Settlement money from the BP oil spill is one potential source of funding for the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s ambitious project to restore and improve the LSU lakes, according to BRAF Executive Vice President John Spain. Following a speech today to the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, Spain said certain BP settlement funds have been set aside to compensate for the impact the spill had on the environment and that the lakes project—which will cost at least $25 million—could be eligible for some of them.
The use of BP funds is one of several ideas to help fund the project, which will involve dredging the lakes in stages then using the dredged material to build up new land for wildlife and recreational uses. Federal grant funds are another potential funding source.
“It’s not just BP money,” Spain said. “When you look at the Interior Department, for instance, there are all kinds of dollars that are targeted at wildlife, and I think we have a list of maybe 20 different grants that are largely based on birds, fish, habitat, environment, water quality … I think we’re going to look at all of them.”
Also on the table: a dedicated tax millage that could expire after just a couple of years. Spain says he’s not sure if a property tax is a good idea and that it’s a long way from becoming a reality but that it’s worth considering.
“When you have to look at the funding you have to find the funding, and that’s one of many, many ways,” he said.
BRAF unveiled its master plan for the lakes overhaul July 16, after more than a year of planning and holding public meetings to get community input. For now, BRAF will continue to be the lead entity in the planning process, which will entail trying to secure from the Louisiana Bond Commission $13 million that was appropriated for the project by the Legislature during the recent session. But BRAF will have to redefine its role moving forward.
As to who will take the lead on the lakes overhaul once it moves from a conceptual plan to an actual project—assuming it gets that far—Spain couldn’t say for sure.
“But at some point a public entity will have to do the bidding,” he said. “DPW or the state will have to oversee construction.”
—Stephanie Riegel
