Regionwide Trustees Initiate Restoration Planning

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The Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group is initiating our first post-settlement draft restoration plan to address, in part, natural resource injuries caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In the upcoming draft restoration plan a range of projects will be considered for some or all of the restoration types listed below:

  • Birds
  • Marine Mammals
  • Oysters
  • Sea Turtles

The draft restoration plan will include proposed projects or activities for some or all of the restoration types listed above that best address the priorities identified in our September 2019 request for project ideas.

The Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group greatly appreciates  the submissions in response to our request for project ideas. We organized and screened over 5,100 submitted ideas based on the Trustee Council’s Programmatic Restoration Plan and the priorities identified in the request for project ideas.

The draft restoration plan will be consistent with the Programmatic Restoration Plan, and will provide information on proposed projects or activities and our evaluation of project alternatives under the Oil Pollution Act and National Environmental Policy Act.

We expect to release the draft restoration plan and environmental assessment in early 2021. The public will have the opportunity to review and provide comment on the draft plan and proposed projects. After the public comment period ends, we will review, consider, and incorporate public comments as appropriate before completing the final restoration plan.

Stay tuned to the Regionwide Restoration Area webpage or sign up for our Gulf Spill Restoration email bulletins for future updates.