Notice of Initiation of Restoration Planning in Florida

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The Florida Trustee Implementation Group is drafting both the second phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project and the first post settlement restoration plan to address natural resource injuries from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

We have initiated drafting the second phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project that addresses lost recreational use in Florida. The Florida Coastal Access Project was selected in the fifth phase of early restoration. The first phase of the project included acquisition and/or enhancement of four coastal project locations in the Florida Panhandle. The second phase of this project will include acquisition of one or more additional properties in the Florida Panhandle. It will also include the planning, selection and implementation of actions on the additional property(ies) based on design and construction of passive recreational amenities.  Funding for the project(s) in this plan will come from funds not utilized in the first phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project.   

We have also initiated drafting the first post settlement restoration plan. We began this restoration planning effort on November 4, 2016, by requesting project ideas from the public. We are reviewing ideas for the following restoration types:

  • Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands,
  • Nutrient Reduction,
  • Water Quality, and
  • Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities.

We greatly appreciate the project ideas you have submitted and we are reviewing them now.  We anticipate that this restoration plan will include all of the restoration types identified in the request for project ideas. It will likely use the first two to three years of restoration funding allocated from the settlement.

Both plans will be drafted consistent with the programmatic restoration plan.

We expect to release a draft restoration plan for the second phase of the Florida Coastal Access project later this year. We expect to release the draft of our first post settlement restoration plan in early 2018.   

You will have the opportunity to review and provide input on each of the proposed restoration plans, including specific projects proposed for implementation. After the public comment period ends, we will review, consider, and incorporate public comments before releasing any final restoration plans.