New bill would establish reservoir commission
BY MARCELLE HANEMANN
THE DAILY NEWS
BATON ROUGE — Now that the purchase of the last 700 acres needed to complete the total 1,452-acre Bogue Chitto State Park has been enabled by a $2.8 million addition to the Capitol Outlay Bill, the local legislative delegation is turning its attention to a complimentary project.
Senator Jerry Thomas, Representative Ben Nevers and Representative Mike Strain have co-sponsored a resolution to establish a Washington Parish Reservoir Commission.
The commission would study the feasibility of developing a local reservoir and would search for and examine potential sites.
"I'm very excited about the possibilities a reservoir would bring to Washington Parish, with regard to the economic and recreational benefits that surround a project like this," said Nevers.
"People in Louisiana are serious about water recreation, be it fishing, swimming, boating or skiing," said Thomas. "This bill is about giving the citizens in the Washington Parish area more places to enjoy water-oriented activities, and it's certainly a push toward economic development."
The resolution states that a reservoir would: provide opportunities for recreational development and serve the growing demand for water-oriented outdoor activities, attract and provide an additional destination for tourists and enhance the quality of life for local citizens by providing a setting in which people could enjoy the company of friends and family.
Thomas said that the legislators had been discussing the project for some time and had recently decided to pursue a feasibility study.
"We felt it would be best to create a commission of citizens, as we did for the Bogue Chitto State Park, to look at the feasibility," said Thomas. "We have no pre-conceived area where it would be. There are several potential sites."
The eleven-member commission would be appointed by the governor. Three members would be chosen from a list submitted by the legislative delegation, and the remaining eight would be recommended by the parish council and the parish president.
The commission would have the authority to receive grants in order to carry out its stated purpose. And it would be required to submit a written report of its findings to the legislature and the state Department of Transportation and Development before the 2002 Regular Session.
"Washington Parish has a lot of natural beauty," said Thomas. "We should develop, promote and capitalize on our natural assets."
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