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Committee narrows watershed restoration bill to Amite River Basin

House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment · April 23, 2026
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Summary

Lawmakers amended HB 802 to limit a proposed watershed conservation fund to the Amite River Basin, shrinking the bill's fiscal footprint; sponsor said the change reduces cost to under $100,000 and the committee reported the measure favorably as amended.

Representative Sawyer told the committee HB 802 creates a watershed conservation fund funded by existing state severance revenue and is modeled on coastal restoration funds. Committee members adopted an amendment that narrowed the bill's geographic scope from statewide to the Amite River Basin to reduce fiscal impact.

"We are shrinking that scope from statewide to just the Amite River Basin," Sawyer said, noting the amendment is intended to bring the projected fiscal impact under $100,000. The sponsor explained the approach is designed to use sand and gravel severance revenue from the basin to support restoration and flood-risk reduction where the extraction occurs.

Industry and local landowners offered support at the table, saying the modest user-fee approach could fund remediation of historic pits and help reduce flood risk. With no objections, members reported HB 802 favorably as amended.