Jefferson Parish has been awarded $32 million in state funding for coastal restoration work on Grand Isle and in Jean Lafitte.
According to a Jefferson Parish press release, over $22 million of the funds will go towards flood protection in Jean Lafitte:
- $11.7 million for the Goose Bayou/Penn Levee
- $11 million for building new levees and other flood protection in the Rosethorne Basin area of Jean Lafitte.
Over $10 million will be allocated to levee beach stabilization and repair in Grand Isle.
“The Jefferson Parish Coastal Management Department, along with President Yenni, look forward to working with the state on these important projects,” Jefferson Parish Coastal Management Coordinator Lauren Averill said.
Governor John Bel Edwards has suggested taking $55 million from the state surplus and placing it into the constitutionally protected Coastal Trust Fund. He has also announced that Louisiana will receive more than $300 million through the Gulf of Mexico Security Act for flood risk-reduction projects across the Louisiana coast over the next three years.
According to a statement from Jefferson Parish District 1 Councilman Ricky Templet, the mayors of Jean Lafitte and Grand Isle are looking forward to working with the newly-appointed Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority board chair Chip Klein.
“Protecting and restoring the coastlines in our parish is of the utmost importance and I am pleased to see specific funding being dedicated to these projects,” Templet said.
Jenn Bentley is a writer and editor originally from Cadiz, Kentucky. Her writing has been featured in publications such as The Examiner, The High Tech Society, FansShare, Yahoo News, and others. When she’s not writing or editing, Jenn spends her time raising money for Extra Life and advocating for autism awareness.
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