Community Foundation Of Southwest Louisiana

COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND ENGAGEMENT FOR HURRICANE RECOVERY IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA THROUGH PLANNING OF THE BAYOU GREENBELT THIS IS A COMMUNITY-LED PROJECT FOR LONG TERM RECOVERY, PROVIDING ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND PLANNING WORK TO DEVELOP THE BAYOU GREENBELT IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA WITH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND GOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION. THE BAYOU GREENBELT PLAN WILL FOCUS ON A 23-MILE AREA IN CALCASIEU PARISH INCLUDING LAKE CHARLES, RIVERSIDE PARK, MCNEES STATE UNIVERSITY, AS WELL AS LOCAL PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS. THE BAYOU GREENBELT WILL INCORPORATE PASSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS WALKING AND PADDLING TRAILS IN AND AROUND LAKE CHARLES. ALSO, WITH COMMUNITY DRIVEN INPUT INNOVATIVE STORMWATER AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE RESILIENCY, REDUCE FLOODING AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY WILL BECOME PART OF THIS PLANNING EFFORT. THIS PROJECT WILL SERVE THE PUBLIC GOOD BY HELPING THE CALCASIEU PARISH AND ADJACENT COMMUNITIES RECOVER AND BECOME MORE RESILIENT WITHIN THE AFFECTED AREAS OF LOUISIANA IMPACTED BY TWO DEVASTATING HURRICANES: HURRICANE LAURA, A DEADLY AND DISASTROUS CATEGORY 4 STORM WHICH MADE LANDFALL ON AUGUST 27, 2020, AND HURRICANE DELTA, ALSO A CATEGORY 4 WHICH BLEW A STRIKE TO THE STATE OF LOUISIANA ONE MONTH AFTER LAURA CAUSING OVER 3.9 BILLION IN DAMAGES.