Corps at it again.... what she said...

Source
http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2012/09/be_transparent_on_riverfront_g.html

For thousands of New Orleanians, going to the Fly and the area Uptown along the levee (the "unofficial dog park") is a daily part of our lives and an integral part of what we love about living here.

 

Since your story broke about the Army Corps of Engineers closing this area for up to two years in order to raise the levee by 2 feet, many of us have been worried about what that will mean to the families, kids, ball players, nature lovers and animal lovers who use and love this beautiful little slice of New Orleans.

 

We respectfully ask that the corps make this process transparent and answer our questions: What will the project entail? Can and will they do the work in phases so that residents can continue to have at least limited access to sections, rather than fencing off the entire area at once?

Will they in fact be cutting down all the glorious old trees that line the low-lying area along the levee? What will the final transformation look like, and will it be returned to us to use and enjoy as before?

If the corps is not willing to answer these questions, we ask that our representatives demand a town hall style meeting.

We appreciate the need for greater flood protection, but given the corps' record of "one size fits all" solutions that often times has caused unnecessary and unintended harm, we ask that if there is a way of accomplishing the required goals while limiting the damage to the environment and residents' quality of life, that is the approach that should be taken.

Karen Howard
New Orleans