November 2017 Update

Natural Resources Management

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Direct Component

Recent Activity

Escambia County's RESTORE Multi-Year Implementation Plan has been approved by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, with the department finding the plan to be complete and conforming to RESTORE Act regulations.

The county's MYIP includes 10 projects selected by the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners for a total of $8,638,650 of the funds available in Escambia County's allocation in the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund. The approval comes after a three-year process that included diligent efforts from the RESTORE Advisory Committee, along with a 45-day public comment period for citizens to give input on the projects.

"This is an exciting day for Escambia County," District 4 Commissioner Grover Robinson said. "While nearly eight years after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we are finally set up to begin spending monies for restoration. More importantly, these are the first funds spent on restoration that were directed by Escambia County citizens specifically. I'm excited by the implementation of all 10 projects, and I believe they will begin to promote both environmental and economic restoration for our citizens."

Treasury's acceptance of the MYIP is not a final determination for the projects, but the approval allows Escambia County to begin individual grant applications for the projects included in the MYIP. The Treasury Department will review the applications to determine if the requested funding complies with the RESTORE Act and regulations, along with federal law and policies on grants. It is anticipated that final adoption of grant awards will occur in February 2018, with projects beginning shortly thereafter.

To learn more about Escambia County's Multi-Year Implementation Plan, please click here.

Click here for more information about the Direct Component.

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

Recent Activity

PPBEP_LOGO The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected a proposal by the Bay Area Resource Council and Escambia County to establish a new Estuary Program for Pensacola and Perdido Bays. The $2 million grant is funded through the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council as part of the RESTORE Act and will be hosted by Escambia County. The Estuary Program will guide the production of a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan that will be a fully vetted roadmap for achieving publicly identified outcomes and goals for Pensacola and Perdido Bays.

Stakeholders from federal, state and local agencies and the public will develop a long-term plan that will address water quality and living resource challenges and priorities in Pensacola and Perdido Bays. The Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program is a non-regulatory program that will seek to build on existing assets, watershed management plans and scientific data to restore and conserve the environment and the economy of Pensacola and Perdido Bays for generations to come.

The EPA anticipates funding will be made available in January 2018. To learn more about the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program, click here.

For more information on the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, click here.

Gulf Consortium

Recent Activity

The Gulf Consortium met in Sarasota on Nov. 15. The board approved the Draft Stand-up State Expenditure Plan. The Stand-up SEP will allow Gulf Consortium to develop its programmatic and grants administration in preparation of SEP final approval. The 45-day public comment period for the Stand-up SEP is open until Jan. 12, 2018. The Draft Stand-up SEP and public comment form can be viewed here.

Gulf Consortium’s consultant, ESA, presented an update on the status of the development of the Draft SEP. ESA is finalizing details of the 70 projects included in the SEP. The Draft SEP is expected to be approved at a special teleconference meeting on Jan. 8, 2018. A 45-day public comment period will commence following approval of the Draft SEP.

Upcoming

Board Meeting

Date: Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018
Time: TBD
Location: Conference Rooms A & B, 1^st Floor, Douglas Building, 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., Tallahassee, FL

For more information on The Gulf Consortium, click here.

Natural Resources Damage Assessment

Recent Activity

Phase 5.2 Cover The Florida Trustee Implementation Group has released its Draft Phase V.2 Restoration Plan and Supplemental Environmental Assessment (Draft Phase V.2 Plan). The plan is consistent with the Trustees’ Programmatic Restoration Plan and proposes projects to compensate for a portion of the lost recreational use in Florida caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The Draft Phase V.2 Plan supplements the Final Phase V Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (Final Phase V Plan) that the Deepwater Horizon state and federal natural resource Trustees approved Jan. 27, 2016. That plan included the first phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project.

The Florida Coastal Access Project would enhance public access to surrounding natural resources and increase recreational opportunities through the acquisition and/or enhancement of coastal land in the Florida Panhandle.

The draft plan is available for public review and comment through Dec. 8, 2017. After the public comment period ends, the Florida Trustee Implementation Group will review, consider and address public comments before releasing a final plan and environmental assessment.

Comments can be submitted online or mailed to:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
P.O. Box 49567
Atlanta, GA 30345

The NRDA Deepwater Horizon Trustee Council will hold a public meeting on Nov. 30 in Mobile, Alabama. During this meeting, the Trustee Council will present updates on the work of the Trustee Council and each Trustee Implementation Group: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Open Ocean and Region-wide. Each TIG and the Trustee Council have committed to hold at least one public meeting a year; this meeting will serve as the annual public meeting for the Trustee Council and the Region-wide TIG.

DATE

Nov. 30, 2017

LOCATION

Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel
64 S. Water St., Mobile, AL 36602
Bon Secour II Meeting Room

TIME

Open House for discussion and questions 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Public Meeting for presentation and public comment 6:30 – 9 p.m.

Click here for more information on the Natural Resources Damage Assessment.

National Fish & Wildlife Foundation

Recent Activity

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the award of more than $101.5 million from its Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund to 19 projects and several amendments to previously announced projects in the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The projects, developed in consultation with state and federal resource agencies, are designed to remedy harm and reduce the risk of future harm to natural resources that were affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The NFWF Board of Directors approved the award of more than $11.6 million for one new project and amendments to three existing projects in the state of Florida. The Florida projects address high-priority restoration and conservation needs, including the fifth and final year of fisheries assessment, and additional funding to enhance previous awards benefiting coastal dune lake restoration, sea turtles and marine mammals stranding response and analysis. Additional information on GEBF projects in Florida can be found here.

The number of awards from the GEBF in the state of Florida now stands at 26, with a total value of more than $110 million. All projects were selected for funding following extensive consultation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, FWS and NOAA.

The Northwest Florida Water Management District Surface Water Improvement and Management Plans for the Pensacola Bay System and Perdido River and Bay Watershed have been approved by the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board. The Pensacola Bay System SWIM Plan is available here. The Perdido River and Bay Watershed SWIM Plan is available here.

Click here for more information on the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.

Triumph Gulf Coast

Recent Activity

Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. has developed an application process. Submittal of a pre-application is required before a project application will be reviewed. Triumph closed the first cycle of pre-application submittals on Nov. 15. Pre-applications received after Nov. 15 will be reviewed in the next cycle. Triumph staff will review pre-applications once an Economic Advisor and Program Administrator are brought on board. There is currently not a deadline for submitting applications. Triumph has a rolling grant cycle and therefore projects can be considered at any time.

The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners approved five priority projects to include in the initial pre-application cycle. Those projects include:

The Center for Dynamic Ocean Technologies (Port of Pensacola Warehouse 4)
The Escambia County Workforce Development Program
The Beulah Interchange Connector
The OLF8/OLX Land Swap
The Downtown Pensacola Multi-Use Sports and Events Venue

Additional project information can be found here.

Upcoming

Board Meeting

Date: Friday, Dec. 8, 2017
Time: 10 a.m. CST
Location: Bay County Government Building, 840 W. 11^th St., Panama City, FL.

Click here for more information on Triumph Gulf Coast.

NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program

Recent Activity

The NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program has awarded $16.7 million to 15 teams of researchers and resource managers to support work on living coastal and marine resources and their habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. Details on each of the 15 projects can be viewed here.

Click here for more information on the NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program.