Breaux Act Newsflash - Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Announcements
***********************************************************************Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Announcements
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CWPPRA Task Force Meeting
The May 3rd, 2007 2008 Task Force meeting is hereby OFFICIALLY CANCELLED. The
new Task Force meeting date is JUNE 4, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. at the Estuarine
Fisheries and Habitat Center, 646 Cajundome Blvd., Lafayette, Louisiana.
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Undergraduate students in Civil Engineering, Geology, Biology, Ecology,
Hydrology, Physics, Mathematics and related fields are invited to apply to
participate in NSF-sponsored summer research at the National Center for
Earth-surface Dynamics.
Program dates: June 1 to August 9, 2008
Application Deadline: March 1, 2008
Students work on one of two interdisciplinary teams: "Team Delta" focuses
on issues in coastal Louisiana (www.wbi.lsu.edu) and "Team Marmot" focuses
on issues related to the 2007 removal of the Marmot dam on Oregon's Sandy
River ( www.marmotdam.com). Both teams spend June at the St. Anthony
Falls Laboratory (SAFL) (www.safl.umn.edu ), at the University of
Minnesota, using experimental modeling to develop an understanding of the
physical and biological processes they will explore in the field. The
teams then perform field research in July, returning to Minnesota to
synthesize their research in posters and papers.
All expenses are paid and students will receive a stipend. Students from
groups underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged to apply.
Visit http://www.nced.umn.edu/USIP.html for more information or to apply.
Contact Diana Dalbotten (dalbo001@umn.edu; 612-624-4608) or Kimberly Hill
(kmhill@umn.edu; 612-626-0311) with questions.
Diana Dalbotten, Ph.D.
Director of Diversity
National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics
University of Minnesota
St. Anthony Falls Laboratory
2 3rd Avenue SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612) 624-4608
email: dalbo001@umn.edu
website: www.nced.umn.edu
*The National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics is an NSF Science and
Technology Center.
Melissa A. Kenney, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher, Environmental Decision Analysis
Johns Hopkins University
National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics
3400 North Charles Street
Ames Hall Room 214
Baltimore, MD 21218
410-516-5039 (office)
410-516-8996 (fax)
m.kenney@jhu.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~mak22
http://www.nced.umn.edu/
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Corps of Engineers completes MRGO Closure Study
CPRA, Corps Collaborating to Close Navigation Channel
By signature of the Chief of Engineers, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
Chief's Report for the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Deep-Draft
De-Authorization (MRGO) Study was completed on January 29, 2008. The
report was then transmitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Civil Works (ASA(CW)) to review the findings, obtain Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) input, and send the report to Congress.
In conjunction with construction of the MRGO closure, the Corps will
de-water the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC) Lock to perform required
repairs to the lock and gate structure. These repairs will increase the
reliability of the IHNC Lock prior to construction of the MRGO closure.
Because the IHNC Lock repairs would impact shallow draft traffic, the
Corps will dredge the Baptiste Collette channel to allow marine traffic to
bypass the lock. All of the material dredged from Baptiste Collette will
be used beneficially to build coastal wetlands in the Mississippi River
delta.
The work on the MRGO closure will also be coordinated with the storm surge
protection measures in the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal. This work is an
integral component of the commitment to provide 100-year risk reduction to
the Greater New Orleans area by 2011. The contract for that design-build
project is planned for award this spring.
The Corps expects to begin the construction of the MRGO closure structure
during the lock repair work, but completion of the MRGO closure will not
occur until that work is completed. The Corps intends to begin
construction of these projects early this summer and expects to complete
them before the start of the 2009 hurricane season.
The Corps and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of
Louisiana have collaborated closely on this effort. The Corps is preparing
the final engineering plans for the recommended closure structure while
the State of Louisiana is beginning negotiations to acquire the necessary
property to build and maintain the MRGO closure structure.
The Corps will closely coordinate all of these projects and continue to
work closely with stakeholders and the state's Coastal Protection and
Restoration Authority as well as look for opportunities to expedite
completion.
To view the Chief's Report and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet
Deep-Draft De-Authorization (MRGO) Final Report and Legislative
Environmental Impact Statement (LEIS), visit http://mrgo.usace.army.mil.
For more information about the CPRA and to read Louisiana's Comprehensive
Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, please log on to
http://www.lacpra.org.
CPRA Contact: Chris Macaluso
(225) 342-3968
chris.macaluso@la.gov
Corps Contact: Julie Morgan
504-862-2911
julie.t.morgan@usace.us.army.mil
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Please share the Breaux Act / CWPPRA Newsflash with others. Events may
include but are not limited to: Coastal Advisory Committee meetings,
volunteer opportunities, Governor's Advisory Commission meetings,other
meetings, conferences, workshops, symposiums and related wetland
activities. Contact heidi_hitter@usgs.gov to post CWPPRA Newsflash
announcements. The CWPPRA Newsflash has over 2,400 subscribers
CWPPRA Electronic Newsflash Archive -
http://www.lacoast.gov/news/newsletter.htm
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[Edited 2008-02-15 -Webmaster]