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In 2004, the state of Louisiana had our first project recognized with a Coastal Project Award for the Isles Dernieres Program which was awarded to us at the ASBPA Annual Conference in New Orleans. The Isles Dernieres Project was recognized by ASBPA for its innovative approaches to both barrier island restoration and environmental protection on a large scale. We were scheduled to receive the award at the luncheon but, earlier in the day, Mayor Ray Nagin issued a call for a voluntary evacuation of the city due to the threat from Hurricane Ivan. My colleague, Kenneth Bahlinger, and I decided to stay while the majority of the conference and the city were frantically calling loved ones and evacuating. This was our first award from ASBPA so we stayed and received the award and left shortly after. Our drive back to Baton Rouge which normally takes an hour took nearly 13 hours! While the conference was cut short, it was my first ASBPA event and I’m still thrilled to this day for our agency to have been recognized for the work at Isle Deneries! Shown in the photo below from left to right is LDNR Geologist Syed Khalil, Acting Assistant Secretary Gerry Duszynski, and Project Manager Greg Grandy.Greg Grandy