Greater Lafourche Port Commission Accepts Grant Award to Pave Way for View Finders

Photo of Chett Chiasson Accepting Viewfinder Grant Award

Greater Lafourche Port Commission Port Director Chett Chiasson addresses the audience that was on hand at Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism Center in Raceland on Tuesday, March 12th. GLPC was awarded a Tourism Investment Program Grant at the event.

(CUT OFF, LA) – At the press conference held at Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou in Raceland on Tuesday, March 12th, the Greater Lafourche Port Commission was one of several organizations to find out they had been awarded grant money to assist with a project.

With the support of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, the funding awarded to GLPC clears the way for four view finders to be installed at Port Fourchon’s Slip D mitigation area next to the Fourchon Operations Center in the coming months.

“This is a first of its kind opportunity for the Port to both receive a grant like this and for us to become involved in ecotourism at this level,” GLPC Port Director Chett Chiasson said. “I know our board is proud of what we are doing here and are thankful for this grant as it gives us the chance to bring people in to the southern part of our parish to see how industry and environment truly work hand in hand.”

This project is part of a larger vision to transform more than 40-acres of marsh land in to an immersive recreational and educational area for visitors and those working at the port as well.

Currently, the port is in the process of securing additional funding to match with its own dollars to advance this project forward from the idea phase to a gradual implementation that will eventually include a tidal creek, walking trail, outdoor learning pavilion, and more.

The first step in this process is developing a parking area and placing the view finders on the site in such a way to where they overlook the entire expanse that in total is almost 100 acres.

These view finders will be mounted on pedestals with one of them providing accessibility to handicapped individuals.

“We see this as a chance to bring nature right up close to a site that is already teeming with lush green grass growth and different types of birds that are beginning to make themselves at home out there,” Chiasson said. “Any time you participate in a project of this type, you want the intention of it to be one that’s interactive and that’s exactly what were going to do with these state-of-the-art view finders that will allow people to rotate it to take in the beauty of the entire area.”

While using the view finders will cost individuals nothing, donation boxes may be attached to them with any money raised going yearly toward environmental causes.

To learn more about this and other recipients’ projects, please visit cajunbayou.com.

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