In December 2021, construction began on the Texas Trustee Implementation Group’s McFaddin Beach and Dune Restoration Project, which includes restoring approximately 17 miles of eroded shoreline along the southern edge of McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge. In order to continue making progress on the project, the Texas Trustees increased the budget originally approved in their 2017 Final Restoration Plan by approximately $2.5 million.

McFaddin Project Background

The project will restore a beach and dune ridge barrier system that provides habitat for birds, and other beach and dune-dependent

After five successful years, the Open Ocean Trustees are pleased to announce the start of the 2022 season of the Oceanic Fish Restoration Project. The project engages pelagic longline fishermen to voluntarily adjust their fishing practices to restore fish like tuna, swordfish and other species. Because we expect to meet project restoration and participation goals, 2022 will be the last year of the project. This year features the highest number of participants to date: 13 pelagic longline fishermen—five from Florida and eight from Louisiana—are expected to participate.

The Gulf of Mexico

The Florida Trustee Implementation Group is drafting a restoration plan and supplemental environmental assessment for the fourth phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project to address natural resource injuries caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The Florida Coastal Access Project addresses a portion of the lost recreational use in Florida. There were three previous phases of the project, all of which included land acquisitions in the Florida Panhandle. The first two phases also included recreational amenity enhancements.

• Phase V Early Restoration Plan
• Phase V.2 Restoration Plan
• Ph

The “Developing Methods to Observe Sea Turtle Interactions in the Gulf of Mexico Menhaden Purse Seine Fishery” project kicked off in 2020. Approved in the 2019 Open Ocean Restoration Plan 2, NOAA and fishing industry partners have completed the first steps in this important project—testing out observer methods in the field. Fishery observers are biological technicians collecting data, and tracking interactions with sea turtles and other animals in commercial fisheries.

The menhaden fishery utilizes large purse seine nets, deployed around schools of menhaden. Menhaden are small, but

The Florida Trustee Implementation Group held its annual public meeting via an interactive webinar on December 7, 2021.

During the meeting we presented updates on Florida Restoration Area plans, projects, and future planning efforts. After the presentation, we provided an opportunity for attendees to give verbal public comments.

Materials from the webinar include:

• 2021 Annual Meeting Presentation Slides (PDF, 52 pages)
• 2021 Annual Meeting Public Comment (PDF, 1 page)

Please visit the Florida Restoration Area page for future updates.

We also send updates out via email. If you haven't

The Alabama Trustee Implementation Group has completed the Coastal Alabama Comprehensive Oyster Restoration Strategy (PDF, 78 pages). Oysters have played an important role in the cultures of coastal Alabama’s inhabitants for over 12 centuries and have been a driver of economic development in the region during the 19th and 20th centuries. Oysters also play a critical role in the function of Alabama’s coastal and estuarine ecosystems by enhancing water quality, providing habitat for other ecologically and economically important species, and protecting shorelines against erosion.

The Alabama

The Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group held its annual public meeting in-person as well as via a Facebook Live virtual broadcast on November 9, 2021.

During the meeting, we presented updates on Mississippi Restoration Area plans, projects, and future planning efforts. All materials from the 2021 Mississippi Restoration Summit can be found on the state Department of Environmental Quality website.

Materials from the meeting include:

• 2021 Annual Meeting Natural Resource Damage Assessment Presentation Slides (PDF, 10 pages)
• 2021 Mississippi Restoration Summit Facebook Video (Annual

The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group held its 2021 annual public meeting via webinar on October 27, 2021.

Trustee representatives provided information on the restoration planning, ongoing  projects, and plans for future efforts in the Louisiana Restoration Area. There was also opportunity for attendees to submit comments and ask questions after the presentation.

Information from the public meeting:

• Presentation Slides (PDF, 54 pages)
• Presentation Notes (PDF, 15 pages)

Please contact latig@la.gov with any follow up questions.

The Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group released its draft third restoration plan for public review and comment for 50 days through January 26, 2022. The draft restoration plan includes approximately $19 million for projects proposed for implementation to partially address the injuries caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Trustee Group held a public webinar on January 11 to present information and take public comments.

• Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment: Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands; Sea Turtles

The Alabama Trustee Implementation Group has released a draft supplemental restoration plan and environmental assessment to the Alabama Restoration Plan II released in 2018. The Alabama Weeks Bay Land Acquisition (Lloyd Tract): Supplemental Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (PDF, 32 pages) is available for public comment for 30 days through January 6, 2022.  

The draft supplemental plan proposes to use the Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats restoration type funds from the terminated Harrod Tract project to acquire a property known as the Lloyd Tract. The Lloyd Tract is located