Louisiana Trustees Release Final Restoration Plan #4 for Recreational Use and Nutrient Reduction

The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group released its Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #4 (PDF, 484pg), which selects projects to restore lost public recreational uses and reduce agricultural nutrient runoff in Louisiana’s coastal watersheds injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Recreational Strategies

The Deepwater Horizon spill oiled shorelines and resulted in the closure of waterways, parks, and other coastal areas in Louisiana resulting in decreased access to recreational fishing and camping, as well as other outdoor activities which diminished the public’s recreational opportunities and use of natural coastal resources.

To help restore those losses, the Final Restoration Plan #4 has approximately $38 million in projects which emphasize the creation and enhancement of recreational opportunities, including:

• Fishing, beach-going, camping, and boating.
• Public access to natural resources for recreational use.
• Infrastructure for improved of recreational experiences.
• Educational and outreach components to help encouraging use and stewardship of natural resources.

Nutrient Reduction Strategies

Excess nutrients flowing into to Louisiana’s coastal estuaries cause harmful algal blooms and oxygen depleted water, negatively impacting spawning our fisheries’ habitats and food sources already injured by the 2010 oil spill.

We’re including  approximately $9.5 million in projects designed to help to restore and enhance water quality in the state’s coastal watersheds by reducing nutrient and nonpoint source pollution runoff on agricultural lands, focusing on the following strategies:

• Nutrient Reduction on Dairy Farms (Two projects in three parishes)
• Nutrient Reduction on Crop and Grazing Lands
• Winter Water Holding on Cropland

We released the Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #4 for review and public comment in April 2018, and held a public meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 24.

Additional information and materials:

Learn about Louisiana's Final Restoration Plan #2, released around the same time.>