August 2017 Update

Natural Resources Management

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Direct Component

Recent Activity

The Multi-Year Implementation Plan Public Comment Period closed on July 19. Escambia County would like to thank all those who participated, resulting in 349 submitted comments.

RESTORE staff has reviewed, summarized and responded to public comments in the MYIP Public Comment Summary Report. The MYIP Public Comment Summary Report can be viewed here.

Escambia County has submitted the MYIP to the U.S. Treasury Department for a 30-60 day review and approval process. The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners anticipates voting to accept the approved MYIP in October. The final submitted MYIP can be viewed here.

Approval of the MYIP allows Escambia County to develop individual grant applications for projects included in the MYIP. It is anticipated grant agreements will be accepted and funds made available in the first quarter of 2018.

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

The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners approved a subrecipient grant agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the Bayou Chico Contaminated Sediment Removal Planning project at their June 22 board meeting. The $331,870 funded by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council will partially fund the planning, design and permitting of the project. The Contaminated Sediment Remediation Project will remove and remediate contaminated sediment in Bayou Chico to restore benthic habitat and improve water quality and water clarity.

Escambia County’s Water Quality & Land Management Division has already begun preliminary work on mapping the “muck” depth in Bayou Chico to better define the muck layer.

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council has released a draft Funded Priorities List for 2017. The draft FPL includes one project, Comprehensive Commitment and Planning Support, to enhance collaboration, coordination, public engagement and use of best available science needed to make efficient use of Gulf restoration funds resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. These awards will support the council’s commitment to a coordinated approach to ecosystem restoration, as called for in the Comprehensive Plan Update 2016: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy. The CPS awards would be available to council members for activities directly related to Pot 2 of the RESTORE Act, in support of planning for large-scale restoration and conservation. Under the RESTORE Act, only council members may apply for Pot 2 funds. The Council Draft 2017 FPL can be reviewed here.

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

Gulf Consortium

Recent Activity

The Gulf Consortium met in West Palm Beach on June 28. ESA, the Consortium’s consultant, updated the board on the development of the State Expenditure Plan. ESA is close to finalizing a list of projects and is working with county staff from all 23 counties to finalize project details to include in the SEP. Langton Consulting, working in conjunction with ESA for Gulf Consortium, is identifying funding sources to leverage Gulf Consortium funds. The board also voted unanimously to expedite the development of a stand-up or “mini” SEP. Submittal of the stand-up SEP will allow Gulf Consortium to stand-up their programmatic and grants administration in preparation of SEP final approval. It is expected a draft version of the SEP will be presented to the Gulf Consortium at its Sept. 27 board meeting. Project sequencing will also be discussed at this time.

Upcoming

Executive Committee Meeting (Conference Call)

Date: Wednesday, Aug. 16
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: The Balmoral Group, 165 Lincoln Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789
Dial-in Number: 1-571-317-3116
Participant Passcode: 455-390-517#

Board Meeting

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 27
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Embassy Suites by Hilton-Orlando Lake Buena Vista South, 4955 Kyngs Heath Road, Kissimmee, FL 34746

For more information on The Gulf Consortium, click here to visit their new website.

Natural Resources Damage Assessment

Recent Activity

The Escambia County Marine Resources Division managed the deployment of 26 concrete artificial reef modules by ReefMaker LLC out of Orange Beach, Alabama. The reef modules are 8 feet tall and weigh 5,000 pounds. These modules were deployed in the Old Casino Reef artificial reef site in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 1 nautical mile SSE of Casino Beach. Water depths are approximately 55-60 feet.

These modules will be supplemented within the coming weeks with eight additional, large concrete tetrahedrons (18 feet tall, 38,000 pounds) to create seven patch reef clusters on the Old Casino Reef site.

Funding for the reefs was provided by the Natural Resources Damages Assessment from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, through an agreement with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Additional NRDA-funded artificial reef modules will be deployed in the Old Casino Reef site and other permitted artificial reef sites permitted to Escambia County.

The Florida Trustee Implementation Group met in May to shortlist projects to be included in the initial Florida Restoration Plan. Projects must meet criteria established in the NRDA Programmatic Restoration Plan. The Florida Restoration Plan will be presented to the public this fall.

The NRDA Deepwater Horizon Trustee Council will hold a public meeting on Sept. 12 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

Sept. 12, 2017

LOCATION

Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel
64 South Water Street, Mobile, AL36602
Mobile Bay Ballroom

TIME

Open House for discussion and questions 5:30 – 6:30 PM

Public Meeting for presentation and public comment 6:30 – 9:00 PM

Click here for more information on damage assessments.

National Fish & Wildlife Foundation

Recent Activity

Bill Gregory Park Stormwater Project - Construction is currently underway.
R Street Stormwater Project - Design and permitting is complete; Williams Industrial and Marine has been selected as the project contractor.
Beach Haven Stormwater Project - Construction and land clearing has begun.
Jones Creek Stream Restoration - The Corrydale floodplain restoration is complete. Floodplain restoration at the Pensacola State College clearway is in design and permitting.
Jackson Creek Stream Restoration - Selection of a design firm is currently in progress.

The NFWF Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund Restoration Strategy is anticipated to be completed and released in December. The Northwest Florida Water Management District SWIM Plan updates are anticipated to be released by the end of September. FWC’s Roadblocks to Seagrass Recovery Project is expected to be finalized and released this fall. To read more information on these projects, visit:

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

Triumph Gulf Coast

Recent Activity

The first official meeting of the Board of Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. was held on July 13 in Pensacola. The board, now comprised of seven members, elected Allan Bense as Chair, Don Gaetz as Vice Chair and Steven Riggs, IV as Treasurer. The Board approved hiring Interim Executive Director Susan Skelton as Executive Director and Board Secretary. Triumph Gulf Coast has received the first allocation totaling $300 million.

Triumph Gulf Coast will hold its next board meeting and workshop on Wednesday, Aug. 16 in Panama City. After a short board meeting, the time will primarily be dedicated to a workshop on developing an application and award process.

The Board of Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., will meet at 10:30 a.m., CT on Wednesday, Aug.16. The meeting will be held in the Holley Academic Center at the Florida State University Panama City Campus, 4750 Collegiate Drive, Panama City, Florida 32405.

Click here to visit the new Triumph Gulf Coast website for more information.

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.