St. Tammany Parish

Its time to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Tammany Trace at our 2nd Annual Celebrate Trails Day in Slidell & Koop Drive TODAY from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.! LIMITED EDITION 30th anniversary doubloons and special passports will be available at the Abita Springs, Koop Drive, Bayou Lacombe, Bonfouca-Carollo & Camp Salmen trailheads! Bring the whole family to 11 fun filled events - from group bike rides and an adoption EXTRAVAGANZA to meeting our parish's local wildlife! For more details: https://lnkd.in/gs5tP-e8

Construction has started on the long-awaited, $2 million, 25-acre Lacombe Nature Park, featuring kayak launches, boardwalks and activities along the Tammany Trace and Bayou Lacombe, President Mike Cooper and Council Chairman Joe Impastato announced Friday. “The Lacombe Nature Park is a celebration of the rich history of Lacombe, while preserving its natural environment,” said President Cooper. “This project has been a long-time-coming, and with partnership of our Council, Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and many others, this project has come to fruition during the Tammany Trace’s 30th Anniversary. I look forward to officially opening the park, offering a family-friendly experience that highlights our history and scenic landscape.” The park will feature four zones: Swamp Experience, Woodland Trail Loop, Industrial Discovery Zone and Marsh District, all of which will have related walking paths and activities. Additionally, the park will offer picnic space, native planting, overlook decks, and will be centered around a historic train on an existing rail spur. The park will be for passive recreation and will only be accessible via the Tammany Trace. “As a proud advocate for the people of District 7, I am excited for the Lacombe Nature Park to provide new recreational opportunities for our residents and to bring more visitors to our community,” said Council Chairman Joe Impastato. “Several District 7 Councilmembers have worked to make this park a reality and I am honored to be the one standing here today. The children in our community will particularly benefit from the park, they will have a new way to connect with our environment, history and cultural heritage.” The Lacombe Nature Park sits on the historic sites of a Native American settlement, a mid-century industrial barge operation and the Illinois Central Railroad. The park is located between the Bayou Lacombe Boat Launch, Bayou Lacombe Bridge Trailhead and the Tammany Trace. The project is funded by $1.1 million in state and federal grants and $1 million in local dollars. The project is estimated to be completed within the next year, with future phases adding more features to the park.

District 3 Councilwoman Martha Cazaubon will host a community meeting inside the Parish Council Chambers on Koop Drive in Mandeville on Tuesday, April 29, at 6 p.m. Councilwoman Cazaubon will discuss Zoning Appeals, 2024-40970-ZC and 2024-4098-ZC. For more information, please email councilmembers@sttammany.gov

St. Tammany Parish is proud to see a new business open in the Covington area! President Cooper joined Councilmen Phillips, Rolling & Strickland for the ribbon cutting of the new KIA of Covington dealership.

Hurricane season is around the corner and we continue to prepare! This morning, President Cooper, our Emergency Management Director Clint Ory and parish leadership met to discuss the 2025 outlook and get further ready to serve our citizens.

Our Environmental Services team was invited to tour and speak to the employees of MECO about Keep St. Tammany Beautiful's and St. Tammany Parish Government's efforts to keep our communities and roads trash free, clean and beautiful! MECO's 100,000 square foot facility in Mandeville is made up of local employees, manufacturing specialty equipment utilized by hundreds of companies across the world. MECO has also been instrumental in volunteer efforts for our annual Household Hazardous Waste Day events!

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