Committee extends temporary exemption for Bayou Manchac and the Comite River while drawing conservation concerns

The House Natural Resources Committee voted to extend a temporary exemption from portions of the Louisiana Scenic Rivers Act that had been applied to Bayou Manchac and the Comite River. The measure, carried by Rep. Mandie Edmonson, removes a near‑term statutory deadline and preserves the status quo while the Amite River Basin Commission and local governments pursue flood mitigation work.

Paul Sawyer, executive director of the Amite River Basin Commission (ARBC), told the committee the commission supports the Scenic Rivers Act but needs more time to access and deploy funding to address chronic flooding. Sawyer said the commission has completed annual and master plans and needs additional time and resources to complete required rulemaking: “We want to do the rulemaking,” he told the committee, “we just need more time.”

East Baton Rouge Metro Councilman Aaron Moak and local officials spoke in favor, saying surgical clearing and snagging on Bayou Manchac has materially reduced flooding in parts of Central and East Baton Rouge Parish. Moak said local pilot removal of woody debris and targeted clearing improved drainage and reduced the recurrence of flood conditions in areas affected by the 2016 event.

Conservation groups — including The Nature Conservancy and the Louisiana Wildlife Federation — opposed a broader, indefinite exemption. Emily Vuxton of The Nature Conservancy said the Scenic Rivers permitting regime already allows certain flood management activities by permit and cautioned that removing statutory protections could lead to bank erosion, habitat loss and unintended downstream impacts. Rebecca Trish of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation told the committee that clearing and bank work, if done without careful permitting and plans, can accelerate erosion and increase sediment deposition.

Committee members repeatedly asked staff and LDWF representatives how the exemption interacts with federal permits and other projects. LDWF legal staff confirmed some federally permitted projects are already exempted (for example the Comite River Diversion Project) and said permitting for clearing and snagging remains possible under the Scenic Rivers program, albeit with a review process designed to protect scenic and habitat values.

Why it matters: The Amite basin has experienced repeated catastrophic flooding, including a 2016 event that killed residents and produced widespread property damage. Local governments say maintaining the ability to clear woody debris and perform surgical dredging is an urgent mitigation tool; conservation advocates say the state must preserve the long‑term ecological functions of scenic rivers by insisting on oversight and permitting.

What’s next: The committee extended the statutory suspension to align with ARBC funding timelines. Sponsors pledged to coordinate with LDWF and local governments to ensure permit reviews and management plans are in place when exemptions expire.