Funds sought for launches

The Terrebonne Parish Boat Launch Advisory Committee is asking the Louisiana Recovery Authority for less money to help make improvements to the South Houma Boat Launch, Ashland Boat Launch and Texas Gulf Road Boat Launch in Bourg.

The LRA is distributing billions of dollars in relief money for damage caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

The advisory committee is reducing its request to the LRA from $959,000 to $730,000, said Committee Chairman Rudie Bourgeois. The lower figure was approved by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, Bourgeois said.

He said the committee is applying for LRA funding because many of the people using the public boat launches are from areas of Terrebonne Parish damaged by Hurricane Rita.

The committee will reduce planned expansions of bulkheads, parking areas and walkways at the boat launches to accommodate the smaller amount of money.

“We want to renovate the boat launches to make sure everybody has as much access as we can,” Bourgeois said. “Walkways allow people who don’t have boats to fish. People who can’t afford to go elsewhere need access.”

Part of the money will pay for mooring pilings at the boat launches used to tie up boats during hurricanes. The pilings would be used mostly by residents from southern Terrebonne Parish more vulnerable to hurricane flooding, Bourgeois said.

Terrebonne Parish currently has $140,741 in federal Wallop-Breaux Act funds to pay for upgrades to the South Houma and Texas Gulf Road boat launches.

In an ordinance passed in January transferring $30,000 toward the price of upgrading the launches, the parish projected the cost of the improvements to be $325,741.