Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group Begins Drafting First Restoration Plan

Posted on: August 17, 2016 | Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group

The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group is drafting its first restoration plan to address natural resource injuries from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The plan will be drafted consistent with the Trustees’ programmatic restoration plan

We began this restoration planning effort on July 12, 2016, by requesting project ideas from the public. We requested project ideas that could benefit:

  • wetlands, coastal and nearshore habitats in Barataria, Terrebonne, and Pontchartrain basins;
  • habitat projects on federally managed

Public Webinar on Restoration in Florida

The Florida Trustee Implementation Group will hold a webinar on “Restoration in Florida” on August 25, 2016 from 1:00-2:30pm Eastern. 

Notice for Initiation of Restoration Planning in Louisiana

The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group is planning restoration activities for 2016-2017. We would like your input regarding natural resource restoration opportunities. Please submit your project ideas by August 12, 2016.

Progress Update on the Phase III Early Restoration Hancock County Marsh Living Shoreline Project and Notification of Material Change Evaluation

The Hancock County Marsh Living Shoreline Project was analyzed in the 2015 Deepwater Horizon Final Programmatic and Phase III Early Restoration Plan/Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (ERP/PEIS) and selected by the Trustees for implementation in the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Phase III ERP/PEIS. It includes construction of up to 5.9 miles of living shoreline/breakwaters, approximately 46 acres of salt marsh creation, and 46 acres of subtidal reef restoration. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and the NOAA are partners in this $50 million project. 

Proje

Public Input Sought in Scoping for Alabama Recreational Use Recreation Planning

The Alabama Trustee Implementation Group is preparing a restoration plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). It will evaluate restoration projects intended to compensate the public for lost recreational use opportunities in Alabama caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. These projects will be proposed and evaluated pursuant to the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  We expect to take a phased approach to the restoration of recreational losses in Alabama with the initial planning occurring during 2016-2017.

This restoration planning activity is

Workshop on Florida Pensacola Bay Living Shorelines Project

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and NOAA will hold a community workshop on the Florida Pensacola Bay Living Shoreline Project on July 18, 2016 from 6:00-8:00pm CDT.

The workshop is an opportunity for the community to learn more about the project and get an update on project planning and design. Community members will also be able to ask questions and make comments, although this is not a formal comment period. Comments on the conceptual project design layouts will be considered by project planners, but they will not provide written responses.

The project was approved as

Texas Trustee Implementation Group Calls for Restoration Project Proposals

The Texas Trustee Implementation Group (TIG) is preparing for the next phase of restoration planning, which will ultimately result in the release of a draft restoration plan and associated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents for public review and comment in the spring of 2017. In the meantime, the Texas TIG is calling for new or revised restoration proposals by August 31, 2016.

Approximately $47.6 million is currently available for restoration project funding in Texas this year. In addition, over the next 15 years, the Texas TIG will receive approximately $124.8 million in