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WE ARE CREATING A LIVING SHORELINE OUT AT LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.
THIS IS THE FIRST LIVING SHORELINE TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN FRONT OF THE LEVY PROTECTION SYSTEM.
IT'S A SERIES OF NINE ROCK JETTIES THAT WILL BUILD BACK NATURAL MARSH NATURAL RESTORATION OF OUR MARSH THAT USED TO BE HERE.
IT BECOMES A SPEED BUMP IN A STORM THAT MARSH BUFFERS OUR LEVEE SYSTEM, WHICH PROTECTS ALL OF OUR HOMES.
SO IT'S A LAYER OF DEFENSE IN RESILIENCE.
YOU CAN CURRENTLY SEE ROCKS AND WHAT WE CALL BREAKWATERS THAT ARE CUTTING DOWN STORM SURGE.
THAT'S NOT ALL THAT WE'RE DOING.
HOPEFULLY BY APRIL OR MAY, WE'RE GONNA START SEEING SEDIMENT PUMPED AND IT'S GONNA BE SEDIMENT AND SOME ROCKS AND THINGS THAT'S COMING FROM THE LAKE BOTTOM.
AND IT'S GOING TO REALLY BE CREATING LIKE A SHORELINE.
AND IT'LL BE BUILT UP ABOVE THE WATER LEVEL.
OVER TIME, IT WILL GROW GRASS.
WE'RE GOING TO DO PLANTINGS, UM, AND REALLY START TO SEE A MARSH.
THIS PROJECT, WHICH IS REALLY PART OF A BROADER INVESTING IN AMERICA, UH, CONCEPT, IS INTENDED TO DO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY INTENDED TO ENGAGE IN RESTORATION OF THIS PART OF THE SHORE OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND REBUILD IT IN A WAY THAT PROVIDES PROTECTIONS FROM SEVERE STORMS. ADDED PROTECTIONS ALSO WORKS TO MAKE A THRIVING ECOSYSTEM WHERE THERE WASN'T AS THRIVING IN ECOSYSTEM BEFORE.
BUT THERE'S ALSO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASPECT TO IT AS WELL.
THIS IS GONNA BRING BUSINESSES, ECOTOURISM, KAYAK RENTALS, ALL SORTS OF EXCITING BUSINESSES HERE.
THERE'S GONNA BE A KAYAKING BLUE WAY, SO WHENEVER YOU ENTER IN WITH YOUR KAYAK, YOU AS A KAYAKER OR YOU AS A VISITOR TO THE SITE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE PEOPLE KAYAKING THROUGH THAT BLUE WAY.
FURTHER INTO THE FUTURE, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND EXCAVATE SOME TIDAL CREEKS, PLACES FOR FISH TO FISH TO KIND OF SWIM THROUGH PEOPLE TO KAYAK IN AND OUT OF.
UM, JUST REALLY LET NATURE KIND OF TAKE ITS COURSE HERE ON THE LAKEFRONT.
THE LEVEE PROTECTS US, BUT IT HAS SEPARATED US.
IT HAS, IT'S DISCONNECTED US FROM THE LAKE.
THIS IS ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE BACK TO THE LAKE TO BE PART OF THE ENVIRONMENT, TO GET IN THE ENVIRONMENT, TO ENJOY IT, AND REALLY APPRECIATE OUR, OUR NATURAL HERITAGE.
IT'S GOT THE FLAVOR OF JEFFERSON PARISH AND THAT IS UNIQUE.
THE THINGS THAT WORK HERE WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE THE SAME THINGS YOU'D DO ELSEWHERE.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO BUILD THAT INTO THE PROJECT BY USING LOCAL CONTRACTORS, BY GETTING THE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, THIS ISN'T JUST ROLLING IN AND SPENDING DOLLARS IN A WAY THAT THE COMMUNITY HASN'T BOUGHT INTO IS REALLY PART OF THE PROCESS.
WE'RE OPENING THE BIRD'S NEST PAVILION, WHICH IS AN ELEVATED STRUCTURE.
IT'S WHIMSICAL, IT LOOKS LIKE TREES, GIVES YOU A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENT THAT'S ALMOST READY TO GO.
JEFFERSON'S AN AGING COMMUNITY AND TO ATTRACT YOUNG FAMILIES TO THIS AREA, HAVING THIS AS, UM, AN EXTENDED BACKYARD, SOMETHING THEY CAN GET AT ENJOY TOGETHER, I THINK IS GONNA DO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT TO TO DO THAT.