Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Approves 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update
NEW ORLEANS, LA – The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) held a public meeting on Friday, December 16th, 2016. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in his role as chair of the Council announced the approval of the Comprehensive Plan Update. This plan was unanimously adopted by the Council, which includes the five Gulf States (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas) and six federal agencies (U.S. Departments of the Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, and Homeland Security, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army). The Council also heard from some of its key restoration partners including representatives from the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund.
“Today’s announcement builds the foundation for state and federal partners to fulfill their commitments to the 22 million Americans who live in Gulf coastal counties and parishes to revitalize their economies and the Gulf ecosystem they depend upon,” Vilsack said. “The Comprehensive Plan Update reflects unprecedented collaboration between federal, state, tribal and local partners and creates the framework for ongoing coordination, engagement and transparency as we continue to invest in strategies to restore this vital region.”
The Council has updated its Initial Comprehensive Plan to include recent developments in Gulf restoration such as the resolution of civil claims against BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a source of future funding for the Council’s projects. The update also captures important public input and lessons learned from the process of developing and approving its initial Funded Priorities List (FPL), its first slate of restoration activities to be funded through the RESTORE Act, and positions the Council to make the most effective use of future funds as they become available beginning in 2017.
“The Council is pleased to present this Comprehensive Plan Update,” said Justin R. Ehrenwerth, Executive Director of the Council. “We thank the public for comments provided on the draft update. The Council has incorporated modifications to the update based on public input. We look forward to continuing to work with stakeholders as we move forward with comprehensive restoration across the coast.”
A recording of the meeting and additional information about both The Comprehensive Plan Update 2016 and the Response to Public Comments can be found on the Council’s website, www.RestoreTheGulf.gov.
Background
The Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act) established the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) and the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund (Trust Fund), and dedicates 80 percent of Clean Water Act penalties resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to the Trust Fund, for restoration projects in the Gulf Coast
region. The Council is responsible for administering 60 percent of the total funding allocated from the Trust Fund: 30 percent (plus interest) under the Council-Selected Restoration Component and 30 percent under the Spill Impact Component. The Council is chaired by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and members include the Governors of the States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, as well as the Secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, the Army and the Interior, and the Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Council is responsible for helping to restore the ecosystems and economies of the Gulf Coast region by developing and overseeing implementation of a Comprehensive Plan and carrying out other responsibilities. Read more about the Comprehensive Plan, the RESTORE Act and the Council at www.RestoreTheGulf.gov.
Hale Boggs Federal Building
500 Poydras Street
Suite 1117
New Orleans, LA 70130
www.RestoreTheGulf.gov
CONTACT: Keala.Hughes@RestoreTheGulf.gov
