Reshaping a Greater New Orleans

Location:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office
District Assembly Room (DARM)
7400 Leake Avenue
New Orleans, LouisianaDocumentation of Technical Committee meetings may be found at:
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pd/cwppra_mission.htm

1. Meeting Initiation 9:30 a.m. to 9:40 a.m.
   1. Introduction of Technical Committee or Alternates
   2. Opening remarks of Technical Committee Members
   3. Request for Agenda Changes/Additional Agenda Items/Adoption of Agenda

1. Report: Status of Breaux Act Program Funds and Projects (Gay Browning, USACE) 9:40 a.m. to 9:55 a.m. Ms. Gay Browning will provide an overview of the status of CWPPRA accounts and available funding in the Planning and Construction Programs.

1. Decision: Selection of Ten Candidate Projects and up to Three Demonstration Projects to Evaluate for PPL 22 (Brad Inman, USACE) 9:55 a.m. to 10:25 a.m. The Technical Committee will consider preliminary costs and benefits of the 22nd Priority Project List (PPL) project and demonstration project nominees listed below. The Technical Committee will select 10 projects and up to 3 demonstration projects as PPL 22 candidates to be evaluated for Phase 0 analysis, which will be considered later for final selection of projects that will be approved for Phase I (Planning and Engineering and Design).
   

   Region	Basin	PPL 22 Nominees
   1	Pontchartrain	Small Mississippi River Reintroduction into LaBranche Wetlands
   1	Pontchartrain	Triangle- Restoring Cypress-Tupelo Swamp & Marsh
   1	Pontchartrain	New Orleans Landbridge Shoreline Stabilization & Marsh Creation
   2	Mississippi River Delta	Pass a Loutre Crevasse
   2	Mississippi River Delta	Pass a Loutre Hydrologic Restoration
   2	Breton Sound	Lake Lery Marsh Creation & Terracing
   2	Breton Sound	Terracing & Marsh Creation South of Big Mar
   2	Barataria	Elmer’s Island Restoration
   2	Barataria	Northeast Turtle Bay Marsh Creation & Critical Area Shoreline Protection
   2	Barataria	Bayou Dupont Sediment Delivery – Marsh Creation 3
   3	Terrebonne	North Catfish Lake Marsh Creation
   3	Terrebonne	Lake Tambour Marsh Creation
   3	Terrebonne	Grand Bayou Freshwater Enhancement/Introduction & Terraces
   3	Atchafalaya	West Wax Lake Wetlands Diversion
   3	Teche-Vermilion	South Little Vermilion Bay Terracing & Planting
   3	Teche-Vermilion	Cote Blanche Freshwater & Sediment Introduction & Shoreline Protection
   4	Calcasieu-Sabine	Cameron Meadows Marsh Creation & Wetland Restoration
   4	Calcasieu-Sabine	West Cove Marsh Creation & Nourishment
   4	Mermentau	East Pecan Island Marsh Creation – Increment 1
   4	Mermentau	Front Ridge Freshwater Introduction & Terracing
   	Coastwide	Coastwide Competitive Voluntary Canal Backfilling

   	PPL 22 Demonstration Project Nominees
   DEMO	Hay Bale Demo
   DEMO	Reconnection of Hydrologically Isolated Wetlands
   DEMO	CREPS: Coastal Restoration & Energy Production System
   DEMO	Bioengineering of Shorelines & Canal Banks using Live Stakes

2. Report: Draft 2012 Report to Congress (Karen McCormick, EPA) 10:25 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Ms. Karen McCormick will present the draft 2012 Report to Congress. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) have been leading the 2012 Report to Congress efforts.

1. Discussion: Initial Discussion of FY13 Planning Budget Development (Process, Size, Funding, etc.) (Brad Inman, USACE) 10:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. The FY13 Planning Program Budget development, including the PPL 23 Process, will be initiated.

1. Report/Discussion: Decision Structure for Projects Reaching 20-Year Life Span (Brad Inman, USACE) 10:45 a.m. to 10:55 a.m. At the October 13, 2011 meeting, the Task Force directed the Technical Committee to develop a decision structure (a course of action for the CWPPRA Standard Operating Procedure) to be used as a tool for making logical decisions for projects reaching their 20-year life span. The Planning & Evaluation (P&E) Committee will report on their ongoing efforts with the decision structure.

1. Report/Discussion: Standard Operating Procedure for Project Transfers Between Federal Agencies (Brad Inman, USACE) 10:55 a.m. to 11:05 a.m. At the June 8, 2011 meeting, the Task Force directed the Technical Committee to develop a standard operating procedure to address the situation where a project is transferred from one Federal Sponsor to another. Draft language has been presented to the committees. Mr. Brad Inman will present an updated draft that incorporates the P&E Committee’s comments.

1. Discussion: Transfer of the PPL 12 — Avoca Island Fresh Water Diversion and Land Building Project (TE-49) (Britt Paul, NRCS) 11:05 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. The landowner of the PPL 12 — Avoca Island Fresh Water Diversion and Land Building Project (TE-49) requests to transfer this project from the current federal sponsor, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), to another agency. The project’s construction has been delayed due to challenges with the cost share agreement.

1. Report: Status of the PPL 1 – West Bay Sediment Diversion Project (MR-03) (Nick Sims USACE) 11:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Mr. Nick Sims will provide a status update on the West Bay Work Plan and Closure Plan.

1. Decision: Request for a Change in Scope for the PPL 16 — Madison Bay Marsh Creation and Terracing Project (TE-51) (Dr. John Foret, NMFS) 11:30 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and CPRA request a project scope change to proceed with the design to 30% and 95% for the Madison Bay project. The project location is proposed to be moved 3 miles to the northeast. The net acres restore dare estimated at 470 acres, while the original concept was targeting 688 net acres restored. The NMFS and CRPA also request a cost estimate increase from the original $32,353,377 to an estimated $38,798,788. No additional funds are needed to complete phase 1 of this project. The Technical Committee will vote on a recommendation to the Task Force to approve the request scope change for the Madison Bay Marsh Creation and Terracing Project (TE-51).

1. Decision: Request for Approval to Initiate Deauthorization of the PPL 10 — Benneys Bay Diversion Project (MR-13) (Scott Wandell, USACE) 11:40 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. USACE and the CPRA are requesting formal deauthorization procedures be initiated for the Benneys Bay Diversion Project (MR-13) based on the high cost of dredging associated with the project. At the December 13, 2012 meeting, the Technical Committee recommended to “suspend” this project; however, the Task Force did not approve the recommendation for a suspension category. The Technical Committee will vote on a recommendation to the Task Force to initiate deauthorization of the Benneys Bay Diversion Project (MR-13).

1. Additional Agenda Items (Tom Holden, USACE) 11:45 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

1. Request for Public Comments (Tom Holden, USACE) 11:50 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.

1. Announcement: Date of Upcoming CWPPRA Project Meeting (Brad Inman, USACE) 11:55 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Task Force meeting will be held June 5, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. at the Estuarine Fisheries and Habitat Center, 646 Cajundome Blvd., Lafayette, Louisiana.

1. Announcement: Scheduled Dates of Future Program Meetings (Brad Inman, USACE) 12:00 p.m. to 12:05 p.m.
   

   2012
   April 19, 2012	9:30 a.m.	Technical Committee Meeting	New Orleans
   June 28, 2012	9:30 a.m.	Task Force	Lafayette
   June 5, 2012
   September 12, 2012	9:30 a.m.	Technical Committee Meeting	Baton Rouge
   October 11, 2012	9:30 a.m.	Task Force	New Orleans
   November 14, 2012	7:00 p.m.	PPL 22 Public Comment Meeting	Abbeville
   November 15, 2012	7:00 p.m.	PPL 22 Public Comment Meeting	New Orleans
   December 12, 2012	9:30 a.m.	Technical Committee Meeting	Baton Rouge

1. Decision: Adjourn