St. Mary Excel reports on 2Q activities

(Editor’s note: The St. Mary Excel citizens group submitted this report on its second quarter activities.)
St. Mary Excel implements recommendations of the Urban Land Institute panel, “Morgan City and Berwick Louisiana: Building the Foundation for a New Economy Along the Atchafalaya River” (see
https://2os2f877tnl1dvtmc3wy0aq1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-
content/uploads/ULIDocuments/MorganCityandBerwick_PanelReport-v5-with-cover.pdf )
and
the Atchafalaya River Coastal Hub strategic plan (see
https://www.stmaryexcel.com/_files/ugd/14cd31_466bd1c92af74cf9b0cbb7b950...).
During Q2 of 2026, St Mary Excel:
• Held a community update meeting hosted by the St. Mary Coastal Club at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium and covered topics of: swimming pool; bike trails; Atchafalaya River Coastal Hub; River City Business Center; Berwick Sports Complex; and health care.
• Presented ARCH to Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Director Michael Hare.
• Initiated a preliminary engineering report for the ARCH in partnership with the St. Mary Levee District.
• Submitted a grant application for an ARCH pilot project on infrastructure and ecosystem resilience and initiated outreach on a second pilot project on infrastructure.
• Participated in Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser’s and the Cajun Coast Visitor and Convention Bureau’s Tourism week celebration;
• Submitted an op-ed editorial on the work taking place leading up to the ARCH strategic plan.
The submission was published in a state newspaper and contributed to a three-piece statewide discussion on the science, communities and resilience needed for coastal living and working.
Other authors included Mayor Helena Moreno and a coastal geoscientist, Torbjorn Tornqvist,
• Facilitated advocacy letters to state leaders from local officials and stakeholders on the need to access resources and funding opportunities for addressing the Atchafalaya Gateway riverfront and transportation route specifically the Ship Shoal Lighthouse acquisition, upgrading the National Historic Landmark, the Mr. Charlie, and the re-opening of the hurricane alternate evacuation route, the La. 182 Huey Long bridge,
• Attended a presentation by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana on a recently completed living shoreline project at Morgan Harbor Pass in partnership with the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana.
• Hosted a local interest group meeting on June 9 with topics of education, health care, ARCH, Berwick complex ballparks and insurance rate reduction plans, bike trails and pedestrian crossings; swimming pool and wellness; and ANERR,
• Welcomed Lisa Parsiola to the ARCH strategic plan team and the support of the H & B Young Foundation for strategic plan implementation, and.
• Appeared on KWBJ-22 Voice of the Coast to share information on the work of St. Mary Excel highlighting the ARCH, ANERR, and the importance of the Atchafalaya to the state’s economy because of the 70-30 Mississippi River System flow rate.