As the session approaches its June 25 deadline, lawmakers are putting the finishing touches on a new appeals process for Louisiana’s Natural and Scenic Rivers Program. Overseen by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the program currently includes 52 streams, rivers and bayous totaling more than 1,700 miles in length. Along the 10/12 corridor, there are more than two dozen such bodies of water in the program, from the Calcasieu River near the Lake Charles region to the Abita River in St. Tammany Parish. By being in the program, they’re eligible for resources that preserve, protect, reclaim and enhance. It also opens up local communities to channels of money not already available to them, including dollars for cultural efforts, tourism and possibly even economic development.
A management plan with regulations for land and water uses, as well as ownership guidelines, is likewise constructed for all included bodies of water. But sometimes when businesses and individuals apply for certain activities, the management plan causes them to be denied. If such an entity is rejected, House Bill 234 would create — for the first time — an appeal process. The bill originally called for all appeals to be channeled to the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge, but many lawmakers objected since it would require some citizens to travel long distances just to file an appeal. “This takes government further away from the people,” says Sen. Francis Thomson, D-Delhi. “And I just like home cooking better.” To read the full item or the rest of 10/12 Weekly, click here.—Jeremy Alford
