NATURE CONSERVANCY, THE
Grant: $4,028,397 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Jul. 1, 2009
100% voted satisfied - 0% voted not satisfied - 1 vote(s) cast
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Award Description: The overall purpose of this project is to create/maintain 57 jobs (61,982 hours of employment), invest project funds into the local economy and utilize artificial oyster reef for shoreline stabilization on the Louisiana Coast. The project will protect particularly vulnerable shorelines, and hence valuable marsh, by building bio-engineered oyster reefs for approximately 3.4 miles of shoreline at Grand Isle/Grand Terre (1.25 miles) in Jefferson Parish and St. Bernard Marsh in St. Bernard Parish (2.15 miles). Consequently, these structures will help to protect important infrastructure at Grand Isle, Delacroix, Regio, Yscloskey and Hopedale and local skilled laborers will be employed, many of whom lost their fishing jobs with Hurricane Katrina. The reefs for this project will be constructed using a proven material called Reefblk©, which is made from American steel and will be constructed by local welding shops. These triangular structures contain bags of oyster shell which promote establishment of new oyster growth, eventually resulting in a self-sustaining oyster reef capable of buffering shorelines from wave action while providing fish habitat and water filtering capabilities. Employment of 57 people will be accomplished through four stages of this project: building Reefblk© units, assembly of Reefblk© units/filling shell bags and installing Reefblk© along eroding coastlines, and monitoring the ecological benefits of these structures. The shorelines that will be protected will border approximately 350 acres of existing marsh and it is anticipated that the project will build approximately 35 acres of emergent marsh through accretion. The reefs will also provide important habitat ? over 170 marine species have been documented at oyster reefs in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Our long-term conservation goals are to: 1) protect additional shoreline along the bay of Grand Isle and Grand Terre and greatly increase the awareness and use of oyster reefs as a sustainable option for shoreline protection in coastal Louisiana; and 2) support St. Bernard Parish in its effort to secure protection for additional shoreline at St. Bernard Marsh.
Project Description: The purpose of the first quarter activities was to begin project implementation by negotiating contracts with contractors, securing materials and mobilization sites and collaborating with partners on all project planning. All first quarter milestones from the NOAA approved project work plan were completed including: ? Procuring Project Materials: project personnel received quotes from vendors and secured American-made materials (steel, oyster bags, oyster bag staples) and shell for the project. Once contracts are signed, deposits will be paid to vendors. ? Securing Mobilization Sites: mobilization sites on Grand Isle, Jefferson Parish and near St. Bernard Marsh, St. Bernard Parish have been secured. The Nature Conservancy (the Conservancy) and Coastal Environments, Inc. (CEI) representatives met with the Grand Isle mobilization site owner on September 10 to finalize plans. Project personnel visited the mobilization site during the Grand Isle site visits in September. St. Bernard Marsh site visits will occur in October and November. Other major project activities completed this quarter included: ? Negotiating Contract for Services with two first-tier contractors. The CEI contract will be signed by October 13, 2009, and the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (LSU Ag Center) contract is in the final stages of review and approval and anticipated to be fully executed by the end of October. ? Working with Conservancy and NOAA legal staff to determine Davis-Bacon Act language for contracts. ? Meeting with partners (NOAA, CEI and LSU Ag Center) to discuss project implementation, reef placement, monitoring, financial management, and safety guidelines and considerations.
Jobs Summary: Louisiana Coastal Conservation Project Manager: this position assists the Louisiana Director of Mississippi River Delta and Conservation with all aspects of the project including daily project, grant and subcontractor management. (Total jobs reported: 1)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
This award's data was last updated on Jul. 1, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
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