From: Patrick Courreges

Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 2:43 PM

To: Patrick Courreges

Subject: Coastit Notes from the Department of Natural Resources

Coastit Notes

August 18, 2010

Greetings from Department of Natural Resources Assistant Secretary Lou Buatt. Coastit Notes is a publication of the Office of Coastal Management to inform permit applicants, the public and others of events and items that may impact them or their interaction with our office.  This e-document is intended to improve customer service and awareness of OCM works and functions and includes announcements from all OCM divisions as issues arise.  If you wish to be removed from this list or have been forwarded this email and wish to be added to the list, please contact Christine Charrier at christine.charrier@la.gov.

Concrete Mats

The Office of Coastal Management has authorized use of General Permit 24 for installation, maintenance and/or removal of up to 1,000 linear feet of concrete mats and other hard-structure or engineered alternatives for pipeline protection.  This General Permit was developed by a working group of industry and state agency personnel.  This group cooperatively conducted and evaluated tests of the impacts of the mats to commercial fishing gear.  These tests indicated that the mats could be used in those situations with minimal impacts to trawl gear.  This group continues to work to ensure safe and effective use of options to protect the oil and gas pipeline infrastructure in the coastal zone.  Copies of the GP-24 can be found on the Office of Coastal Management web page.

Act 955

The Louisiana Legislature has directed that the Department of Natural Resources provide in the management, preservation, conservation and protection of the state's water resources to enter into cooperative agreements with water users for the withdrawal of running surface water from state-owned water bodies.

Applications and the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement form are available on the Department’s website at the following address:   http://dnr.louisiana.gov/sec/955/955.htm .  See Also Act 955 of 2010. DNR, OCM is also taking measures to integrate this application and Cooperative Endeavor Agreement into the SONRIS system so this process can be managed via the electronic system. 

Coastal Zone Boundary Study

 On Wednesday, August 18th, DNR’s Office of Coastal Management presented the results of the report reviewing the inland boundary of the coastal zone to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority at its monthly meeting in Baton Rouge.  The report uses current best available science data sets to define areas subject to high and moderate coastal processes or characteristics.  These included LIDAR elevation, recent vegetation distribution, soils distribution, risk of storm surge inundation along with o relationship to the Pleistocene terrace current coastal zone and coastal nonpoint boundary to identify in an unbiased way what areas were subject to coastal processes.  The report recommends a two-tiered management approach with a Coastal Use Permit Area, and an Intergovernmental Coordination area.  The permit area would function as the current coastal zone now functions.  The coordination area would extend further inland, but permits would not be required; instead, there would be increased coordination and oversight of actions of governmental bodies to insure their consistency with policies of the state coastal resources program and with the goals and objectives of the Master Plan.

 The recommended adjusted permit boundary would increase the number of parishes in the permit area from 19 to 20 by adding part of Ascension Parish to that area.  The permit area of Calcasieu, Cameron, St. Mary, Iberia, St. Martin, Terrebonne, Lafourche,and  Assumption will all have additional area in the permit area if report recommendations are adopted.  Livingston and Tangipahoa could have small reductions in area within the permit area if the recommendations are adopted.

 It is anticipated that the CPRA will take the report under consideration and receive comments from interested parties for a period of time and may make a final recommendation regarding the report at their October or November meeting. During this time, meetings will continue with the parish local coastal program or advisory committee members along with local stakeholder groups to ascertain if any local issues remain that should be considered prior to final action by the CPRA.

 After CPRA action on the report,  changes to the coastal zone boundary would require approval by the Louisiana Legislature during the 2011 session and then must be approved by the federal government (NOAA) before formally being incorporated into the Louisiana Coastal Resources Program.  A period of  time would be needed to educate the public regarding these changes, so implementation of report recommendations would likely occur no earlier than January, 2012.

Lake Charles Field Office Address Change

Please be advised that the address for United States Postal Service delivery to the OCM, Lake Charles Field Office will be changing.  Effective 9 August, ALL USPS mail should be addressed as follows:

LDNR/Office of Coastal Management

Attn: Ms. Kaili Mills

Lake Charles Field Office

2800 McNeese Farm Road

Lake Charles, LA  70607

Coastit Notes is a publication of the Office of Coastal Management to inform permit applicants, the public and others of events and items that may impact them or their interaction with our office.  This e-document is intended to improve customer service and awareness of OCM works and functions and includes announcements from all OCM divisions as issues arise.  If you wish to be removed from this list or have been forwarded this email and wish to be added to the list, please contact Christine Charrier at OCMinfo@la.gov.

Patrick Courreges

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources

Communications Director

(225) 342-0058 (ofc)

(225) 454-8223 (cell)