WHEREAS, the Batelle 2010 independent peer review of the Wetland Value Assessment (WVA) was funded under the United States Army Corp of Engineer’s Planning Model Improvement Program and concludes that “the marsh models as they now exist do not reflect ecological reality and their application is suspect”;
WHEREAS, the recommendation by Batelle 2010 is to revise the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) WVA marsh models to reflect ecological and physical reality rather than incorporating policy;
WHEREAS, a sensitivity analysis conducted by United States Army Corps of Engineers indicates the CWPPRA WVA marsh models may overestimate the benefits of some restoration techniques and underestimate the benefit of other techniques;
WHEREAS, in an effort to implement programmatic goals, the CWPPRA Environmental Workgroup uses conventions that may not be supported by the best available science;
WHEREAS, application of these conventions may overestimate the benefits of some restoration techniques and underestimate the benefit of other techniques;
WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the CWPPRA Environmental Workgroup to provide accurate scientific and technical information to the CWPPRA Technical Committee and Task Force; and
WHEREAS, it is the role of the CWPPRA Task Force to incorporate policy, programmatic goals, and technical information from various workgroups into CWPPRA decision making process.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Louisiana Wildlife Federation request of the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) Task Force and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority that the Wetlands Value Assessment (WVA) used to evaluate coastal restoration projects under the CWPPRA program be revised to include recommendations provided under United States Army Corp of Engineer’s Planning Models Improvement Program as indicated in the independent peer review of the WVA (Batelle 2010) and ensure that the CWPPRA Environmental Workgroup utilize the best science during their analysis of the varying project types.
Adopted by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation in Convention Assembled, August 18, 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.