action oriented projects

Development of a "Green" Infrastructure Guidance Tool for Urbanized New Orleans

Bayou Land RC&D, in partnership with the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works, have to develop a technically-based tool that can support the systematic implementation of "green" stormwater infrastructure BMPs in Orleans Parish and in other urbanized watersheds. Supporting objectives include: 1) To standardize the process by which "green" storm water infrastructure design approaches are integrated into public right-of-way projects, and 2) To establish a strategic rationale for applying "green" storm water infrastructure techniques in urbanized and rebuilding New Orleans watersheds.

Junior Master Gardener

Generous grants from Cox Charities and the Ella West Freeman Foundation have provided Bayou Land RC&D with the opportunity to develop a strong student-led gardening program called Junior Master Gardener (JMG) Program to two Orleans Parish Public Charter Schools. We are working to bring garden resources to these schools. We also have funds provided by the LA Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation that allow us to expand this program to include schools in the greater Bayou Land Area.

Elmer's Island Community Led-Restoration

Bayou Land has teamed up with the Gulf of Mexico Foundation, University of New Orleans Pontchartrain Institute of Environmental Sciences, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the LSU AgCenter and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana to protect fish and wildlife habitats and important recreational beachfront on Elmer's Island in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Community volunteers from the greater New Orleans Area will propagate indigenous plant species which will be out-planted onto Elmer’s Island to stabilize the beach and enhance dune formation along a critical low lying beach.

Louisiana Native Plant Initiative

The Louisiana Native Plant Initiative (LNPI) is a partnership between various federal and state agencies, universities, and private organizations throughout Louisiana. LNPI began in April 2004 with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the NRCS and McNeese State University (MSU). The goal of LNPI is to will collect, preserve, increase, and study native grasses, forbs, and legumes assembled from Louisiana ecosystems, conserving a vanishing natural resource, and providing an essential step in the development of a Louisiana native plant industry.

Bayou Land is currently into its third year of administering technical guidance for the SE Louisiana LNPI Unit hosted at Nicholls State University. We were able to hire (FY 2007) and part-time Native Plants farm Manager (Gary Fine) who provides day-today operations.

Bridge Replacement, Wetland Watchers' Park Nature Trail

For about the last five years, St. Charles Parish along with the St. Charles Parish School System has been developing the Wetlands Watchers Park in Norco, LA. The Park is a 28.4 acre site dedicated to recreation and Wetland Education. The park features a fishing jetty, a large open area used for special events and a nature trail. The nature trail was developed over the years using free materials and labor as it became available. The trail is laid out to showcase the diversity of the wetland area. Bayou Land RC&D and St. Charles Parish are currently updating the trail to provide near all-weather access and installing and outdoor classroom for more comfortable learning.

Louisiana Natural Resources Directory

The management of natural resources in Louisiana is becoming an increasingly complex endeavor because of the growing number of federal, state and local regulations governing natural resources. Many landowners are unaware of persons and organizations that they can go to for help in the management of natural resources and the sale of those products. Other Louisiana citizens simply want information on natural resources.

In order to utilize our resources most efficiently, Bayou Land RC&D have partnered with the LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources, and the Louisiana State University (LSU) Agricultural Center for project development. Our objectives are to update and publish a state-wide directory of entities in Louisiana that are concerned with natural resources, including state and federal agencies, universities, extension service, consultants in forestry and other natural resources, major associations, companies that procure timber, and companies that offer landowner timber management assistance. Natural resources of particular concern in this directory include forestry, wildlife, fisheries, aquaculture and wetlands.

LDEQ "Watershed Coordinator for the Barataria and Terrebonne and Lake Pontchartrain Basins"

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) has partnered with Bayou Land to fund a full-time Watershed Coordinator to facilitate and conduct activities in the selected watersheds or groups of watersheds in the Barataria and Terrebonne and Lake Pontchartrain Basins for the purpose of reducing non-point pollution sources to ultimately improve surface water quality and restore support for Clean Water Act designated uses of primary contact and fish and wildlife propagation.

Floating Island Vegetative Planting Project - Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge

A BioHaven® Floating Island is a buoyant mat that is planted and launched into a water body. It is created by bonding together layers of nonwoven plastic matrix with inert marine foam. The foam provides adhesion and also adds buoyancy. The matrix layers are made from 100% polyester fibers, sourced from recycled PET drink bottles.

Bayou Land RC&D is working with BioHaven to develop/implement a demonstration area and monitoring plan in our region for Floating Islands. No base-line data exists as to how this technology will work in our area. Bayou Land designed two demonstration areas and to get date on water quality, vegetation, and habitat monitoring at Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in Orleans Parish. This is a joint project between the Bayou Land RC&D Council, Bayou Sauvage WL Refuge, and the City of New Orleans.

Elmer's Island Beach Stabilization and Enhancement

Elmer's Island is located on Louisiana's coast immediately west of Grand Isle. The area is very dynamic with tropical storms altering the landscape with each passing storm. The most recent storm, Hurricane Gustav, caused four breaches along the beach area of Elmer's Island. Natural processes have since healed the breaches over. But much of the beach area is void of vegetation especially fronting breaches.

This project was designed to will protect fish and wildlife habitats and important human infrastructure at Elmer's Island. Indigenous plant species (3,750 plants including: Panicum amarum (bitterpanium), Spartina patens (marshhay cordgrass) and Distichlis spicata (saltgrass) were planted along sections of low-lying beach for beach stabilization and enhance dune formation (along a critical low lying beach area) prone to over-wash by high tides. In addition, we hope to utilize this planting opportunity to educate volunteers about the importance of beach dune habitats.

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Requesting Assistance!!!

HOW WE CAN HELP

Since our inception in 2002, we have completed dozens of projects with diverse partners. If you would like find out how you can partner with RC&D to make a project in your community happen, please download and complete our Request for Assistance Form and send the completed form to our Metairie office. All Requests for Assistance are reviewed by the appropriate Project Planning Committee.

Proposals must be submitted in writing to the Bayou Land Council. They should include the sponsor name, contact person, a brief description of the project, its estimated cost, and benefits of the project on the economic, social and environmental conditions of the area.

Applications should also state clearly the assistance the sponsor is seeking from Bayou Land RC&D, and describe how the sponsor, or others, can participate in the project.

All proposals are considered by the Bayou Land RC&D Council four times a year. In evaluating proposals, the Council considers the merits of the proposal, its impact on the environment and resources, its impact upon human resources, its potential for spurring economic development, and the potential for the project to improve the standard of living for the region or the community.

DEADLINES FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS ARE January 1, April 1, July 1, & October 1.

request for assistance form