HLS 20RS-732 ENGROSSED
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 35
BY REPRESENTATIVE LACOMBE
WATER/RESOURCES: Extends the False River Watershed Council
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To extend the existence of the False River Watershed Council and provide for its
3 membership.
4 WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 123 of the 2012 Regular Session of
5the Louisiana Legislature created the False River Watershed Council consisting of twelve
6representatives of state agencies, local government agencies, the legislature, and concerned
7citizens; and
8 WHEREAS, the council was charged with meeting to ". . . deliberate and produce
9a report that will identify, review, and evaluate management strategies to facilitate the goal
10of improving the aquatic habitat of False River; to provide recommendations for the optimal
11management and protection of the resources within the False River watershed, including but
12not limited to the following: the study of impacts and potential impacts to water quality,
13excess nutrient and sediment run-off management, shoreline modification management,
14watershed conservation measures, and innovative habitat restoration methodology;
15coordination of federal, state, and local efforts to improve and protect water quality; surface
16water resource management and protection policies; recommendations for the optimal
17management and protection of the natural resources in the False River watershed;
18identification of various funding options for ongoing maintenance of the False River
19watershed; recommended changes to current procedures and practices to make the
20management and protection of the natural resources in the False River watershed more
21efficient, comprehensive, and sustainable"; and
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1 WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 123 provides that the council shall
2cease to exist on January 11, 2016, ". . . unless it is extended by further action of the
3Louisiana Legislature. . ."; and
4 WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 230 of the 2015 Regular Session of
5the Louisiana Legislature continued the council's existence until June 30, 2016; and
6 WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 36 of the 2016 Regular Session of
7the Louisiana Legislature continued the council's existence until June 30, 2017; and
8 WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 52 of the 2017 Regular Session of
9the Louisiana Legislature continued the council's existence until January 13, 2020; and
10 WHEREAS, the participants in the watershed council's efforts for ". . . improving the
11aquatic habitat of False River; to provide recommendations for the optimal management and
12protection of the resources within the False River watershed . . ." are united in their desire
13to continue those efforts through continued existence of the False River Watershed Council;
14and
15 WHEREAS, to achieve the goal of a restored False River watershed as quickly and
16completely as possible, it continues to be necessary to bring together the various government
17interests, as well as nongovernmental stakeholder organizations who possess specialized
18knowledge or whose members represent resource users in the False River watershed.
19 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
20extend the existence of the False River Watershed Council, whose membership shall be as
21follows:
22 (1) The commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry or his designee
23within the department.
24 (2) The secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality or his designee within
25the department.
26 (3) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health or his designee within the
27department.
28 (4) The secretary of the Department of Natural Resources or his designee within the
29department, who will serve as vice chair of the council.
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1 (5) The secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries or his designee within
2the department, who shall serve as chair of the council.
3 (6) The state senator from Senate District 17.
4 (7) The state representative from House District 18.
5 (8) Two members to be selected by the senator from Senate District 17.
6 (9) Two members appointed by the representative from House District 18.
7 (10) Two members appointed by the Pointe Coupee Parish Police Jury.
8 (11) The director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness – Pointe Coupee Parish.
9 (12) One member appointed by the mayor of the city of New Roads.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the council shall submit an annual report to the
11House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and the Senate Committee on
12Natural Resources no later than thirty days prior to the convening of each year's regular
13session.
14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the False River Watershed
15Council shall not be entitled to receive any salary, per diem, expenses, mileage, or other
16emoluments of the office for their service on this commission, outside of any that they may
17be entitled to by virtue of their service in another public office.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the council shall, at the proper time, contact the
19following federal resource agencies to solicit their views and input with respect to
20completing the study requested by this Resolution:
21 (1)United States Army Corps of Engineers.
22 (2)United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
23 (3)United States Geological Survey.
24 (4)National Resources Conservation Service.
25 (5)United States Department of Agriculture.
26 (6)National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
27 (7)United States Environmental Protection Agency.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
29Pointe Coupee Parish Police Jury, the commissioner of agriculture, the secretary of the
30Department of Environmental Quality, the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health,
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HCR NO. 35
1the secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, and the secretary of the Department
2of Wildlife and Fisheries.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 35 Engrossed 2020 Regular Session LaCombe
Extends the existence of the False River Watershed Council.
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