Texas Restoration Project Aids in Recent Sea Turtle Rescue
In December 2022, rescuers saved the lives of hundreds of sea turtles thanks, in part, to funding provided by a Texas Trustee’s component of the Sea Turtle Early Restoration Project.
In December 2022, rescuers saved the lives of hundreds of sea turtles thanks, in part, to funding provided by a Texas Trustee’s component of the Sea Turtle Early Restoration Project.
To support restoration planning and evaluation of restoration effectiveness, the Open Ocean Trustees have approved three new Monitoring and Adaptive Management (MAM) activities.
The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group, the agencies charged with restoring Louisiana’s natural resources after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, has approved $2.26 billion in funding for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project. The implementing partner, the Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority (CPRA), will use the funding to construct a large-scale sediment diversion to reconnect the Mississippi River to Louisiana's Barataria Basin estuary.
The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group has approved a planning project, Characterization of Caribbean Fisheries Interactions with Highly Migratory Species (PDF, 10 pages), to support the restoration of fish and water column invertebrates injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The Alabama Trustee Implementation Group has approved the use of earned interest for the Bayfront Park Restoration and Improvement – Phases IIa and IIb Project (Bayfront Park project).
The Alabama Trustee Implementation Group has released a Draft Evaluation of Second Project Change for the Alabama Trustee Implementation Group Restoration Plan I/Environmental Impact Statement Project: Dauphin Island Eco-Tourism and Environmental Education Area (PDF, 7 pages) for public review. We invite you to comment on the draft evaluation through January 27, 2023. The proposed change would increase the project budget by $460,613.
Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama, has received a 2020 Phoenix Award from the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). The park was described by the SATW as “an international showcase for environmental and economic sustainability as it demonstrates best practices for outdoor recreation, education and hospitable accommodations.”
The award is given annually to destinations showcasing responsible, sustainable tourism, including conservation, preservation, beautification, and anti-pollution efforts and was first awarded in 1969. Gulf State Park was honored alongside sites in Jalisco State
To make the most of our efforts, we work hard to leverage funding from other sources and strive to engage other restoration partners. For example, the McFaddin Beach and Dune Restoration in eastern Texas funded by Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, RESTORE, the state, and the county. In addition, there are several projects intended to restore an adjacent salt marsh project funded by the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. This collaboration has increased the restoration footprint and reaps far greater
We are restoring resources in multiple locations across the Gulf. For example, we have oyster reef projects in the waters off each of the five Gulf States. We are restoring habitats for migratory birds and sea turtles in multiple locations from barrier islands to the beaches that line the Gulf Coast. We have restoration projects for wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats and for improving water quality across the Gulf. And, we're continuing restoration of resources and habitats offshore in the Gulf, including new projects for marine mammals, deep-sea habitats, fish, and sea turtles.
Many of our projects are designed to benefit multiple restoration types. Projects that restore coastal marshes may also benefit wildlife, improve water quality, and enhance recreational opportunities. Additionally, a beach project that enhances recreational access to beaches may also educate visitors about the local birds and their nests.
Louisiana Outer Coast |