St. Charles Parish Coastal Zone Advisory Committee Meeting - February 10, 2026
St. Charles Parish Coastal Zone Advisory Committee Meeting - February 10, 2026
The St. Charles Parish Coastal Zone Advisory Committee (CZAC) met on February 10, 2026, at 12:00 PM in the Council Chambers of the Courthouse, Hahnville. All seven commissioners were present. The meeting featured presentations from the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP) and an overview of coastal zone management and the committee's role. Key actions included approval of a revised coastal use brochure, discussion of a joint permit application for the Couba Island Christmas Tree Restoration Pens, and updates on coastal activities and proposed restoration projects.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Previous Meeting’s Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved unanimously by voice vote and digital vote.
Presentations
- Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP) – Nicki Boudreaux (Education & Engagement Coordinator) and Bren Haase (Director): The presenters explained BTNEP's origins, mission, and focus areas (water quality, habitat restoration, education, native and invasive species, pollinator conservation, marine debris removal). They highlighted projects such as growing native plants for ridge restoration, tracking swallowtail kites, removing 23 tons of trash in 2025, and a diamondback terrapin head-start program. Committee members raised concerns about severe saltwater intrusion, loss of submerged aquatic vegetation, and the ineffectiveness of the Davis Pond freshwater diversion operation. They urged BTNEP to advocate for changes, such as increasing freshwater discharge or exploring a siphon instead of a diversion. Committee member expressed full support for a larger diversion or siphon (e.g., 10,000 cfs) rather than the current 2,000 cfs plan to properly restore the Barataria Basin.
- Coastal Zone Management and CZAC 101 – Clay Ledet, CZM: Ledet provided an overview of the Coastal Zone Management Act, Louisiana’s local coastal program, the role of the advisory committee, and the importance of EMUs (Ecological Management Units). He explained how the committee’s input helps balance development and conservation, and noted that the committee’s approved SHIELD plan will go to the parish council in March 2026.
Discussion Items
- Manager’s Briefing – Joint Permit Application (JPA) SCP-2026-01 (Couba Island Christmas Tree Restoration Pens): Ledet reported that a state concern JPA was received for installing three sediment pens using recycled Christmas trees on the north shoreline of Couba Island. A public comment period opened January 31 and closes February 25, 2026. No members of the public spoke during the public hearing. Committee members discussed the low number of trees collected (estimated ~200) and cost ($45,000 for initial construction and deployment). Suggestions for improving future collection included parish newsletters, school involvement, and better coordination with garbage collection schedules. A letter of clearance from LDWF has been issued.
- Quarterly Report: Ledet summarized activities since September 2025, including 42 state and 9 local coastal use permits reviewed in 2025, approval of the SHIELD conservation plan, committee rules and training, a field trip to Davis Pond diversion, and ongoing EMU reviews.
- EMU 15, 16, 17 (continued) and EMU 12, 13, 14 (introduction): The committee continued discussion of previously reviewed EMUs (Salvador Management Area, Couba Island, Davis Management Area) and was introduced to EMUs 12, 13, and 14, which were already part of the 2016 local coastal program. A committee member asked about goal #1 in EMU 14 (Davis Management Unit) regarding coordination with Jefferson Parish on potential landfill leachate impacts.
- Coastal Use Brochure: A revised brochure was presented, reflecting updated information. The committee approved the brochure unanimously (motion by Martinez, second by Lambert).
Key Outcomes
- Brochure Approved: The coastal use brochure as redesigned was approved unanimously.
- Couba Island JPA: No public comments were received; the comment period remains open until February 25, 2026. The project will proceed after permit approval, with construction anticipated by end of February.
- Proposed Restoration Projects: At the CWPPRA Regional Planning Team meeting (February 5), the parish proposed four projects for the Barataria Basin: Salvador Shoreline Protection, Couba Island Protection, an upper Barataria freshwater diversion (or siphon) into Lac des Allemands, and the Des Allemands Rock Jetty at the southern end of Lake Salvador. Voting on these projects is expected by end of February. Committee members expressed strong preference for a siphon design capable of delivering up to 10,000 cfs year-round, rather than a limited diversion.
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for March 10, 2026, at 12:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you. Like the records show that all seven commissioners are in in attendance today. All right. First on the agenda, we got approval of previous meetings minutes, which were included in your packet. If we can get a motion to accept the previous meeting's minutes. Motion by Miss Babbin. Second by Mr. Lambert. All in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. All opposed. Please remember to digitally vote. Is it up there? Okay, you can vote now. Mr. Lambert. Vote. Please. Yep. Okay, and that motion passes unanimously. Next up on the agenda, we have a presentation by Badaria Terrabone National Estuary Program. Miss Nikki Boudreau and Mr. Bryn Haas. You now have the floor. We appreciate y'all being here. Do I need to push? There we go. Think I'm on now. Okay. Good. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Appreciate uh appreciate you all being here. It's nice to see uh some familiar faces, some folks I've worked with uh certainly in the past, and Nick and I are excited to be here and share with you a little bit about uh BitNEP, who we are and what we do. Um we have uh we're both relatively new to the organization, uh, which I think gives us a little bit of a unique perspective kind of on where we've been as program and kind of some of the things we do, but one of the things we've definitely been trying to do is to get out into other parts of the estuary uh from where we're sort of centrally located. Um and I'm happy to say that one of our first endeavors to do that was just about a year ago um this week. Uh we we held a management conference um uh just at the at the base of the bridge down there uh here in St. Charles Parish. So it was good to I think you guys were our first foray in like decades outside of Thibodeau, uh which is where our office is located. Um BitNEP is a little bit difficult to sort of put in a box where uh first off I should say BitNEP stands for the Barriteria Terrible National Estuary Program. You you guys I'm sure already uh understood that, but uh it goes uh needs to be said, but um we're a little hard to to put in a box. We're not a real um uh easily defined, I guess, uh program in uh in terms of what we do. We're uh many people think we're a nonprofit, we are not a nonprofit. Many people think we're part of Nichols State University because that's where our offices are and have been for 30 years or so. That's not the case. We're not actually officially a part of Nickel State University, even though certainly that's Tibetau and the Bay region is is the heart of where we have historically operated and where we've been. Um people think we're uh a federal or state agency, and both of those things are sort of true. Uh about half of our funding comes from the federal government, another half of it comes from the state. Um technically we're state employees. Um, but we're really uh and most of the work we do um is actually carried out by folks like you, partners from around the estuary.
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