Read the full article at HoumaToday.com
Posted Nov 8, 2017 at 12:01 AM
Lafourche Parish residents shared ideas on everything from creating cultural and recreational opportunities to stimulating the economy Tuesday at the Mathews Government Complex.
LA SAFE, or Louisiana’s Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments, is helping six parishes – including Terrebonne and Lafourche – come up with community-focused plans to adapt to Louisiana’s changing landscape and complement the state’s Coastal Master Plan.
Tuesday’s meeting was one of the last before the plans are formed. Terrebonne’s meeting was held Oct. 21 at Rougarou Fest in Houma.
The state Office of Community Development’s Disaster Recovery Unit is managing the initiative along with the Foundation for Louisiana’s Coastal Resilience Leverage Fund.
Rachelle Thomason with the Foundation for Louisiana said in the fifth round, which will happen sometime in December, residents will get to rank six projects organizers choose.
Regina Verdin, of Raceland, noted the importance of projects such as raising homes and providing a means for residents to relocate if necessary. She said she’d also like to see improvements to the area along La. 308.
Verdin said she’s been to almost all of the LA SAFE meetings and that it’s been an interesting experience.
“We started with a really big base of ideas and thoughts that came from the community,” she said. “Narrowing it down to just a few has been a pretty amazing process. … People feel that the whole thought of coastal restoration is so big, like how can one person make a difference? This has been really good evidence that the community can really make a difference.”
— Staff Writer Bridget Mire can be reached at 448-7639 orbridget.mire@dailycomet.com. Follow her on Twitter @bridget_mire.
