NAME OF APPLICANT: RES Barataria, LLC, attn: Mr. Shay Hollie, 412 Settlers Trace, Suite 200, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508
LOCATION OF WORK: LOCATION OF WORK: The 642.6-acre Bank is in Vacherie, Louisiana and centered at approximate Latitude 29.961987°, Longitude -90.697959° in Sections 1, 11, 12, and 42 Township 13 South Range 17 East in St. James Parish. The Bank is located within the East Central Louisiana Coastal Watershed (Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 08090301) of the Barataria LRAM Service Basin.
CHARACTER OF WORK: The purpose of the proposed project is intended to provide compensatory mitigation requirements for bottomland hardwood (BLH) and cypress-tupelo (CT) impacts in the Louisiana Wetland Rapid Assessment Method, Version 2.0 (LRAM) Barataria Service Basin. The Sponsor plans to re-establish 257.1 acres of BLH (248.1 acres LDENR BLH re-establishment and 9 acres CEMVN BLH re-establishment)
and 74.4 acres of CT Swamp, rehabilitate 28.6 acres of LDENR BLH, and enhance 273.6 acres of LDENR CT. The Bank will also include approximately 8.9 acres of non-mitigation features composed of non-wetland waters (3.6 acres) and degraded and maintained roads (5.3 acres) for a total of 642.6 acres. The project as proposed would include the removal of 50 culverts, degradation of a series of smaller field drains and swales through discing and backfill, installing earthen plugs (armored with limestone) within the west/east drainages, and the removal of the remnants of an agricultural pump. In areas proposed as BLH re-establishment and rehabilitation tree plantings shall consist of one or two-year-old bare-root seedlings and/or potted trees composed of a mixture of the hard and soft mast species obtained from a Louisiana registered, licensed nursery. Seedlings will be planted on approximately 9’ by 9’ spacing in rows, to achieve an initial stand density of approximately 538 seedlings per acre. Hard and soft mast species will be planted with a composition, on average, of 60-70 percent hard mast species. Planting will occur between December 15 through March 15. In areas proposed as CT re-establishment and enhancement, tree plantings shall consist of one or two-year-old bare-root seedlings and/or potted trees composed of a mixture of primarily (80%) bald cypress along with other soft mast species obtained from a Louisiana registered, licensed nursery. The Sponsor will mix species, in such a manner that will ensure adequate species diversity and that monotypic tree rows will not be established. Seedlings will be planted on approximately 12’ by 12’ spacing in rows, to achieve an initial stand density of approximately 302 seedlings per acre. Planting will occur between December 15 through March 15. Chemical or mechanical control of existing or recruited problematic invasive and non-native species will occur on an as needed basis throughout the life of the Bank as part of active management.