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CWPPRA
COASTAL WETLANDS PLANNING, PROTECTION AND RESTORATION ACT
TASK FORCE MEETING

AGENDA
January 22, 2015, 9:30 a.m.

Location:
USFWS Southeast Louisiana Refuges Complex (Big Branch)
61389 Highway 434
Lacombe, Louisiana

Documentation of Task Force meetings (including minutes, attendance records, PowerPoint Presentations, and meeting binders) may be found at:
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/CWPPRA.aspx

Tab Number Agenda Item

  1. Meeting Initiation (Col. Hansen, USACE) 9:30 a.m. to 9:40 a.m.
    1. Introduction of Task Force or Alternates
    2. Opening remarks of Task Force Members
    3. Request for Agenda Changes/Additional Agenda Items/Adoption of Agenda

  2. Decision: Adoption of Minutes for the October 23, 2014 Task Force Meeting (Brad Inman, USACE) 9:40 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Mr. Brad Inman will present the minutes from the last Task Force meeting. Task Force members may provide suggestions for additional information to be included in the official minutes.

  3. Report: Status of CWPPRA Program Funds and Projects (Susan Mabry, USACE) 9:45 a.m. to 9:55 a.m. Ms. Susan Mabry will provide an overview of the status of CWPPRA accounts and available funding in the Planning and Construction Programs.

  4. Report: Construction Update (Brad Inman, USACE) 9:55 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. The CWPPRA agencies will provide a report on projects that are currently under construction and projects that have recently completed construction.

  5. Decision: Request for a Change in Scope and Name Change for the PPL 22 - Bayou Dupont Sediment Delivery Marsh Creation #3 Project (BA-164) (Brad Crawford, EPA) 10:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and CPRA request a project scope and name change for the BA-164 project. Because the estimated amount of sediment required to meet project goals (and associated costs) have increased substantially from the Phase 0 estimate, the project has been modified to reduce the scope, and one of the original restoration cells was altered to avoid a conflict with the proposed Mid-Barataria Diversion. The revised project includes an estimated 252 acres of marsh creation plus 26,379 linear feet of terraces, while the original concept included 415 acres of marsh creation only. The fully-funded cost estimate has changed from the original $38,279,163 to an estimated $34,320,925 with a change from 383 net acres to 230 net acres, respectively. The EPA and CRPA request approval of the scope change and also request a name change to reflect the addition of terraces to the project to "Bayou Dupont Sediment Delivery Marsh Creation #3 and Terracing." No additional funds are needed to complete phase 1 of this project and EPA will be seeking Phase 2 funding immediately. The Task Force will consider the Technical Committee's recommendation to approve the request scope and name change for the Bayou Dupont Sediment Delivery Marsh Creation #3 (BA-164) project.

  6. Report/Decision: 24th Priority Project List (Kevin Roy, FWS) 10:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. The Environmental Workgroup Chairman will present an overview of the four candidate projects being recommended by the Technical Committee for PPL 24 and Phase I approval. The Task Force will consider approving the Technical Committee's recommendation for Phase I funding approval in the amount of $11,045,165 for the PPL 24 projects listed below. The Technical Committee did not recommend the Innovative Bedload Sediment Collector Demonstration project to be included on PPL 24.
    • New Orleans Landbridge Shoreline Stabilization & Marsh Creation, FWS, $1,942,143
    • Shell Beach South Marsh Creation, EPA/USACE, $3,176,569
    • West Fourchon Marsh Creation & Marsh Nourishment, NMFS, $3,201,929
    • No Name Bayou Marsh Creation & Nourishment, NMFS, $2,724,524

  7. Report/Decision: Request for Phase II Authorization and Approval of Phase II Increment 1 Funding (Brad Inman, USACE) 10:50 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. The Technical Committee reviewed project information and took public comments on requests for Phase II approval on the projects shown in the following table. The Task Force will consider the Technical Committee's recommendation to approve Phase II authorization and Increment 1 funding for the Cameron-Creole Watershed Grand Bayou Marsh Creation Project (CS-54) and the Oyster Bayou Marsh Restoration (CS-59) indicated in the table below. Funding approval is within the construction program's available funding limits.

    Agency
    Project No.
    PPL
    Project Name
    Construct Start Date
    Phase II, Increment 1 Request
    Fully-Funded Phase I Cost
    Fully-Funded Phase II Cost
    Total Fully Funded Cost Est.
    Net Benefit Acres
    Total Cost per Acre
    NMFS
    ME-18
    10
    Rockefeller Gulf
    Shoreline Stabilization
    Apr. 2016
    $30,908,631
    $2,408,478
    $31,768,000
    $34,176,478
    256
    $133,502
    NMFS
    TE-51
    16
    Madison Bay Marsh
    Creation & Terracing
    Jan. 2016
    $40,806,278
    $3,002,171
    $41,291,829
    $44,294,000
    334
    $132,617
    FWS
    CS-54
    20
    Cameron-Creole
    Watershed Grand Bayou
    Marsh Creation
    Jan. 2016
    $25,745,513
    $2,376,789
    $26,330,899
    $28,707,688
    476
    $60,310
    NMFS
    CS-59
    21
    Oyster Bayou
    Marsh Restoration
    Sep. 2015
    $27,557,097
    $3,165,322
    $28,071,419
    $31,236,741
    489
    $63,879
    EPA
    BA-164
    22
    Bayou Dupont Sediment
    Delivery - Marsh Creation #3
    Jan. 2016
    $30,217,599
    $3,415,930
    $30,904,995
    $34,320,925
    230
    $149,221

  8. Report: Outreach Committee Quarterly Report (Cole Ruckstuhl, USGS) 11:10 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. Mr. Cole Ruckstuhl will provide the Outreach Committee's quarterly report.

  9. Report: Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) Report (Dona Weifenbach, CPRA) 11:20 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. Ms. Dona Weifenbach will provide a report on CRMS.

  10. Report/Decision: Status of 2015 Report to Congress (Darryl Clark, FWS) 11:35 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is leading the development of the 2015 Report to Congress (RTC) and will present a status of the report's progress and request Technical Committee concurrence of the report outline and schedule. The draft plan for the 2015 RTC development would be to proceed with an outline similar to the 2012 RTC, including new restoration information, such as the RESTORE Act, and updated project information from 2012 to 2015. The schedule would be to complete the first draft by May 2015, the second draft by July 2015, and the semi-final draft by August 2015 in time for Technical Committee and Task Force approval in September and October 2015. Publishing and distributing the report will be in January 2016. The Task Force will consider the Technical Committee's recommendation to approve the draft Report to Congress development proposal.

  11. Decision: Request for Approval for Final Deauthorization of the PPL 3 - West Pointe a la Hache Outfall Management Project (BA-04c) (Garvin Pittman, CPRA) 11:45 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. CPRA is requesting approval for final deauthorization of the West Pointe a la Hache Outfall Management (BA-04c) project. The project team determined that many of the proposed benefits of BA-04c were being met by the current operation of the structure, and the marginal benefits could be achieved through this project could be achieved more cost-effectively by improving existing operations. The Task Force will consider the Technical Committee's recommendation to approve the final deauthorization of BA-04c.

  12. Decision: Request for Approval for Final Deauthorization of the PPL 16 - Southwest Louisiana Gulf Shoreline Nourishment and Protection Project (ME-24) (Brad Inman, USACE) 11:50 a.m. to 11:55 a.m. USACE and CPRA are requesting approval for final deauthorization of the Southwest Louisiana Gulf Shoreline Nourishment and Protection (ME-24) project. During the annual review of unconstructed projects in 2013, the P&E Committee recommended transferring lead federal sponsor from USACE to EPA. After reviewing the updated cost estimates, EPA did not accept transfer and the P&E Committee recommended deauthorization. The Task Force will consider the Technical Committee's recommendation to approve the final deauthorization of ME-24.

  13. Decision: Request for Approval to Initiate Deauthorization of the PPL 19 - Chenier Ronquille Barrier Island Restoration Project (BA-76) (Cece Linder, NMFS) 11:55 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. NMFS and CPRA are requesting approval to initiate deauthorization procedures on the Chenier Ronquille Barrier Island Restoration Project (BA-76) due to securing of construction funds for this project from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Phase III Early Restoration Plan in October 2014. This project had a favorable 95% design review through the CWPPRA process but did not secure phase 2 funding approval in 2012 and 2013. The Task Force will consider the Technical Committee's recommendation to approve to initiate deauthorization of the Chenier Ronquille Barrier Island Restoration Project.

  14. Decision: Request for Approval to Initiate Deauthorization of the PPL 17 - West Pointe a la Hache Marsh Creation Project (BA-47) (Bren Haase, CPRA) 12:00 p.m. to 12:05 p.m. CPRA and NRCS are requesting formal deauthorization procedures be initiated for the West Pointe a la Hache Marsh Creation (BA-47) Project. This project is currently being constructed utilizing remaining CWPPRA funds from the Lake Hermitage Marsh Creation project (BA-42). The Task Force will consider the Technical Committee's recommendation to approve to initiate deauthorization of West Pointe a la Hache Marsh Creation (BA-47).

  15. Additional Agenda Items (Col. Hansen, USACE) 12:05 p.m. to 12:10 p.m.

  16. Request for Public Comments (Col. Hansen, USACE) 12:10 p.m. to 12:15 p.m.

  17. Announcement: Priority Project List 25 Regional Planning Team Meetings (Brad Inman, USACE) 12:15 p.m. to 12:20 p.m.

    January 27, 2015
    11:00 a.m.
    Region IV Planning Team Meeting
    Lafayette
    January 28, 2015
    9:00 a.m.
    Region III Planning Team Meeting
    Houma
    January 29, 2015
    8:00 a.m.
    Region I & II Planning Team Meeting
    Lacombe
    February 24, 2015
    10:30 a.m.
    Coastwide Electronic Voting
    (via email, no meeting)

  18. Announcement: Date of Upcoming CWPPRA Program Meeting (Brad Inman, USACE) 12:20 p.m. to 12:25 p.m. The Technical Committee meeting will be held April 16, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. at the LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana Room, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

  19. Announcement: Scheduled Dates of Future Program Meetings (Brad Inman, USACE) 12:25 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

    2015
    January 27, 2015
    11:00 a.m.
    Region IV Planning Team Meeting
    Lafayette
    January 28, 2015
    9:00 a.m.
    Region III Planning Team Meeting
    Houma
    January 29, 2015
    8:00 a.m.
    Region I & II Planning Team Meeting
    Lacombe
    April 16, 2015
    9:30 a.m.
    Technical Committee Meeting
    Baton Rouge
    May 14, 2015
    9:30 a.m.
    Task Force Meeting
    Lafayette
    September 10, 2015
    9:30 a.m.
    Technical Committee Meeting
    Baton Rouge
    October 15, 2015
    9:30 a.m.
    Task Force Meeting
    New Orleans
    December 10, 2015
    9:30 a.m.
    Technical Committee Meeting
    Baton Rouge

  20. Decision: Adjourn
    21.

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