Leaaf prepared a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Environmental Review Record (ERR) for the Community Project Funding Grant under the Community Development Block Program Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program for improvements of the existing Sankofa Wetland Park & Nature Trail (Sankofa Park). The Sankofa Park is located on a 40-acre tract of land dedicated to the Sankofa Park to provide green infrastructure and educational recreation for the community. The proposed actions include improvements to the trail to better accommodate bicycle and pedestrian travelers who are commute regionally along Florida Avenue; a green amphitheater that will activate the park with performances and education events and include green infrastructure components; and a “STEM/STEAM learning trail” that will include signage to draw on the arts, sciences, and neighborhood histories to inform park users about the area’s ecology and history.
Following HUD’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidelines found in 24 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 58, Leaaf conducted an Environmental Assessment (EA) as the level of review required for the ERR, with the City of New Orleans as the Responsible Entity. The EA included identification of existing conditions and trends, location of the project relative to existing resources, a review of potential toxics and hazards, consultation with US Fish and Wildlife Services for impacts to Threatened and Endangered Species, and consultations under Section 106 to include the State Historic Preservation Officer and Tribal Entities. Additional factors that were considered included environmental justice, climate change, land use, and coastal impacts.
The project was not identified impact wetlands, as the main activities included improvements to existing trails and facilities. However, the project site was located in both the 100-year and 500-year floodplains; and therefore, was located within the Federal Flood Risk Management System (FFRMS) Floodplain. The 8-step process was completed which included two public notices and careful review and consideration of the impacts from the project to the floodplain.
The City of New Orleans agreed with a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and published a public notice indicating its intent to request funds. With funding secured for design, construction of Sankofa Park is expected to begin in late 2025.
