General DNR News
October Lease Sale Reported by State Mineral Board
As the culmination of two years working closely with the Russell Sage Foundation (a 50 percent mineral owner under Marsh Island) and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, an exclusive geophysical agreement was awarded to Summit Energy Company, LLC at the October mineral lease sale in the amount of $4.6 million covering 160,000 acres located primarily in Iberia Parish. The area of the exclusive geophysical agreement includes Marsh Island, on which is located the Marsh Island Wildlife Refuge operated by the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and surrounding waters.
HERO Program at DNR Wins Again
The state Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO) program is once again a top winner of the Energy Star Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy. The HERO program has been recognized for its outstanding contributions to environmental protection and energy efficiency by qualifying 2,268 Energy Star homes during 2003.
Natural Resources Leadership Council of the States Meeting
Deputy Secretary Katherine Vaughan recently attended a Natural Resources Leadership Council of the States fall meeting in Calloway Gardens, Georgia.
WASHINGTON OFFICIALS TO TOUR COASTAL LOUISIANA BY AIR
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, J.P. Woodley, and EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, Tracy Mehan, will tour areas of Louisiana’s coast by air on Thursday, October 16, as they are briefed on the state’s dramatic land loss and efforts to stop it. Scientists and state officials will fly the group over vanishing marshes and restoration sites, landing at the Caenarvon Fresh Water Diversion Project.
America’s WETLAND Reception and Eco-Summit Scheduled at LSU—Oct. 2 and 3
A reception honoring Governor M. J. “Mike” Foster and hosted by LSU System President Dr. William Jenkins and Chancellor Dr. Mark Emmert will take place on Thursday, October 2, 2003 at Tiger Stadium, Tiger Den Suites, from 5 to 7 p.m.
September Lease Sale Reported by State Mineral Board
The State Mineral Board conducted a Lease Sale September 10, 2003, at 10 a.m. in the Conservation & Mineral Resources Hearing Room located in the LaSalle Office Building in Baton Rouge. Below are the preliminary results of the Lease Sale and 2003-2004 Fiscal Year totals.
Project on Lake Verret to start soon
A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of a boat landing at Lake Verret near Napoleonville will be held on Friday, Sept. 5, 2003 at 9:30 a.m. The Attakapas Boat Landing project is jointly sponsored by the state Department of Natural Resources’ Atchafalaya Basin Program (ABP), Assumption Parish, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Contract let to create land in south La.
NEW ORLEANS – Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., Oak Brook, Ill., has been awarded a contract to begin a precedent-setting project to restore south Louisiana wetlands through diversion of Mississippi River sediment and water.
Nigerian officials to visit DNR on Thursday
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Conservation will host a presentation for a small group of engineers and oil regulators of the Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources.