• February 25 — A task force made up of representatives from federal agencies such at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Marine Fisheries Service and coastal parish governments met to narrow down over 60 projects to 21 nominees for funding. The East Leeville Marsh Creation and Nourishment project is one of four in the Barataria Basin.
• April 15 — Those 21 projects are further narrowed down to 10 by a “technical committee” based on potential costs and potential benefits to wetlands.
• After April — Subcommittees review the ins and outs of each project, with analysis including site visits, development of cost estimates, and discussion of partnerships and public support.
• December 11 — The project list is reduced to four finalists by the same committee, which will then return to the task force for final approval. Projects that are approved receive national and state funding for the engineering and design portion of the project.
• In three to five years — Even after being vetted, there’s no guarantee the project will be funded for construction. After engineering and design is complete, the project will be subject to another competitive process for construction funding.
