E-Mail Response From Governor Jindal to Those Sending E-Mail Comments

February 27, 2012

Dear _[name removed]_:

Thank you for your correspondence regarding the proposed Water Reservation and Sale Agreement under review by the Sabine River Authority. Please be assured the Governor takes your thoughts and comments very seriously.

Water is one of our state’s most precious natural resources. Any concept to sell water from the Toledo Bend reservoir will require thorough, comprehensive evaluations regarding the availability of both surface and ground water to ensure the state’s needs are met now and in the future.  As a result of the tremendous amount of input from a wide variety of stakeholders, our office asked that the Sabine River Authority conduct public hearings in multiple parishes to ensure that the facts regarding the proposal are clear and any concerns regarding this proposal are addressed before they consider it any further.

In response to these public hearings, the board members of the Sabine River Authority unanimously decided to suspend any negotiations regarding the sale of water from the Toledo Bend Reservoir until a comprehensive evaluation is complete. This matter will be fully and thoroughly examined before any action is taken. The Departments of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Fisheries, and Environmental Quality, as well as the Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration and the Attorney General will each carefully evaluate the economic, environmental, agricultural, or other impacts of the agreement.

Please continue to keep our office informed of your views on the issues, and do not hesitate to contact our office in the future on matters important to you.

Sincerely,

/s/ Christina Grantham

Christina Grantham

Director of Constituent Services

Governor Bobby Jindal

CG/cw