
RESEARCH SUPPORT LABORATORY
FEASIBILITY STUDY
Prepared
for the
State of Louisiana
Kathleen B. Blanco, Governor
Funded by the
Department of Natural Resources
Scott Angelle, Secretary
Atchafalaya Basin Program
Sandra Thompson, Director
May, 2006
prepared by
LJC Planning and Design
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. I-1
A. Background ......................................................................................... I-1
1. Atchafalaya Basin Nature and Cultural Interpretive Center
2. The Atchafalaya Research Support Field Laboratory
3. Site for the Atchafalaya Research Support Field Laboratory
B. Approach and Methodology .............................................................. I-3
C. Review of Literature ........................................................................... I-3
II. FORMATION AND COORDINATION OF SUPPORT AND PLANNING
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
A. Establish Initial Contact and Advisory Committee ......................... 11-1
1. Louisiana’s Higher Education System
2. Other Potential Stakeholders: State and Federal Agencies
B. The Initial Planning Research and Support Advisory Committee ... II-3
1. Composition of the Initial Advisory Committee
2. Evolution of the Advisory Committee in the Planning
and Implementation Process
III. INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE
A Mission Statement, Vision, and Goals ............................................... III-1
B. Administrative Structure ..................................................................... III-2
C. Action Plan to Achieve Strategic Goals Review of Literature ......... III-3
IV. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION ......................................................................... IV-1
A. Analysis Employed ............................................................................. 1V-1
B. Research Support Field Stations and Laboratories in Louisiana … IV-1
1. Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON)
2. LUMCON Port Fourchon laboratory
3. Redfish Point (a.k.a. Fearman Bayou)
4. Lyle S. St. Amant Marine Biological Laboratory
5. Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station
6. Grand Isle Field Station Atchafalaya Delta Field Station
7. Marsh Island Field Station
8. Sister Lake (a.k.a. Caillou Lake) Field
9. Center for Ecology and Environmental Technology
10. Grand Pass Field Station

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont’d)
C. Comparable Out-of–State Research Support Field Stations
and Laboratories …................................................................................. IV-8
1. The Baruch Marine Field Laboratory
2. Edward J. Meeman Biological Station
3. Archbold Biological Station
D. Historical Background and Coastal Restoration
Funding Opportunities ........................................................................... IV-13
1. The Breaux Act (CWPPRA)
2. COAST 2050
3. Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Ecosystem Restoration Program
4. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA)
5. Energy Policy Act of 2005
6. Other Restoration Programs and State Initiatives
7. Recent Developments (late 2005-2006)
E. Research Focus Areas Supported by the
Atchafalaya Research Support Lab ................................................. IV-20
1. Monitoring and Assessment of Restoration Projects
a. Restoration Projects
b. Operational systems for monitoring and assessment
i. OCRM Information Management System
ii. CWPPRA’s Coastwide Reference Monitoring
System–Wetlands (CRMS-Wetlands)
iii. GIS-based Ecosystem Assessment and Modeling
iv. Coastal Environmental Modeling Laboratory (CRML)
2. Programmatic Authorization for the Beneficial Use of
Dredged Material
3. Marsh Management Research
a. Population Ecology
b. Plant Community Dynamics
c. Spatial Genetic Variations of Natural Populations
d. Disturbances in Coastal Natural Resources
i. Impacts of the Exotic Mammal, Nutria, on Coastal
Marsh Habitats
ii. Nutrient Dynamics and Biogeochemical Cycling
iii. Aquatic Ecosystem Stressors
4. LUMCON Research Areas
a. River/Ocean Interactions
• river plume processes
• estuarine processes
b. Human and Industrial Environmental Impacts
• environmental effects of energy and chemical industries
• nutrient enrichment

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c. Processes Influencing Coastal Change
• Wetland loss
• Barrier island loss
• Wetland management
d. Living Resources
• Fisheries and fish ecology
• Benthic ecology
e. Biological Oceanography
• Continental shelf characterization
• Carbon flux
• Dispersal and recruitment processes
5. Other Academic Research
a. Coastal Fisheries Institute
b. USGSs National Wetlands Research Center
c. NOAA and LSU
d. Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed
Nutrient Task Force
F. Future Potential of Educational Component .................................. IV-32
1. Planning
2. Program Opportunities
a. Undergraduate education
b. Graduate education
c. Pre-Kindergarten – 12th
grade
d. Teacher training
e. Public education
3. Staffing, Space Considerations and Policy
V. FACILITY REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................... V-1
A. Overview of Facility Requirements .................................................. V-1
B. Equipment Requirements and Other Considerations .................... V-1
C. Communications ................................................................................ V-1
D. Model Facilities .................................................................................. V-3
1. Achbold Biological Station
2. Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station
E. Policies ................................................................................................. V-8
VI. PROGAM AND SITE REQUIREMENTS ................................................... VI-1
A. Facility Requirements and Location.................................................. VI-1
B. Concept Diagrams and Layout Configuration ................................ VI-1
C. Siting Criteria and Site Inventory .................................................... VI-1
D. Estimated Capital Improvement Costs.............................................. VI-5
E. Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment Costs........................................ VI-5
F. Operations and Maintenance Costs ................................................... VI-6

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VII. MANAGEMENT CONCEPT and FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES............ VII-1
A. Management of the Atchafalaya Research Support Laboratory ... VII-1
B. Initial and Ongoing Funding Concerns ........................................... VII-2
C. Internal Funding Sources .................................................................. VII-1
1. Annual Budget
2. Cost Recovery and Indirect Cost Return
3. Endowment Income
D. External Funding Sources ................................................................. VII-4
1. Local, Regional, State, and Federal Agencies
` 2. Foundations
3. Contracts
4. Individuals
5. Annual or Regularly Scheduled Campaigns and
Membership Drives
6. Congressional Appropriations
7. In-kind Gifts
VIII. SUMMARY and CONCLUSIONS .............................................................. VIII-1
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................ v
ACRONYMS .............................................................................................................. vi

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APPENDICES
Appendix IV.1 Louisiana Field Stations
Appendix IV.2 Archbold Biological Field Station’s “Web Site Index”
Appendix IV.3 Outline of the LCA Recommended Plan and final array of alternatives
plan recommended by the Assistant Secretary of the Army, January 2005
Appendix IV.4 Table of Restoration Projects Completed or Pending in Coast 2050 Reg. 3
Appendix IV.5 Map identifying projects authorized under the Breaux Act (CWPPRA) in
Coast 2050 Region 3
Appendix IV.6 Map identifying projects authorized under other enabling legislation or
programs in Coast 2050 Region 3
Appendix IV.7 Additional project-specific information in Coast 2050 Region 3
Appendix IV.8 La Coast’s Reference List and Site Guide to Resource Materials for
Educators
Appendix IV.9 Barataria Terrebonne National Estuary Education Program and Resources
for educators
Appendix IV.10 Additional resources and information for educators including information
on K-12, Undergraduate, Graduate and Continuing Education Programs at
Archbold Biological Field Station
Appendix V.1 Additional information on the Archbold Biological Station’s research,
computer, and library facilities
Appendix V.2 Model policy and user guides (e.g. Residential Visitor Information form,
Visitor Application form, Schedule of Fees, Guidelines for Use of the
Multi-purpose Lab, Guidelines for use of the Multi-user classroom, et al.)
used at the Archbold Biological Station.
Appendix VI.1 Excerpts from minutes of Advisory Committee Meetings concerning the
requirements for and other aspects of the proposed facilities
Appendix VII.1 List of potential funding sources

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ACRONYMS
BTNEP Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
BBWW Barataria Bay Waterway
CED Coastal Engineering Division
CFS Cubic Feet Per Second
CIAP Coastal Impact Assistance Program
CRD Coastal Restoration Division
CREST Coastal Restoration and Enhancement through Science and Technology
CRMS Coastwide Reference Monitoring System
CWPPRA Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Administration
GIS Geographic Information System
GIWW Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
LCA Louisiana Coastal Area
LDAF Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
LDNR Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
LDWF Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
LSU Louisiana State University
MRGO Mississippi River Gulf Outlet
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service
NWRC National Wetlands Research Center
OCRM Office of Coastal Restoration and Management
OCS Outer Continental Shelf
PCWRP Parish Coastal Wetlands Restoration Program
SONRIS Strategic Online Natural Resources Information System
SSPM Mississippi River Small-Scale Physical Model
SWCC Soil and Water Conservation Committee
SWCD Soil and Water Conservation Districts
TPCG Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Congress has identified the Morgan City area as the proposed site for the primary
Atchafalaya Basin interpretive center. Several prior efforts have documented the need, concept,
preliminary layout, and site-specific location for the facility. The location is adjacent to and on
the protected side of the Atchafalaya Basin East Guide Levee in the northernmost section of
Morgan City. This proposed site forms the focal point to a multi-faceted destination for tourist
and Louisiana citizens alike as the facility is adjacent to Lake End Park and Lake End Parkway, a
vast recreational complex set in typical south Louisiana setting of large moss-laden live oak and
cypress trees. This site could not be more appropriate for the location of both the Atchafalaya
nature and interpretive center and the Atchafalaya River system research support laboratory.
From the inception of the original design concept for the interpretive center, a research
support field laboratory focusing on the Atchafalaya Basin and its associated riverine ecosystem
was proposed. The ecosystem extends from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Old River
Control Structure which manages the combined flows of the Mississippi, Red, and Atchafalaya
Rivers near Simmesport, Louisiana, to the Gulf of Mexico. The complex is composed of the
river and its various channels, swampland, fresh and brackish marsh, and bays. The cities of
Morgan City and Berwick rest squarely in the path of the river as it flows through the lower
portion of the Bayou Teche Ridge in St. Mary Parish outbound to the Gulf.
The purpose of this study was to determine the long-term viability of developing a
sustainable research support field laboratory as an adjunct to the Atchafalaya interpretive center.
Data was collected from both in-state and out of state field labsto compare and contrast similar
facilities. Efforts were directed toward facilities focused on wetland research and generally
developed for national, state, and university based uses.
Numerous examples indicated that sustainable facilities function best when (a) they are
designed to withstand the wrath of nature in its given landscape setting and (b) funding sources
for capital improvements as well as operations and maintenance are derived from multiple
sources—specifically government as well as non-government sources. Those that function best
boast of a host of non-governmental supporters.
Based upon the findings presented, the Atchafalaya support lab and associated facilities
will consist of the research support laboratories as well as facilities for overnight
accommodations, administration, boat storage and equipment storage areas, fueling facilities, and
parking. It will not only benefit from being located within the immediate proximity of its subject
area, but it will also benefit from being situated within the city limits of a long established urban
community. In addition, not only are all vital utility services available, but the most up-to-date
computer and internet capabilities are available. This latter feature was identified early by the
scientific and academic stakeholders as being crucial to the success of the proposed facility.
The findings presented indicate that the facility is highly justified, and it can be
sustainable in perpetuity given the governance and management style of LUMCON and its
acting in close concert and coordination with not only LUMCON but also the Barataria –
Terrebonne National Estuary Program. Preliminary construction costs presented for planning
Atchafalaya Basin Research Support Laboratory

purposes is estimated at $3,700,000 with furniture, fixtures, lab equipment, and boat/equipment
storage estimated at an additional $1,000,000.
The ultimate successful formula, however, must include non-government funding
assistance. In that regard, it is anticipated that the Atchafalaya Basin Foundation, state and local
governing authorities, the local legislative delegation, and Barataria-Terrebonne National
Estuary Program officials will serve as local champions for the project to move it forward
through the state legislative and administrative processes. Additionally, without the
development of the overall Atchafalaya nature and interpretive center, the likelihood of long-
term sustainability will be significantly diminished. Total user days are a critical component in
measuring the overall usefulness and economic success of a facility of this kind, and, in that
regard, not only research but also education opportunities must be accommodated. Specifically,
a K-12 educational program is important to the success of the research support facility.
As a final note, not only is the development highly recommended, but it is also suggested
that the facility be built with the long-term in mind. Specifically, the research support lab should
be state of the art from the day it opens, it should represent the leading edge of environmental
research technology from around the globe, and it should be well maintained as an efficient,
effective, and professional workplace worthy of the best the state of Louisiana can provide.
Atchafalaya Basin Research Support Laboratory

ATCHAFALAYA BASIN
RESEARCH SUPPORT LABORATORY
with
EDUCATION SUPPORT FACILITIES
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Background
1. Atchafalaya Basin Nature and Cultural Interpretive Center
The Atchafalaya Basin is the nation’s largest river swamp, containing
almost one million acres of the nation’s most significant bottomland hardwoods,
swamps, bayous, and back-water lakes. In 1986, Congress allocated
$250,000,000 in federal funds under the Water Resources Development Act
(WRDA) for projects to preserve and enhance the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway
System. These projects were to be implemented by the lead federal agency for
WRDA projects, namely, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). In the
years following the federal funding allocation, the Louisiana Department of
Natural Resources was designated as the lead state agency and the Atchafalaya
Basin Project State Master Plan (State Master Plan) was developed. In 1999, the
Louisiana legislature voted unanimously in support of the State Master Plan (Act
920), authorizing $85,000,000 in state matching funds to be spent over a 15 year
period.
In 2002, the USACE concluded that the data and analyses contained in its
June 2001 funded report (USACE “Section 22 Planning Assistance to States”
report), entitled The Atchafalaya Basin Nature and Cultural Interpretive Center,
Morgan City, Louisiana, supported St. Mary Parish’s desire to construct the
Atchafalaya Basin Nature and Cultural Interpretive Center in Morgan City. In the
report, annual visitation to the Atchafalaya Basin Nature and Cultural Interpretive
Center was estimated at 100,000 to 150,000 individuals per “stable year.” “Stable
year” designates those years following the opening and/or introduction of a
project. In this context, a stable year would typically commence the third or
fourth year after opening.
The Atchafalaya Basin Nature and Cultural Interpretive Center, as
proposed, conforms to the requirement for one major interpretive center in
accordance with Section 308 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000
which states that the Secretary “shall, in collaboration with the State of Louisiana,
initiate construction of the visitors center, authorized as part of the project, at or
near Lake End Park in Morgan City, Louisiana.” As such, it will serve as the
major Atchafalaya Basin visitor and interpretive center in the state.
2. The Atchafalaya Research Support Field Laboratory
In addition to the Interpretive Center noted above, a research support field
station and laboratory oriented to the Atchafalaya River system with capabilities
to serve as a multi-agency, multi-use facility has been proposed for use by various
Atchafalaya Basin Research Support Laboratory I-1

entities. Additional information relative the facility is presented in the following
table, “Atchafalaya Basin Nature and Cultural Interpretive Center: Summary of
Initial Interest,” from the original report.
Agency
Center
Exhibitry Field Lab
Education/
Outreach
Institutional
Structure
La. DNR, Atchafalaya Basin Program X X X X
Atchafalaya Basin Foundation X X X X
National Audubon Society X X X X
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service X X
U. S. Geological Survey X X
City of Morgan City (Local Sponsor) X X X X
St. Mary Parish Government (Local Sponsor) X X X X
Cajun Coast Convention and Visitor's Bureau X X X X
St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce X X X X
St. Mary Parish School Board X X
Morgan City High School X X
La. Office of Indian Affairs X
Chitimacha Tribe X X X
La. Geological Survey X X X X
La. Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism X
La. Department of Agriculture and Forestry X X X
La. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries X X X X
La. Department of Environmental Quality X
Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program X X X
La. Department of Education X X
La. Wildlife Federation X X
LSU School of Veterinary Medicine X
LSU CCEER X X
LSU Institute for Environmental Studies X X
LSU Hurricane Center X X
LSU Oceanography Department X X
Atchafalaya Levee Board X
ATCHAFALAYA BASIN NATURE AND CULTURAL INTERPRETIVE CENTER
SUMMARY OF INITIAL INTEREST
The proposed Atchafalaya Research Support Field Laboratory
(“Atchafalaya Research Support Lab”) would serve as a centralized facility to
support ongoing and future research in the Atchafalaya Basin, southward along
the riverine environment, and in the marshes and swamps of the bay and delta
regions. As envisioned, the Atchafalaya Research Support Lab would include wet
labs, dormitory facilities, office space with internet access, as well as watercraft
and vehicle storage, boat docking and fueling facilities.
3. Site for the Atchafalaya Research Support Field Laboratory
The proposed site for the Interpretive Center and research support field
laboratory is located at the southern end of the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway,

within the Louisiana Coastal Zone and the Coastal Wetlands Restoration Project
Area, in the eastern most portion of St. Mary Parish. Specifically, the proposed
site is located on a 90-acre parcel on the shore of Lake Palourde adjacent to the
East Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee in northeastern most section of Morgan
City.
The site, as proposed, is adjacent to Lake End Park and is easily accessible
from La. Hwy. 70. Lake End Park, with its abundance of moss covered cypress
trees and oaks, contains acres of active and passive recreation areas, including an
outdoor facility which can host up to 85 RV’s, a 40-slip marina, a mile-long
hiking trail, and numerous set-aside areas for tents and camping. Newspaper
accounts dating back to the late-1870’s portray the park as a well-established
community center, possibly making Lake End Park one of the oldest continually
operating recreational sites in the nation.
B. Approach and Methodology
The key factors in determining whether the envisioned Atchafalaya Basin
Research Support Field Laboratory will be successful are need, usage, and
funding. Its usage is directly related to its need; and, more importantly, its
estimated usage must justify its construction. An initial question is whether
sufficient research is being conducted. If not, what further desirable research in
the Atchafalaya Basin could the lab accommodate? As explored in more detail
herein and below, scientific projects, research and monitoring studies in the
Atchafalaya Basin, either ongoing or desirable, are of sufficient number to justify
the development of the research support facility. That given, the follow-up
concern is whether other field labs and stations in Louisiana are being used
proportionately to the possible research that could be conducted in their vicinity.
And, if so, what can be learned from them? If not, why not?
C. Review of Literature
Information presented below identifies the breadth of material reviewed
and analyzed during the preparation of this report. While the list is long, it does
not include all information examined, but is typical of the documents consulted.
U. S. Army, Corps of Engineers, Chief of Engineers. 2005. Louisiana Coastal
Area, Louisiana, Ecosystem Restoration. January 31, 2005.
Barras, J., Beville, S., Britsch, D., Hartley, S., Hawes, S., Johnston, J., Kemp, P.,
Kinler, Q., Martucci, A., Porthouse, J., Reed, D., Roy, K., Sapkota, S., and
Suhayda, J., 2003, Historical and projected coastal Louisiana land
changes: 1978-2050: USGS Open File Report 03-334, 39 p. (Revised
January 2004). Available online: http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/special/
NewHistoricalland/pdf.

The Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Compact and other implementing plans. Available
online: http://www.btnep.org/default.asp?id=30.
Boesch, D. F. 2005. Scientific requirements for ecosystem-based management in the
restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and coastal Louisiana. Ecological
Engineering (in press). Available online: http://www.umces.edu/president/
EBM%20CB-LA.pdf.
Bryson, J. M. 1995, Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations.
New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Cordes, C.L. and Vairin, B.A., editors, 1998,Workshop on solutions and
approaches for alleviating hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico: Lafayette,
Louisiana, U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division,
National Wetlands Research Center, NWRC Special Report 98-02.
CWPPRA Adaptive Management Review, Final Report 2002. Hill, S. M. and M.
M. Green. 2006. Coastal Restoration Annual Project Reviews: December
2005. Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Baton Rouge,
LA. Available online: http://dnr.louisiana.gov/crm/
Jickells, T. D., Boesch, D.F., Colijn, F., Elmgren, R., Frykblom, P., Mee, L.D.,
Pacyna, J.M., Voss, M.,Wulff, F., 2001. Transboundary issues. In: von
Bodungen, B., Turner, K. (Eds.), Science and Integrated Coastal
Management. Dahlem University Press, Berlin, pp. 93–112.
Lohr, Susan (Editor). 2001. An Operations Manual for Field Stations and Marine
Laboratories. Organization of Biological Field Stations (“OBFS”),
Bodega Bay, California. Available online: http://www.obfs.org/index.
php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=5&bid=28&btitle=Org
anizational%20 Activities& meid=54.
Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force. 1998.
Coast 2050: Toward a Sustainable Coastal Louisiana. Louisiana
Department of Natural Resources, Baton Rouge, LA. Available online:
http://www.coast2050.gov/report.pdf.
Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, 2001. Action
Plan for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern
Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.
National Research Council. 2005. Drawing Louisiana’s New Map: Addressing
Land Loss in Coastal Louisiana. National Academies Press, Washington,
DC.
National Research Council, 2004. Adaptive Management for Water Resources
Project Planning. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.

Rabalais, N. N., Turner, R.E., Scavia, D., 2002. Beyond science into policy: Gulf
of Mexico hypoxia and the Mississippi River. Bio-Science 52, 129–147.
Ruth, J.M., Barrow, W.C., Sojda, R.S., Dawson, D.K., Diehl, R.H., Manville, A.,
Green, M.T., Kreuper, D.J., and Johnston, S., Advancing migratory bird
conservation and management by using radar: an interagency
collaboration: U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report 2005-1173.
Available online: http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/ wdb/pub/others/21469.pdf.
Walters, C. J., 1997. Challenges in adaptive management of riparian and coastal
ecosystems. Conserv. Ecol. 1 (2), 1. Available online: URL:
www.consecol.org/vol1/iss3/art1.
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2003. Louisiana Coastal Area, LA—Ecosystem
Restoration: Comprehensive Coastwide Ecosystem Restoration Study.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, LA. Available online:
http://www.crcl.org/ lca_menu.htm.
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2004. Louisiana Coastal Area Comprehensive
Coastwide Ecosystem Restoration Study. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
New Orleans, LA. Available online: http://www.lca.gov/nearterm/main_
report1.aspx.
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Division, Fact Sheet
016-00, Restoring Life to the Dead Zone: Addressing Gulf Hypoxia, a
National Problem, Online at: http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/factshts/016-
00.pdf.

II. FORMATION AND COORDINATION OF SUPPORT AND PLANNING
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
A. Establish Initial Contact and Advisory Committee
As mentioned in Chapter I, during the compilation of the USACE’s June
2001 report, various entities expressed interest in creating a research support field
laboratory as a component of or adjunct to the Atchafalaya Basin Interpretive Center.
In addition to these initial stakeholders, a number of other potential stakeholders were
contacted including various federal and state agencies as well as other entities within
Louisiana’s higher education system. Because these actions were addressed as long
as three years prior to the printing of this report, many of the initial contacts are no
longer in the same positions within the education or governmental agencies.
The Louisiana Board of Regents oversees all of the colleges and
universities in the state of Louisiana (see http://www.regents.state.la.us). The
Louisiana Board of Regents website also lists separate entities governed by the
Louisiana Board of Regents including the Louisiana Universities Marine
Consortium (LUMCON). Dr. E. Joseph Savoie serves as the Louisiana
Commissioner of Higher Education under the Louisiana Board of Regents. The
entities which make up the state system are listed below followed by a list of
other potential stakeholders identified thus far.
1. Louisiana’s Higher Education System The colleges and universities of
Louisiana are individually grouped and governed by the five following
systems:
University of Louisiana System—Dr. Sally Clausen, President
• Grambling State University
• Louisiana Tech University
• McNeese State University
• Nicholls State University
• Northwestern State University
• Southeastern Louisiana University
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette
• University of Louisiana at Monroe
Louisiana State University System—Dr. William Jenkins, President
• LSU and A&M College
• LSU-Alexandria
• LSU Agricultural Center
• LSU-Eunice
• LSU Health Sciences Center
• LSU-Shreveport
• LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport
• University of New Orleans
Southern University System—Dr. Ralph Slaughter, President
• Southern University and A&M College
• Southern University-New Orleans
Atchafalaya Basin Research Support Laboratory II-1

• Southern University-Shreveport
Louisiana Community and Technical College System—Dr. Walter
Bumphus, President
• Baton Rouge Community College
• Bossier Parish Community College
• Delgado Community College
• Nunez Community College
• L. E. Fletcher Technical Community College
• Louisiana Delta Community College
• Louisiana Technical College
• River Parishes Community College
• South Louisiana Community College
• Sowela Technical Community College
Louisiana Private Institutions—Dr. William Arceneaux, President of
the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
• Centenary College
• Dillard University
• Louisiana College
• Xavier University
• Tulane University
• Our Lady of Holy Cross College
• Our Lady of the Lake College
• Saint Joseph Seminary College
• Loyola University
• Tulane University Health Sciences
• New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Center
2. Other Potential Stakeholders: State and federal agencies
• U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• U.S. Federal Highway Administration
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• U. S. Geological Survey
• U.S. National Park Service,
• National Marine Fisheries Service
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Office of the Governor
• Atchafalaya Basin Levee Board
• Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service
• Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry
• Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
• Louisiana Department of Economic Development
• Louisiana Department of Education
• Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
• Louisiana Department of Natural Resources

• Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Atchafalaya Basin
Program
• Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
• Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs
B. Initial Planning Research and Support Advisory Committee
1. Composition of the Initial Advisory Committee
During the planning phase of the Interpretive Center concept, a research
and support advisory committee was formed to monitor and manage support for
the Field Station. Initial reports and analyses indicate that the university systems
of Louisiana and the governmental agencies listed above will utilize the proposed
research component as a regional, national, and international draw for academic
as well as governmental agency pursuits. The initial planning advisory committee
included representatives from a diverse group of agencies, institutions, and
organizations, including, but not limited to, the following:
Federal Government:
• U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• U. S. Geological Survey
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region 6)
• National Marine Fisheries Service
State Government:
• Governor’s Office
• State Senator D.A. “Butch” Gautreaux, Democrat (District 21 and
Member of Senate Coastal Restoration and Flood Control Committee)
• Atchafalaya Basin Program of the Louisiana Department of Natural
Resources
• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
• Louisiana Department of Natural Resources-Office of Coastal Restoration
and Management
• Louisiana Geological Survey
• Louisiana Department of Economic Development
• Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
• Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
Universities:
• Louisiana State University-School of the Coast and Environment (SC&E)
• Louisiana State University-Department of Oceanography & Coastal
Sciences (SC&E)
• Louisiana State University-Department for Environmental Studies
(SC&E)
• Louisiana State University-Wetland Biogeochemistry Institute (SC&E)

• Louisiana State University-Coastal Studies Institute (SC&E/OCS)
• Louisiana State University-Coastal Fisheries Institute (SC&E/OCS)
• Louisiana State University-Coastal Ecology Institute (SC&E/OCS)
• Louisiana State University-Basin Research Institute
• University of Southwestern Louisiana-Center for Louisiana Inland Water
Studies
• University of Southwestern Louisiana-Wetland Education Program
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette-Center for Ecology and
Environmental Technology
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette-Center for Louisiana Inland Water
Studies
• University of New Orleans
• Southeastern University
Other Academic/Research/Educational Institutions:
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON)
• Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
• USGS National Wetlands Research Center (Lafayette)
Natural Resource and Coastal Preservation Agencies:
• Professional Organizations: Southern Economic Development Council
(SEDC), South Louisiana Economic Council
• Other Private Sector Organizations: Maritime Institute Emergency
Monitoring and Response (MIEMAR)
2. Evolution of the Advisory Committee in the Planning
and Implementation Process
The second phase of the planning process also initiates the implementation
phase. During the implementation phase, the lead or supporting institution(s) will
have been identified, memorandum of understanding drafted and executed where
needed, and the overall organization structure for the Atchafalaya Research
Support Lab consolidated. The advisory committee will begin its evolution into
what will ultimately be a management advisory committee. At the start of the
second phase, the advisory committee will be ongoing, still consisting of major
stakeholders in the field laboratory including individuals and other representatives
from key state and federal government agencies. Its primary responsibilities will
be to oversee the implementation of the field station and possibly the education
facilities in coordination with the sponsoring institution and primary funding
entities for the project.
Also during this second planning phase, a concentrated effort to increase
the number of vested stakeholders needs to be initiated. This will allow for three
critical processes: (1) the evolution of the initial advisory committee into a
management advisory committee; (2) the creation of a multi-faceted and diverse
support organization which, in turn, will lead to (3) the implementation of task

forces providing a broader base for information gathering and idea-sharing.
While the initial advisory committee will be further refined to concentrate on key
management and implementation decisions, the task forces will be able to focus
on specific issues and constructs within their particular areas of expertise. Each
task force will be established by the advisory committee, but the stakeholders will
elect their membership. Task forces can be constituted to deal with fundraising,
finances, endowments, capital projects, or any number of topics. Stakeholders can
belong to more than one task force if no logistical conflict is created, such as
overlapping meeting attendance issues, in their doing so. A task force, in turn,
will then report its findings and suggestions to the advisory/management
committee upon the conclusion of its charge.
For example, a task force is needed to address communications needs, and
a wide range of hardware and software will be needed at a field lab or station.
Resources can be as basic as one computer with a modem on a single phone line
or as complex as a LAN network, fast internet connections, and an elaborate GIS
lab. It is difficult to define a minimum installation for a field station, but the
ability to provide e-mail and web access is critical. More elaborate systems will
require information technology assistance on the site as well as sufficient building
space and bandwidth.
The ability to grow can be severely constrained by limited bandwidth
availability. Teleconferencing capabilities, for example, require at least partial T1
bandwidth or a minimum of two 156K ISDN phone lines, and considerations
requiring decisive action will be required during the architectural phase of
development. For example, how should the field lab accommodate the internet
access needs of users? If a station has overnight accommodations, is it feasible or
desirable to provide LAN or WAN ports in housing? How much data
infrastructure is feasible before an onsite network administrator (full- or part-
time) is required? Additional issues include whether database collections are to
be maintained, general archiving and data backup concerns, policy and protocol
information and so forth. These and other communications issues are further
explored in Section V of this report.
Once the planning phase has concluded and the advisory committee has
given way to the management committee, the task forces will evolve into new
advisory committees. This evolution will be primarily in title rather than in
function since the roles of new advisory committees are essentially the same as
those of the task forces. The difference will be primarily one of term. The task
forces will be fluid and can be quickly created, charged, completed, and reported.
Advisory committees will serve for the long-term but, like the task forces, any
number of advisory committees are possible limited only by the issues the field
station needs to address.
Many field stations also utilize a scientific advisory committee. This
committee meets at least once a year and addresses policy issues related to the

scientific content of research or educational programs at the field station. Typical
membership in a scientific advisory committee would include (1) scientists who
conduct research at the field station, usually a minority of the committee
members, (2) other national or international colleagues, and (3) persons with
special expertise such as high-level regulatory executives.

III. INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE
A. Mission Statement, Vision, and Goals
The mission statement and strategic goals for the Atchafalaya Research Support
Field Lab are based upon Louisiana’s long-term strategic plan—Vision 20/20. In
1996, Louisiana’s Economic Development Council (LAEDC) was created by the
Legislature to develop the state’s long-term strategic plan for diversifying Louisiana’s
economy. LAEDC completed the first version of Louisiana’s Vision 20/20 in 1998 and
updated the document in early 2003. Louisiana: Vision 2020, the past four annual
Action Plans, and the full details of the Council’s targets and benchmarks are available
online at http://vision2020.louisiana.gov.
Vision 2020 foresees that “Louisiana within twenty years will have a
vibrant, balanced economy; a fully engaged, well-educated workforce, and a
quality of life that places it among the top ten states to live, work, visit, and to do
business.” In pursuit of Louisiana: Vision 2020, three goals are used as the plan’s
primary architectural elements. Goal One is described as “the one that makes the
other two goals possible,” i.e., to “re-create the state as a Learning Enterprise, a
rich, diverse, complex organism in which all businesses, institutions, and citizens
are actively engaged in the pursuit of knowledge. Louisiana will be a place
where every citizen has the opportunity and responsibility to continue learning
throughout his or her lifetime.” The mission of the support field station is directly
tied to this transformation vision as stated in Goal One of Louisiana’s Vision
2020.
Mission Statement
The mission of the support field station is to provide a site and facilities to
support research within the in the Atchafalaya River system—the Basin, the
river, the Delta, its Bays, and adjoining ecosystems and drainage basins—
from its origin at the Old River Structure into the Gulf of Mexico.
Strategic Goals
GOAL 1: Create a research support field station in the Atchafalaya Basin
region that will sustain scientific inquiry by visiting scientists and lead to an
improved understanding of the region’s ecosystem structure and function.
Louisiana Vision 2020 Links: Goal 1, Objective 1.6: To increase student
achievement and the number of students completing courses in the following
fields: science, engineering, information technology, and entrepreneurship; Goal
2, Objective 2.2: To significantly increase public and private research and
development activity; and Goal 3, Objective 3.7: To preserve and develop
Louisiana’s natural and cultural assets and Objective 3.8: To protect Louisiana’s
environment and support sustainable development.
GOAL 2: Facilitate private and public sector participation in the
development of programs for the beneficial use of dredged materials, such as
Atchafalaya River System Research Support Laboratory III-1

the program proposed by the LCA, and with a special emphasis on programs
or projects addressing marsh restoration and/or creation utilizing long-
distance conveyance of sediment.
Louisiana Vision 2020 Links: Goal 2, Objective 2.2: To significantly
increase public and private research and development activity; Goal 2, Objective
2.4: To provide effective mechanisms for industry access to university-based
technologies and expertise; and Goal 3, Objective 3.6: To protect, rehabilitate,
and conserve our coastal ecosystem; Objective 3.7: To preserve and develop
Louisiana’s natural and cultural assets and Objective 3.8: To protect Louisiana’s
environment and support sustainable development.
The mission and strategic goals may need further refinement to reflect the
mission of a sponsoring institution, once chosen, as these must also justify the
activities of the field station in relation to the specific requirements of the
sponsoring institution.
B. Administrative Structure
A primary concern is determining the ongoing administrative
structure for Atchafalaya Research Support Lab. The nature of administrative
relationships varies widely among field stations. The Organization of Biological
Field Stations (“OBFS”) recognizes two distinct models for field station
governance.
Model I: Governance by a sponsoring institution, which is usually a
university, college, museum, or larger nonprofit corporation. As of January 2001,
approximately 85% of OBFS member field stations were part of a larger
institution.
Model II: Self-governance at an independent field station with no
sponsoring institution. These field stations are usually non-profit corporations
with federal tax-exempt status. As of January 2001, about 15% of OBFS member
field stations were independent.
For Model I field stations, many of the functions are intrinsic to the field
station, and authority generally rests with the sponsoring institution. Typically,
the independent field station has a board of directors which fills some of the roles
of both the sponsoring institution and the community of donors. For Model II
field stations, the bylaws of the board of trustees dictate where authority rests.
The OBS recommends that some of the literature available from the National
Center for Nonprofit Boards (www.ncnb.org) can help a Model II field station
understand the national norms for nonprofit governance. Another resource is the
“Trustee Handbook: A Guide to Effective Governance for Independent School
Boards” (De Kuyper 1998), sponsored by the National Association of
Independent Schools (www.nais-schools.org).

The Atchafalaya Research Support Lab would be best served by having an
identified sponsoring institution with a fundamental financial commitment to the
field station. Such a commitment is expected by donors and by outside funding
sources such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other granting
agencies. This institutional obligation should be calculated and agreed upon early
in the planning process. For example, this commitment might cover the provision
of core staff and a maintenance budget. Other non-cash institutional contributions
may include insurance, legal assistance, development office assistance, physical
plant personnel, and access to the many resources a university provides its various
departments.
Several other questions associated with governance are pertinent. Each
should be answered in writing, and a process established for appropriate action.
The following represent such questions:
• Who determines policy?
• Who hires and fires?
• Who evaluates the Director/Executive Director?
• Who controls the strategic plan, and other planning processes?
• Who approves the budget?
C. Action Plan to Achieve Strategic Goals
To provide a research support laboratory and field station that can be
successfully utilized by visiting scientists, researchers, and the monitoring
community, critical determinations must be made regarding the amenities of the
facility and the equipment situated on or near its main site. Secondly, as to the
education component, its relationship to the research facility needs further
exploration. One concern is that visitors to the education classrooms, ranging
from elementary school children to mid- and high school age adolescents, could
disrupt or infringe upon activities taking place in the research facility.
Certain decisions have already been made, namely, that there will be one
or more laboratories and boat and vehicle support facilities. These broad
directives need further refinement. A few key issues related to equipment needs,
facility structure, and the envisioned educational unit are explored in more detail
in Section V of this report.
Action Plan:
Action 1: Develop construction plan
• Finalize decisions concerning utilities (including internet connectivity),
parking, equipment, furnishings and fixtures, etc.
• Re-evaluate number and types of labs (wet and dry labs, saltwater access,
specimen storage, etc.)

• Decide on communications needs, conference room and/or resource room
needs
• Finalize site plans on boat storage and support facility
• Incorporate future education facility into planning
• Develop proposed construction schedule and finalize cost estimates
Action 2: Coordinate facility use for the research and monitoring program
• Determine lead or sponsoring institution
• Develop administrative plan
• Develop staffing plan and hire personnel
scientists• Establish procedures and policies for visiting
• Determine user fees for visiting researchers
• Develop process for applying for facility use
Source: National Wetlands Research Center, Baton Rouge, Offic
ent of Natural Resources,
e
Acquired from the Louisiana Departm
Atchafalaya Basin Program

Atchafalaya Basin Research Support Laboratory IV-1
IV. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
A. Analysis Employed
A successful support field station is one that is fully funded and fulfills its mission
statement and strategic goals. As briefly discussed in Section I. B of this report, key issues in
determining the justification of the proposed field laboratory are need and usage. First a
review of the field laboratories operating in Louisiana and other states, including some that
are no longer operational, was conducted for information on operations, use, and research.
(See Appendix IV.1 for a list of Louisiana Field Stations.) Secondly, a review of coastal
wetlands and bayou preservation legislation and developments, followed by a review of
major projects in Region 3 (a CWPPRA classification explained below) was done. Lastly, a
very brief exploration of research, both pure and applied, that would be benefit from the
Atchafalaya Basin research support field laboratory was completed.
Louisiana and the nation are well served by facilities described in this section. Also,
fully equipped and staffed laboratories at various Louisiana universities are dedicated to
wetlands and riverine research. However, none of these facilities provides on-site filed
research support opportunities for the Atchafalaya River system. The proposed Atchafalaya
Basin Research Support Facility will provide access to the Atchafalaya system and on-site
support capability coupled with leading edge data storage, retrieval, and transfer technology.
It will also provide logistics support for care of samples and sampling equipment as well as
boat and other vehicular and equipment storage.
B. Research Support Field Stations and Laboratories in Louisiana
The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) is the premier
Louisiana research station. LUMCON was formed in 1979 to coordinate and stimulate
Louisiana’s activities in marine research and education. LUMCON’S mission is to
increase society’s awareness of the environmental, economic, and cultural value of
Louisiana’s coastal and marine environments by conducting research and education
programs directly relevant to Louisiana’s needs in marine science and serving as a
facility for all Louisiana schools with interest in marine research and education.
LUMCON provides coastal laboratory facilities to Louisiana universities and conducts
in-house research and educational programs in the marine sciences.
LUMCON’s main facilities are located at the W.J/ DeFelice Marine Center in
Cocodrie, approximately 85 miles southwest of New Orleans. This location, situated
within the estuarine wetland complex of the Mississippi River delta plain between the
Atchafalaya and Mississippi Rivers, provides ready access to the most productive
estuaries in the United States, to a variety of coastal environments, and to the open Gulf
of Mexico. To provide additional access to special environments, a field station is
maintained at Port Fourchon. (NOTE: This field station is for education and research
only. It is not open to the public.)
The Marine Center is a modern, 75,000 square foot complex of research,
instructional, housing, and support facilities completed in 1986. The Center includes 26,000
net usable square feet of laboratory, classroom, office, and library space. Eight laboratories
are equipped with running sea water. Six additional laboratories are reserved for dry

LUMCON facilities in Cocodrie, Louisiana
applications and instrumentation and are used for both research and teaching. A network of
micro-computers and peripherals link users throughout the Center. Access to mainframe
computers on the campuses of Consortium member institutions is provided via a T1 link.
Dormitory rooms and five apartments provide housing for up to 80 persons and
are available for use by students, visiting investigators, and instructors. A cafeteria/
general meeting room is situated in the center of the complex, linking the housing and
research/instructional spaces. A 99-seat auditorium facilitates teaching activities,
seminar presentations, and conferences.
Layout of LUMCON Facility
The unique location of the LUMCON Marine Center near the discharges of a
world class river and within the expansive coastal wetlands of Louisiana provides

numerous research opportunities. Comparative studies are conducted by LUMCON
faculty in similar environments across the U.S. and worldwide to provide insight into the
problems of coastal Louisiana. Five general research themes form the basis of research
by resident faculty and staff in collaboration and cooperation with faculty and students of
member universities.
• River/Ocean Interactions
• Human and Industrial Environmental Impacts
• Processes Influencing Coastal Change
• Living Resources
• Biological Oceanography
LUMCON is governed by a six-member executive board comprised of chief
executive officers of Louisiana State University and A&M college, Nicholls State
University, and the University of Louisiana - Lafayette. The executive board reports to
the Louisiana State Board of Regents. Consortium members are the Louisiana Board of
Regents and the Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (See
Listing of Universities in Section II. A above).
LUMCON oversees the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP),
one of 28 National Estuary Programs in the United States. The BTNEP office is located
in Thibodaux, Louisiana, on the campus of Nicholls State University. The Coastal
Restoration and Enhancement through Science and Technology (CREST) program is an
alliance of eleven academic institutions within southern Louisiana and Mississippi.
LUMCON serves as the administrative and financial agent for CREST. The program’s
office is located on the campus of Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.
LUMCON is a member of the Southern Association of Marine Laboratories
(SAML), the National Association of Marine Laboratories (NAML), the Organization of
Biological Field Stations (OBFS) , University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System
(UNOLS), and the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE).
The LUMCON Port Fourchon laboratory is located in Port Fourchon, La.,
approximately 85 miles southwest of New Orleans and 75 miles southeast of the W. J.
DeFelice Marine Center in Cocodrie, La. The site, near the mouth of Bayou Lafourche,
provides field access to vast salt and brackish marshes, barrier islands, and offshore
environments of the northern Gulf of Mexico. In 1973, the Wisner Foundation funded
the building of the Port Fourchon Laboratory for the Nicholls State University biology
program. At that time, this was the only facility available for use on the Louisiana Gulf
Coast. Six years after completion of the building (1979), the Nicholls State University
biology department donated the field laboratory to the newly formed LUMCON
organization. As a result, all universities in the state have an equal opportunity to use the
facility.

Port Fourchon Field Station
Louisiana universities as well as public and private schools throughout the state
frequently use the Port Fourchon laboratory. The facility sleeps up to 16 people in bunks,
4 on cots in the lab, and any others who are willing to camp out under the screened-in
porch. The field station has a kitchen, and cooked meals can be requested for groups of
ten or more. Visiting groups are encouraged to use the laboratory/classroom at the
facility for post fieldwork preparation of samples, and small boats are available upon
request for use from the DeFelice Marine Center through the Vessels Operations Office.
Port Fourchon Laboratory/Classroom
Following Katrina, the lab was opened shortly after debris removal was
completed. All utilities at the facility are operational. Major damage was done to the
large dock, bulkhead, fence, and screen surrounding the first floor. Very little damage
was done to the interior. Only temporary repairs have been done to date. Permanent
repairs are under the direction of the Louisiana Division of Administration, Office of
Facility Planning and Control.

Port Fourchon Wet Lab with Cot
Redfish Point (a.k.a. Fearman Bayou) is a wooden camp located in the State
Wildlife Refuge on Fearman Lake in Vermilion Parish. Originally, it was probably part
of a trapper camp. Now it is maintained by the USGS which uses it as a boating training
center for USGS employees. By the terms of the original deed of donation, the USGS
must have a continuing enforcement presence. The USGS continues to fulfill this
function and maintains the grounds and facilities associated with the site. The primary
funding for Redfish Point is through the Conservation Fund. The station is also home to
a variety of research projects. For example, the LDWF uses it for posting boundaries and
manipulating water quality structures. This facility has been operational for over 20
years.
Lyle S. St. Amant Marine Biological Laboratory in located on Grand Terre
Island in southeast Louisiana between Barataria Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The St.
Amant Marine Laboratory is a salt water biological research laboratory under the
jurisdiction of the LDWF Division of Marine Fisheries. Primary funding is through the
Conservation Fund. The facility is arguably underutilized; nevertheless, its continuance
is unquestioned—its lease, including the surrounding property, with the federal
government extends into perpetuity as long as a Biological Research Laboratory is
maintained on-site. Additionally, the terms of this lease were made into law (Title 56).
Lyle S. St. Amant Marine Biological Laboratory

The primary mission of this marine laboratory is to conduct the research required
for the proper management of Louisiana’s marine fisheries. Laboratory facilities are also
made available for the use of other department and non-department entities engaged in
fisheries management and enforcement, coastal restoration, and marine education. The
marine laboratory also headquarters the Coastal Study Area III program charged with the
monitoring of finfish, crustacean, and molluscan species in the Barataria Bay estuarine
system. The LDWF Enforcement Division routinely uses the laboratory as a base of
operations and conducts cadet training at the laboratory each spring, and the education
section of its Fur and Refuge Division conducts a teacher workshop at the laboratory each
summer. This same division, in conjunction with LSU Agricultural Extension and the
Sea Grant program, also hosts the award-winning Marsh Maneuvers for 4 H students
each summer at the lab. Many university researchers make use of the laboratory
facilities, and the marine laboratory also supports the monitoring of the Grand Isle
Sulphur Mine Reef for the Louisiana Artificial Reef Program (contact Person: Randy
Pausina at Pausina_RB@wlf.state.la.us).
Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station is a field research and
educational facility of Southeastern Louisiana University that is located in the Lake
Pontchartrain estuarine ecosystem. Because of its location at the up per end of this major
estuary, Turtle Cove is within one hour by boat of various wetland environments and
their aquatic counterparts. These environments range from entirely fresh to moderately
saline environments and include bottomland hardwood forests, bald cypress swamps, and
fresh and intermediate marshes. Research here is conducted on many different aspects of
wetland ecosystems and their associated aquatic environments. S pecific topics include
plant competition studies, restoration ecology, the physiology of fish and other aquatic
organisms, phylogenetics of area snakes, ecological parasitology, algal ecology, and
invertebrate population dynamics.
The
Reading
Room at
Turtle
Cove
Student research at Turtle Cove also varies considerably and can be found at both
the graduate level and undergraduate level. Turtle Cove is a regional leader in
environmental education, particularly with regard to field oriented coursework and
teacher workshops. Its teacher workshops are aligned with the National Science

Education Standards for both course content as well as professional development for K-
12 teachers.
Turtle Cove maintains a substantial and ever growing selection of boats suitable
for almost any endeavor. The selection ranges from 10′ pirogues to a 38′ pontoon boat.
Many research projects require the use of mud boats to get through the narrow, shallow,
and stump-ridden logging ditches that criss-cross the entire region.
Boating at Turtle Cove
The Grand Isle Field Station is a research support facility located on Grand
Terre Island. It is accessible only by boat. A new facility on Grand Isle is currently
under construction and will allow easier accessibility.
The Atchafalaya Delta Field Station is located in the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife
Management Area. It is also under the jurisdiction of the LDWF Fur and Refuge
Division with funding by the Conservation Fund. The site is a small facility that can
house only five to six people, and electricity is provided by generators. University
researchers use it for logistical support, and the LDWF maintains a few primitive
campgrounds on the site. The LDWF’s primary use is as a field station in its data
collection on waterfowl. A houseboat mooring is available, and area-wide permits for
hunting are sold. Even though it is still used, this field station does face closure as it
continues to lose stature as a result of budget and staff reductions. Nonetheless, the
location of this field station and revitalized use and upgrades is critical to the success of
the proposed Atchafalaya research support facility. Conversely, the development of the
primary support facility in Morgan City will encourage expanded use of the Atchafalaya
Delta Field Station similar to the relationship which exists between the LUMCON facility
and the Port Fourchon field station and support laboratory described above.
The Marsh Island Field Station is also under the jurisdiction of the Fur and
Refuge Division of the LDWF which governs the Marsh Island facility. The field station
is accessible only by boat, and the LDWF maintains a boat slip at Cypremort Point for
access. It has overnight accommodations and, even with its accessibility limitations, has

good use counts. Primary research is directed toward weir maintenance, logistical
analysis, and the manipulation of water quality structures. Some soft funding comes
from universities using the facility for research, but primary funding for the station is
through a dedicated trust fund set up with oil and gas proceeds. The site was donated by
the McIlhenny and Sage families in 1912 and is expected to remain operational because
of this continued funding and designated uses.
The Sister Lake (a.k.a. Caillou Lake) Field Station is under the jurisdiction of
the LDWF Marine Fisheries Division. It is located at the end of Bayou du Large in
Terrebonne Parish and offers primitive overnight accommodations with cistern water. It
is located in the middle of premier oyster grounds and protects seed grounds for oysters.
Also, it is a staging area for oyster work and occasionally enforcement. The only source
of funds for upkeep is hurricane insurance money, but its electricity costs and $10 per
year rent is paid through the Conservation Fund.
The Grand Pass Field Station, an LDWF station, was located on the edge of
Lake Borgne near the Mississippi Sound. It served as point of ingress and egress for
oysters going from Louisiana to Mississippi, and it helped to control oyster theft and
collected a small tax on oysters leaving Louisiana. It was closed in the 1980’s as a result
of budget cuts.
The Center for Ecology and Environmental Technology (CEET), located at 703
Thoroughbred Dr. in Lafayette, is dedicated to investigating, protecting, and improving our
natural environment through science, education, and technology. It promotes
interdisciplinary studies linking university, government, and the private sector. Its facilities
include a 15,000 sq. ft. main building containing a classroom and office space equipped with
computers, laboratories, sample preparation areas, cold rooms, and a dormitory. It also
provides green-houses and old irrigated field research plots, common garden field plots, and
fresh- and seawater supply.
Greenhouse at Center for Ecology and Environmental Technology field site
Transportation to the most remote study sites can be accomplished via the field
station’s nine-passenger Ford Excursion, a large airboat (pilot available), and Boston
Whalers. Fees are assessed based on the type, size, and duration of space needed. Grants
are available for graduate student research, and funding for the station is provided in part
by the National Science Foundation.

C. Comparable Out-of–State Research Support Field Stations and
Laboratories
The Baruch Marine Field Laboratory in South Carolina is the laboratory facility
for the Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences. The Institute, established in
1969 through the joint efforts of the Belle W. Baruch Foundation and the University of South
Carolina, is a free-standing entity within the University’s College of Science and
Mathematics. Its field lab is located on Hobcaw Barony, near Georgetown, South Carolina.
All major temperate coastal habitats—tidal salt marsh, creeks, beaches, jetties, maritime
forest, swamps, brackish and freshwater marshes, old rice fields, and various upland
habitats—are represented on Hobcaw. The site is also home to more than 1,200 acres of
brackish and freshwater marshes which were formerly cultivated rice fields. Hobcaw borders
the Winyah Bay and the North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserve. The Reserve, comprised of high
quality, ocean-dominated waters and salt marshes in the north Inlet as well as the brackish
waters and marshes of Winyah Bay, encompasses another 12,327 acres of tidal marshes and
wetlands.
Baruch Marine Field Laboratory
Researchers from the university and a variety of local, regional, national, and
international institutions use the field laboratory to conduct basic and applied research in
marine and coastal environments. The location at Hobcaw Barony offers researchers a
unique opportunity to conduct studies in relatively undisturbed major coastal habitats. The
ecosystem supports a salt marsh, upland forests of long leaf and loblolly pine interspersed
with stands of live oaks, and cypress-tupelo swamps. Most of the surrounding marsh and
adjacent uplands are owned by private foundations that have established these lands in
perpetuity for conservation and research. Many of the research programs at the laboratory
are associated with the high salinity marsh- estuary at north Inlet which is bordered on the
east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the south by Winyah Bay.
The quality of this site for ecological research is well recognized. As an
internationally recognized academic research facility, the Baruch Institute conducts basic
research on environmental processes, tidal, estuarine and coastal ocean environments.
Collectively, the studies span the molecular to landscape level, including the effects of
human activities. The collaborative research efforts bring together scientists whose
perspectives and expertise enable a more complete approach to wise use and sustainability.
The main building (19,872 sq ft) of the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory complex
contains 18 air-conditioned research laboratories, a computer center, seminar room,
conference-dining room, archived-sample room, classroom, site library, teaching lab, walk-in

refrigerators and freezers, large screened work areas, and running seawater with technical and
administrative support offices. An observation deck, piers, floating docks, boat ramps and a
marsh boardwalk provide access to a variety of marine coastal habitats. Laboratory space,
housing, research equipment, boats, and vehicles can be reserved and used for a fee.
Two nearby buildings (3,000 sq ft) are equipped for field oriented research requiring
running seawater for analytical equipment. The seawater system provides up to 500 gpm of
natural tidal creek water and 50 gpm of 20 micro mole filtered water. The attached wing of
the National Estuarine Research Reserve (North-Inlet Winyah Bay) provides an additional
4,500 sq ft of air-conditioned space for classrooms, teaching laboratories, computer labs, and
offices in support of educational programming and research. The complete structured base is
supported by a maintenance shop that provides vehicle/boat support and offers unique talents
to assist in research projects.
The base operation is covered by a hardwired and wireless T1 network that includes a
video teleconferencing service linked to the Columbia campus which makes it possible for
visitors to interact with other researchers and to access additional research resources with
technical staff available for assistance.
Long-term research programs include the following:
• The Carolinas Coastal Ocean Observing and Prediction System
(Caro-COOPS):
A pre-operational system of integrated coastal observations and their
application to user-driven research, societal, and economic needs. A
Partnership among the University of South Carolina, North Carolina
State University, and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
• The North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
(NI-WB NERR):
The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) is a
national network of protected areas representing different bio-
geographic coastal regions of the United States. The sites were
established for long-term research, monitoring, education, and
stewardship. The North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserve, one of 26 NERR
sites, is a funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and matched resources from the host state
agency.
• Urbanization and Southeastern Estuarine Systems (USES) Project:
The USES project is an ongoing multidisciplinary study to assess and
model the impacts of urban development on small, high salinity
estuaries on the southeast coast of the United States.
• The Land Use-Coastal Ecosystem Study (LU-CES):
LU-CES seeks to improve our understanding of the population and
socioeconomic trends that characterize the Southeastern coast, and
how these trends affect our coastal ecosystems.
• The Mobile Link Organisms (LINKS) Project:
The goal of the LINKS project is to quantify the roles of mobile
animals, mainly fish and decapod crustaceans (collectively called

nekton), in processing and transporting materials within and between
marsh-estuarine systems and subsystems.
Educational programs for university and secondary school faculty and students,
governmental regulatory personnel, environmentalists, and the general public are offered by
the Institute’s Continuing Education Program and the North Inlet-Winyah Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve. Outreach activities include festivals and International events
include Earth Day and Beach Sweep. The Reserve also sponsors regional high school
classes in the Estuary-Net Project, a volunteer water-quality monitoring project that engages
students in studies of local watersheds. Of special interest is the Reserve’s workshops in
coastal issues bring together environmental professionals and other coastal decision makers
for information sharing, discussions and planning.
The Coastal Training Program (CTP) is a nationwide initiative by the National
Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) system to provide science-based information, tools, and
training to coastal decision makers to foster stewardship of coastal resources. A coastal
decision maker is defined as anyone whose professional or personal choices impact the health
of coastal resources or habitats and would include local planners, county council members,
commercial and recreational fishermen, and developers.
The Edward J. Meeman Biological Station is a facility of the Department of
Biology at the University of Memphis. The station was established in 1968 to promote
research and instruction in the areas of natural history, ecology, and environmental biology.
It consists of two sites. The Meeman site (623 acres) is located about 25 miles north of
Memphis and two miles east of the Mississippi River on a Chickasaw Bluff. The facility and
surrounding areas are characterized by low plains and fertile valleys which are drained by the
Mississippi River and several tributaries. Distinct forest habitat types include gently rolling
terrain, steeply sloping terrain of the Chickasaw Bluff, and floodplain of the Mississippi
River. Upland forests are characterized by mixed oak-hickory and beech-maple and lowland
forests by cottonwood, elm hackberry, and cypress. Old-field habitats of various ages are
common. Sluggish bottom-land streams and cypress swamps are nearby. The Brunswick
site (367 acres) is located adjacent to the Loosahatchie River about 20 miles east of the
Meeman Site. This location offers a bottomland site with sluggish streams, cypress swamps,
and numerous old fields surrounded by private lands.
The station is available to graduate students and qualified investigators throughout
the year. Faculty from the University of Memphis and several other institutions in the
mid-south utilize the facility for research purposes. It has a modest conference/
administrative center, large laboratory building with classrooms, research and teaching
labs, dormitory rooms, and a kitchen. Ongoing research programs include river and
wetland ecology, wildlife ecology, plant community ecology, population ecology,
evolutionary ecology, ecological genetics, and others. Courses in ecology, botany, field
techniques, and related disciplines are offered during the summer.
The Archbold Biological Station, located in Lake Placid, Florida, is an independent,
non-profit research facility, devoted to long-term ecological research and conservation. The
Station is funded principally by proceeds from an endowment overseen by Archbold
Expeditions, a non-profit operating foundation founded by Richard Archbold. The station
owns and manages a 5,193-acre natural preserve and also manages the MacArthur Agro-

ecology Research Center (MAERC) (10,300 acres) and the Reserve (3,648 acres) adjacent to
the Station.
Ecological research is the central activity of Archbold Station and the MacArthur
Agro-ecology Research Center. Research in field and laboratory settings emphasizes ecology
including population biology, life history theory, animal behavior, biogeography, community
ecology, conservation ecology, evolution, landscape ecology, nutrient cycling, soil ecology,
and agro-ecology. Research at both Station and Ranch increasingly addresses applied aspects
of ecology and conservation biology. Extensive databases on climatic conditions,
biodiversity, biological collections, plant and animal populations, water tables, and water
chemistry are available to augment any research project. Thousands of vertebrates of many
species have been individually marked for long-term monitoring of populations, movement
patterns, growth, and longevity. Continuous sampling of insects and other arthropods
provides data on ecology and annual variation among the station's invertebrate populations.
With demographic data obtained at the Station, many viability analyses have been
constructed for declining populations of animals and plants. As of 2004, 1,560 scientific
articles and books have been published utilizing research performed at the Station and Ranch.
Student Research at Edward J. Meeman

The Station's main building, constructed of poured concrete in 1931, houses the main
office and several administrative offices, a library, the computer information center, four
large research laboratories (bird, vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant), the education office, a
recently-renovated (2000-2001) multi-use classroom and multi-purpose lab, the herbarium,
the insect collection, darkroom, chemistry lab, several dormitory rooms, kitchen, dining
room, lounge, and storage areas. Research equipment, including computers, four-wheel drive
vehicles, all-terrain cycles, and boats are available for both staff and visiting scientists.
Housing is available at the Station's main property for up to 60 visitors in a variety of
accommodations, including furnished cottages or a room in the main building.
The Annex contains the fishes and herptile reference collections, two Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) computer rooms, three offices, a conference room, and a 75-seat
auditorium. The Austin L. Rand Building, another 1930s masonry building, contains the bird
and mammal reference collections, and six offices for administrative staff. Carpentry and
machine shops, outdoor cages, and small-animal and controlled environment rooms are
housed separately. A 200-hp diesel generator provides emergency power. Water, stored in a
landmark, 75,000-gallon tower, comes from a 1,500-feet deep well and is purified in an
elaborate, on-site treatment plant. All buildings are air-conditioned.
The Archbold Station is included here due to its web site’s extensive documentation.
Several appendices to this report, e.g. the examples of visitor registration forms, user fee
costs, and visitor guidelines for laboratory use, were obtained here. These few examples only
provide a glimpse of what this site has to offer the field station planner. As a case in point,
the web site itself is instructive and provides information on its own evolution. The first
edition of the Station's Web site, "An Overview," was published in March 1997. The
expanded second edition was published in October 1998. Since then the web site has been
continually revised and augmented with information about Archbold activities in science,
land management, conservation, and environmental education. A web-site gateway,
encompassing newly-developed regional conservation, land management, and environmental
education web-site sections, was installed in mid-2000. The “Site Index” web page is
attached as Appendix IV.2.
D. Historical Background and Coastal Restoration Funding
Opportunities
The following section addresses relatively recent coastal restoration and
protection initiatives pertinent to Louisiana’s coast. These programs are presented to
offer additional validity and justification for the proposed Atchafalaya Research Support
Facility. The proposed Atchafalaya Research Support Laboratory would provide
facilities necessary for each and every program noted below.
1. The Breaux Act (CWPPRA)
On November 29, 1990, the United States Congress recognized the national
significance of wetland loss in Louisiana and passed the Coastal Wetlands Planning,
Protection and Restoration Act (Public Law 101-646, Title III; also known as the Breaux
Act) to contribute federal monies and build upon existing state restoration activities. This
legislation established a continuing trust fund drawn from small-engine fuel taxes (the
Aquatic Resources Trust Fund). In turn, funding from this trust would be made available to

coastal wetland programs on a yearly basis. The Act designates that 70% of its authorized
funds go to Louisiana restoration projects. All projects require non-federal matching
contributions which come from states and private sources.
Subsequent legislation has extended the Act’s authority through FY2019 and
removed the original $70 million per year cap. Estimated federal and non-federal funding
over the life of the program is now estimated at $2 billion with the federal funding average
remaining at $60 million per year. Since passage, CWPPRA has dedicated approximately
$40 million annually to wetland restoration projects in Louisiana and has authorized 151
projects, 74 of which have been constructed. CWPPRA also created a partnership between
Louisiana and five federal agencies: the United States Departments of the Army,
Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior; and the United States Environmental Protection
Agency. Since 1991, the State of Louisiana and its cooperating federal partners have been
formally selecting restoration projects on an annual basis for implementation.
A specially designated task force selects coastal restoration projects each year for
funding. This annual compilation of selected projects is referred to as the Priority Project
List (PPL) and designated by a number for its given year (PPL1 = 1990, PPL2 = 1991, and so
forth). The development of Breaux Act Priority Project Lists has been an ongoing process.
The purposes of project design and construction are (1) to provide for the long-term
conservation of wetland ecosystems and dependent fish and wildlife populations, (2) to
provide for operation, maintenance, and emergency repairs of projects that have been
implemented, and (3) to provide for analysis of data to provide a better understanding of
system processes. Projects are nominated by the public and federal and state agencies,
followed by a series of meetings where projects are further developed. Phase 1 projects
(engineering and design) are selected at the first quarterly meeting of both the Breaux Act
Task Force and the State Wetlands Authority each year. Upon completion of advanced
planning and design, the CWPPRA Task Force votes to construct feasible projects. The
decision to construct in Phase 2 carries the commitment to operate and maintain the project
through its lifetime.
The CWPPRA program divides the Louisiana coast into four regions. Region 3
encompasses the Terrebonne, Atchafalaya, and Teche-Vermilion Basins and covers all or
part of the following parishes: Lafourche, Terrebonne, Assumption, Iberville, St. Martin,
Iberia, St. Mary, Lafayette, and Vermilion. It extends from Bayou Lafourche on the east, to
Freshwater Bayou on the west, and south from the Gulf of Mexico to the boundary of the
coastal wetlands on the north. This region covers approximately1,140,450 acres of vegetated
wetlands. These wetlands are classified as approximately 368,550 acres of cypress-tupelo
swamp and bottomland forests; 298,300 acres of fresh marshes; 92,700 acres of intermediate
marshes; 240,700 acres of brackish marshes; and 140,200 acres of saline marshes. The
Atchafalaya Basin includes Atchafalaya Bay and adjacent marshes and swamps to the north.
The region is an important area for wildlife, and it is the site of active delta building and
resulting new coastal habitat. The area also includes the Wax Lake Delta, the Atchafalaya
River Delta, and the Jaws area, a smaller emerging delta. All three of these deltas are in St.
Mary Parish.
A total of 50 projects have been authorized under the direction of CWPPRA in
Region 3. These projects are anticipated to benefit 20,971 acres of wetlands at a cost of
$188,718,995. Funding supports the East Marsh Island Marsh Creation (TV-21) project
which was authorized in 2005 on the 14th
Project Priority List. The CWPPRA Task Force
officially de-authorized four projects in Region 3: Lower Bayou LaCache Hydrologic

Restoration (TE-19), Flotant Marsh Fencing Demonstration (TE-31), Bayou Boeuf Pump
Station (TE-33), and Marsh Creation East of the Atchafalaya River-Avoca Island (TE-35).
2. COAST 2050
After the first seven years of CWPPRA, research revealed that CWPPRA was only
projected to address 25% of Louisiana’s wetland loss by the year 2050. In 1998, the State of
Louisiana and federal agencies charged with restoring and protecting Louisiana’s valuable
coastal wetlands adopted a new coastal restoration plan entitled Coast 2050: Toward a
Sustainable Coastal Louisiana. The underlying principles of the new plan, commonly called
Coast 2050, are to restore and/or mimic the natural processes that built and maintained
coastal Louisiana. The Coast 2050 Plan restoration features were fit together as in a puzzle
by intuitive spatial planning within sub-provinces dividing Louisiana’s coastal zone into four
regions with a total of nine hydrologic basins. This plan, calling for a $14 billion investment,
included sixteen restoration and protection projects for the next 50 years in the Terrebonne,
Atchafalaya, and Teche/Vermilion areas. If implemented, the strategies in the Coast 2050
Plan would protect and/or restore almost 450,000 acres of wetlands (per research completed
prior to the devastation of Katrina and Rita). Coast 2050 identified the following three
strategic goals as the essential natural processes required:
Goal 1: Assure vertical accumulation to achieve sustainability
Goal 2: Maintain estuarine gradient to achieve diversity
Goal 3: Maintain exchange and interface to achieve system linkages
The Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force (Breaux
Act Task Force) and the State Wetlands Authority adopted the Coast 2050 effort as their
official restoration plan. It has also garnered the support of the 20 parish councils and police
juries within the Louisiana coastal zone. To date, Congress has not considered legislation
authorizing the Coast 2050 Plan. Instead, in 1999, the USACE and the state began to
develop a more modest set of proposals for projects that could be implemented over a 10-
year time period. These efforts provided the basis for the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA)
Ecosystem Restoration Study report. Guidance from President Bush’s 2005 budget request
resulted in a scaled-down version of the comprehensive study entitled Louisiana Coastal
Area, Louisiana Ecosystem Restoration Study (hereafter referred to as the LCA study).
3. Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) Ecosystem Restoration
Program
The “Louisiana Coastal Area, Ecosystem Restoration: Comprehensive Coastwide
Ecosystem Restoration Study” was the initial effort of the State of Louisiana and the United
States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to implement the restoration strategies outlined in
the Coast 2050 report (See Section I.C for citation references). Although not a
comprehensive plan, the LCA study lays out a series of projects and programs that would be
a positive first step toward achieving the restoration goals outlined in the Coast 2050 Plan.
As compared with the Coast 2050 Plan, the LCA Plan employs a more detailed and
quantitative analyses of various restoration “features” (projects or actions) in different
locations, and the cost and effectiveness of various features in achieving ecosystem benefits
were assessed.

In October 2003, the Corps sent a draft of the LCA Study (2003) (never officially
released - See Section I.C for citation reference) for review by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB). Seven alternative plans ranging in cost from $5 to 17 billion were presented
and contrasted. The Administration, represented by the OMB, directed the USACE to come
up with a less costly proposal. The OMB instructed the USACE to scale back the LCA Plan
to include a limited number of near-term projects that could be completed in a five-year
period and demonstration projects and scientific assessments to reduce uncertainties
concerning longer-term restoration projects.
Subsequently, the LCA Study Final Report (2004) (See Section I.C for citation
references) was prepared and a Chief of Engineers Report (See Section I.C for citation
references) was submitted to Congress on January 31, 2005, recommending authorization
of five “near-term critical ecosystem restoration features,” a science and technology
program, a demonstration program, beneficial use of dredged materials, and further
investigations of other near-term restoration features, at a cost of nearly $2 billion. The
LCA study main report can be viewed at http://www.lca.gov/mainreport.aspx.
The study also contains seven recommended program features for implementation:
(1) five projects for conditional authorization, (2) ten additional projects for implementation
in the next 10 years under standard authorization processes, (3) six large-scale studies that
will lay the groundwork for the systemic restoration of deltaic processes and natural system
hydrology, (4) a Science and Technology Program that will implement the principles and
practices of adaptive management, (5) a Demonstration Project Program that will assist in
resolving critical uncertainties, (6) a program to re-evaluate existing water resources
structures for their potential to contribute to ecosystem restoration, and (7) a new program for
expanded beneficial use of dredged material. See Appendix IV.3 for an outline of the LCA
Recommended Plan and final array of alternatives plan recommended by the Assistant
Secretary of the Army. The Plan was submitted to Congress requesting programmatic
authorization for these elements totaling $1.12 billion.
Authorization for this revised plan was before the 109th
Congress in S. Bill 728 and
H.R. Bill 2864 when hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the central Gulf Coast. No action
was taken. Funding authorization to implement the LCA Recommended Plan currently
awaits passage of a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) or some other legislative
action.
4. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA)
The other major source of funding for Louisiana wetlands restoration and protection
programs is through the WRDA. Funding for projects under the WRDA requires
Congressional review and approval for appropriation funds. As compared with the Breaux
Act , one primary difference in funding under the WRDA is that funding is project specific
with each project competing with every other project on a nationwide basis—no trust fund;
no dedicated funds. Secondly, unlike the Task Force approach employed under CWPPRA
which allows for various federal agencies to be the lead sponsor, the USACE is the lead
federal agency for all projects seeking appropriations under the WRDA.

Funding under the WRDA is cumbersome, at best. Notably, the last WRDA
appropriations bill passed was in 2000. And, as discussed above, the implementation of the
Coast 2050 Plan and the LCA 2004 Plan have been hindered by the blocks to funding posed
by the WRDA process. Fortunately, as noted in the introductory chapter of this report, in
1986, Congress authorized $250 million dollars under the WRDA to preserve and enhance
the Atchafalaya Basin through USACE by expanding public access, environmental
easements, water-management, and recreation. In 1996, Governor Mike Foster directed the
Department of Natural Resources to be the lead state agency in the development of the basin.
In 1999, the Louisiana Legislature voted unanimously for the State Master Plan of the
Atchafalaya Basin (Act 920), authorizing $85 million in state matching funds to be spent
over a 15-year period. Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has maintained the Atchafalaya
Basin Program at the Department of Natural Resources, but project funding was minimal for
the first two years of the administration. Funding from this legislation, federal funds, private
sources, and non-profit foundation contributions are the anticipated source of initial capital
expenditures for the Atchafalaya Cultural Center, Research Support Station, and all related
components thereof.
5. Energy Policy Act of 2005
The Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) of 2005, authorized by Section 384
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, was passed in June 2005 by the United States Senate.
This $1 billion coastal impact assistance amendment to the Energy Bill should provide $540
million to Louisiana to combat coastal land loss over four years. The amendment was passed
by a voice vote following a 69-26 vote to waive a procedural point of order. Under this new
program, CIAP will provide $135 million annually of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) mineral
revenues to Louisiana for four years, beginning October 1, 2006 (Federal Fiscal Year 2007).
Funds will also be provided to other mineral-producing coastal states. The total (four-year)
CIAP funding to Louisiana is estimated at $540 million, of which 35 percent ($189 million)
is dedicated to coastal parishes.
CIAP funds can only be used for one or more of the following purposes: (a)
conservation, restoration and protection of coastal areas including wetlands; (b) mitigation of
damage to fish, wildlife, and natural resources; (c) planning assistance and the administrative
costs of complying with this section; (d) implementation of a federally approved marine,
coastal, or comprehensive conservation management plan; and (e) mitigation of the impacts
of OCS activities through funding of onshore infrastructure projects and public service needs.
Not more than 23 percent of the funds received by the state or parishes for any fiscal year can
be used for the purposes described in items “c” and “d” above. Uncertainty still exists about
whether the funds recently provided by the Energy Bill can actually be used to cost share
projects with the Federal Government.
The State must submit a Coastal Impact Assistance Plan (the Plan) to the Secretary of
the Interior by July 1, 2008. The Secretary must approve the Plan before disbursing funds to
the state or any coastal parish. The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources has the lead
for the plan’s development and implementation. A major goal will be to facilitate progress in
the ongoing state/federal campaign to reverse coastal land loss. The plan should complement
ongoing restoration activities (CWPPRA and LCA programs) and, where possible, hurricane
protection projects.

6. Other Restoration Programs and State Initiatives
Several other wetland restoration programs have been implemented, each utilizing a
specific strategy to combat coastal wetland loss, including the Parish Coastal Wetlands
Restoration Program (PCWRP), the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) of 2001
governed by Section 903 of the Commerce, State, Justice FY2001 Appropriations Act, the
Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR)/Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS)/Soil and Water Conservation Committee (SWCC) Vegetation Planting Program, and
the beneficial use of dredged material program governed by Sections 204 and 1135 of the
WRDA.
The CIAP of 2001 was authorized to assist states in mitigating the impacts from
OCS oil and gas production. The CIAP recognized that offshore oil and gas activities impact
coastal states and localities nearest to where the activities occur and where the related
facilities are located. The CIAP legislation appropriated money to coastal states and coastal
political subdivisions and required that each state submit a Coastal Impact Assistance Plan
which describes how these funds will be expended. Louisiana was one of seven coastal states
selected to receive funds under the appropriation to implement this program. The one-time
allocation in 2001 to Louisiana totaled $26.4 million. These funds are to be expended
according to the legislation and guidelines developed by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Projects funded under WRDA Sections 204 and 1135 activated operation and
maintenance of existing USACE dredging projects for navigable waterways. Through
cooperation between the state and federal governments, the material dredged during regularly
scheduled maintenance is utilized for the creation of wetlands, improvement of wetland
habitat, or the protection of eroding shorelines. Through WRDA, the United States Congress
authorized the USACE to construct large-scale freshwater diversion projects along the
Mississippi River. These river diversions have the potential to benefit vast areas of
deteriorating marsh by introducing beneficial freshwater, sediment, and nutrients. It is
anticipated that the Caernarvon and Davis Pond Freshwater Diversions near New Orleans
will benefit over 51,200 acres of wetland habitat.
The State of Louisiana has initiated a series of programs to offset the catastrophic loss
of coastal wetlands. The Louisiana State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act was
passed in 1978 to regulate the developmental activities that affect wetland loss. The resulting
Louisiana Coastal Resources Program became a federally approved coastal zone management
program in 1980. Additionally, the Louisiana Legislature passed Act 6 of the second
extraordinary session of 1989 (R.S. 49:213- 214), and a subsequent constitutional amendment
which created the Coastal Restoration Division (CRD) within the Louisiana Department of
Natural Resources (LDNR), as well as the Wetlands Conservation and Restoration
Authority (Wetlands Authority). Act 6 also established the Wetlands Trust Fund, which
provides revenues derived from oil and gas activities to wetland restoration efforts in
Louisiana. In August 2003, the Coastal Restoration Division went through an administrative
reorganization and was subsequently divided into the Coastal Restoration Division and the
Coastal Engineering Division (CED). The CRD is comprised of the Restoration Technology
Section, the Land Section, the Planning Section, and the Monitoring Section. The CED is
comprised of the Project Management Section, the Engineering and Design Section, and the
Field Engineering Section.

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