St. Mary Excel reports on 3Q activities
(Editor’s note: St. Mary Excel provided this update on the citizens group’s July-September activities.)
St. Mary Excel continues to implement 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/uplo...
St Mary Excel:
—Continues to follow St. Mary Parish’s RESTORE grant application for an Atchafalaya Resilience Lab at Coastal Morgan City. The grant would allow St. Mary Parish to contract with The Water Institute of the Gulf to detail the lab.
—Filed paperwork to transition the St. Mary Excel from a 501 (c) 6 to a 501 (c)3 to better position the organization in grant applications.
—Revamped the St. Mary Excel website. See https://www.stmaryexcel.com/
—Conducted a site visit to the Louisiana School for Math Science and the Arts in Natchitoches to learn first-hand about the school as it applies to exploring a coastal studies and maritime residential high school in Morgan City.
—Facilitated a meeting with the city of Morgan City, town of Berwick, Ochsner St. Mary, HSD #2, St. Mary Parish School Board and others to discuss wellness and swimming needs in the Morgan City and Berwick area.
—Hosted Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, commissioner of higher education and Dr. Brian Roberts, executive director of Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON). LUMCON is the lead state agency for the Atchafalaya National Estuarine Research Reserve. The meeting was held at the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau, a site that has been shared with the management plan team as a possibility for initial ANERR offices until an ANERR facility is built. Presented a five-year overview of St. Mary Excel’s work to the Atchafalaya Intracoastal Coalition at their July 10 meeting. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUQCXOyQSCo
—Hosted a Local Interest Group Meeting on September 22.
—Collaborated with and provided a letter of support for the city of Morgan City’s application for the Connecting Communities to Opportunity through Equitable Infrastructure Project to the Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program. The grant application seeks to complete BIKE MORGAN CITY.
—Continued inquiries into current awarded bike/hiking trail grants: 1) placing pedestrian head crossings on 3 intersections identified as dangerous; 2) placing trails from downtown Morgan City to South Louisiana Community College, and 3) continuation of trail from the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau to David Drive. The St. Mary Parish Council previously dedicated $100,000 in the 2023 budget to advance the work.
—Worked to share Atchafalaya National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) advancement by:
—Displaying ANERR banners at the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, at Lake End Park, and along the Berwick waterfront.
—Continuing to work with the PEW Institute to organize community engagement in the soon-to-be-released draft Atchafalaya National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) management plan. The plan will include all facets on reserve operation in the Atchafalaya zone.
—Working to complete paperwork and a design logo for a Friends of the Atchafalaya non-profit support organization.
—Meeting with Dr. Brian Roberts of LUMCON to share updates on advancing the ANERR impact in the area.
—Made a membership appeal to continue the work of the non-profit. Please contribute online by scanning the QR code on our FB page or mailing a tax-deductible donation via check to P. O. Box 65 Morgan City, LA 70381