Edwards designates $75 million to fund Bayou Chene project

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Wednesday his plans to designate more than $350 million in coastal dollars, including $55 million from fiscal year 2018 surplus dollars to Louisiana’s coastal trust fund.

Included in those coastal dollars is $75 million from the federal Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act to complete the design and construct the Bayou Chene flood control/storm surge flood gate located in St. Mary Parish, and while located in St. Mary Parish, this structure will help protect parts of St. Mary, Assumption, Terrebonne, Iberville, Lafourche and Iberia parishes.

St. Mary Levee District officials are still looking for another $5 million in funds for the Bayou Chene project, Levee District Executive Director Tim Matte said.

"This was a culmination of a multi-year effort since I've been on the natural resources committee and transportation (committee), which has finally borne fruit with actually allocated dollars, and will fully protect Morgan City, east St. Mary and lower St. Martin from backwater (flooding," said state Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin.

Jones also thanked Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, for being "a great partner" working on the project for years.

Edwards highlighted nearly $300 million allocated to hurricane protection projects across the next three fiscal years, 2020 through 2022, that utilize enhanced Gulf of Mexico Energy Security revenues coming to the state, a governor’s news release said.

“In the next 12 months alone, over $120 million in GOMESA revenues will be expended to help protect over 2 million Louisianans who live and work along our coast,” Edwards said in the release.

“These investments represent a proactive mindset by the State of Louisiana and CPRA, allowing us to better defend against a hurricane or natural disaster and showing the citizens of our state we cannot and will not wait on someone else to provide us the protection we deserve,” he said.

Edwards also announced Chip Kline as the new executive assistant for coastal activities and board chair of the Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority.

Matte said Kline’s appointment as board chair and executive assistant for coastal activities bodes well for the St. Mary Levee District. Kline has been associated with CPRA for both the 2011 and 2016 temporary closures of Bayou Chene, along with the entire time officials have been working on the permanent structure project, Matte said.

Kline said, “I recognize and appreciate the opportunity the governor has given me, and I also recognize the incredible responsibility that comes with this job. The protection and restoration of Louisiana’s coast is an effort for the ages, and its undertaking is bigger than all of us, yet it affects each and every person living in this state. I look forward to continuing my work on behalf of and with the people of Louisiana, and I remain committed to leaving a coast that our children and grandchildren can cherish as much as we all do.”