Coastal Restoration

Terrebonne Parish has invested local funds in coastal-restoration and preservation activities that has yielded an impressive 72-mile hurricane-protection system to combat storm surges and flooding while growing a base of experience and knowledge in the sector.

Terrebonne Parish has a diverse workforce of engineers, technicians, scientists, and heavy construction workers supporting the industry – a workforce that can be employed in site development activities. It is supported by the Coastal Technical Assistance Center at Nicholls State University and heavy equipment training at Fletcher Technical Community College.

The development of this industry target is supported by several federal, state, and local initiatives that fund the development and implementation of coastal restoration projects. Funding streams are the result of the federal Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act; the federal Coastal Impact Assistance Program and the Gulf of Mexico Security Act. These mechanisms, which have funded hundreds of millions of dollars in restoration efforts in the parish, are expected to continue funneling restoration project dollars into the area. Terrebonne Parish government has a Department of Coastal Restoration and Preservation. This office coordinated the development of a Comprehensive Coastal Restoration Plan, centered on the large-scale restoration of barrier islands, estuaries and habitats. Designed for implementation over a 100-year period, opportunities for projects for technical and heavy construction contractors will be available for decades.

Assets:

• Federal, state, and local commitment to coastal restoration investments and projects
• Availability of heavy construction personnel
• Quality of labor-management relations
• Availability of post-secondary vocational training
• Availability of on-the-job training assistance
• Availability of post-secondary training programs at Nicholls State University and Fletcher Technical Community College.
• Opportunity to create high-wage jobs in the region
• High concentration in the construction sector
• Quality of place assets: availability of all types of housing, low cost of living, cultural activity, recreational opportunities and medical facilities