St. Tammany Parish

We heard your concerns regarding scenic rivers and have taken action. President Mike Cooper and the Parish Council sent a letter to state Senator Bob Owen requesting to amend his legislation to keep several waterways protected by the Scenic Rivers Act. The waterways we have requested to keep under scenic protection are Cane Bayou, Bayou Chinchuba, Bayou Lacombe, Bayou Liberty, Holmes Bayou, Morgan River, Bradley Slough and Wilson Slough. We continue to advocate for the removal of the tributaries of the Tchefuncte River, as many of them are manmade, have been channelized and do not meet the criteria under the Scenic River Act. We also support the eight-year exemption of the West Pearl River. All of these waterways will remain protected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and permits must still be required for any work. The purpose of this legislation is to address the drainage needs in our parish. Currently, we cannot clear fallen trees or debris without state and federal approval. Our shared goal will always be to improve drainage, while preserving the natural beauty of our parish. This does not change any water quality regulations and LDEQ will still fully control sewage discharge permits. We thank Sen. Bob Owen for his advocacy and service, as well as our citizens who offered constructive feedback to ensure this legislation appropriately reflects the values of our community.

This Earth Day, we are so grateful to live in our beautiful St. Tammany Parish! From riding the Tammany Trace or exploring a lazy bayou, spend some time today to connect with nature!

It is never too early to prepare for hurricane season! Our Office of Emergency Preparedness and GOHSEP hosted a hurricane preparedness workshop to inform regional emergency management leaders on what to expect this hurricane season and best practices for planning and responding to natural disasters.

The Home Rule Charter Advisory Committee will hold its bimonthly meeting inside the Towers Building's Parish Council Chambers (520 Old Spanish Trail) in Slidell this Thursday, April 24, at 6 p.m. To view the agenda, visit sttammany.gov/HRC

📺In this episode of Lifestyle, Steven Cefalu gives you the rundown of the best upcoming events in St. Tammany - from the 2nd Annual Celebrate Trails Day on April 26, a sampling of Covington's best restaurants in May to the Slidell Little Theater's production of "Rent!": https://lnkd.in/gupgwhmt

📢 Here is your weekly Parish Update from STPG-TV! • Drainage Enhancements along Soell Drive • Attend April 22 & 24 Meetings in the Slidell Area • St. Tammany Animal Services May Adoption Events • Tammany Trace’s 30th Birthday Event on April 26 Sign up for the latest parish news delivered directly to your inbox: stpgov.org/subscribe

We are so excited to celebrate the Tammany Trace's 30th birthday on APRIL 26 as a part of our 2nd Annual Celebrate Trails Day! From limited edition doubloons, group bike and running events to handling reptiles and amphibians - there is so much to do with your friends and family next weekend! For more details and see participating parks & trailheads: https://lnkd.in/gs5tP-e8

District 14 Councilman Jimmy Strickland will host a community meeting in the Pentecost Missionary Baptist Church on Tuesday, April 22, at 6 p.m. Councilman Strickland will discuss two items on the May 3, 2025 ballot: the Parish School Board Proposition and the Slidell Memorial Millage Extension. For more information, please email councilmembers@sttammany.gov

Early voting for the May 3 Election begins April 19-26, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Sundays). For details on what is on the ballot, visit geauxvote.org

This is what some of our “scenic waterways” look like and we cannot “just go” clean them up. Recently there have been some inaccuracies about proposed state legislation regarding our scenic rivers, please give us the opportunity to clear a few things up: Many of the local rivers, streams and bayous within St. Tammany Parish are part of the Louisiana Scenic Rivers Program. While the program is meant to protect the natural beauty of these areas (which we all support!), it also ties our hands when it comes to basic maintenance. Right now, we cannot clear out fallen trees or debris without going through both the state and federal permitting process—which can take years—and only allows for one-time cleaning for the scenic stream permit. State Senator Owen has introduced legislation to fix these issues. The legislation would remove some of these waterways that do not meet criteria to be a scenic river, but more importantly, would allow us, with all proper permits, to perform routine maintenance to improve the drainage in our Parish. This doesn’t mean anyone will be dredging or clearing debris without oversight. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ permits will still be required to perform work on the waterways. It also doesn’t change any water quality regulations and LDEQ will still fully control sewage discharge permits. We’ve heard your concerns regarding the legislation and are continuing to work closely with Senator Owen to amend the bill to make sure it is clear, responsible, and in alignment with our shared goals of preserving the natural beauty of St Tammany. At the end of the day, it’s about keeping water moving through our drainage system. Let’s work together to protect both our environment and our homes.