 Restoration Updates RESTORE Council  The RESTORE Council is currently evaluating submissions for potential funding under the Council-Selected Restoration Component. When the Draft Funded Priorities List (FPL) is available, public comment will be solicited. See the Council's website for more information. States Alabama recently announced the following projects as part of the Phase IV Early Restoration Plan for Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA): Osprey Restoration in Baldwin and Mobile Counties, Point Aux Pins Living Shoreline in Mobile County, Shell Belt and Coden Belt Roads Living Shoreline in Mobile County, and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Trail Enhancement. More Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council information and updates can be accessed here. Mississippi recently announced the following proposed projects as part of the NRDA Phase IV Early Restoration Plan: Bike and Pedestrian Use Enhancements at Davis Bayou, and Restoring Living Shorelines and Reefs in Mississippi Estuaries. For information on restoration activities in Mississippi go to Making Mississippi Whole. Florida will also benefit from a proposed project as part of the NRDA Phase IV Early Restoration Plan: Seagrass Recovery Project at Gulf Islands National Seashore. More information can be found on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's website. On April 6, 2015, the Gulf Consortium announced that their Planning State Expenditure Plan was submitted as a first step to development of their full State Expenditure Plan. The Consortium has meetings planned for June 19, August 26, and November 18; see their website for more information. Louisiana The State of Louisiana is represented by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) on state and RESTORE Council restoration activities. In April, CPRA released their Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Plan and their Quarterly Progress Report for 2015. Texas will also benefit from a proposed project as part of the NRDA Phase IV Early Restoration Plan: Texas Bird Rookery Islands Project in Galveston Bay and East Matagorda Bay. RESTORE The Texas Coast is the official web location for oil spill related restoration in Texas. Centers of Excellence The Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) is responsible for Florida's Center of Excellence. FIO currently has a research opportunity; full proposals are due May 20, 2015.
A request for proposals is currently out for one or more of Mississippi's Centers of Excellence. Proposals can be submitted here and the deadline is May 7, 2015. NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program Information related to the NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program can be found here. They are currently reviewing proposals submitted under their recent proposal solicitation. National Academy of Sciences' Gulf Research Program (NAS) The NAS recently announced an upcoming data synthesis funding opportunity related to observation and monitoring data. To follow the NAS' Gulf Research Program and register for updates, go to their website.
Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)
This month, the NRDA Trustees updated their website to reflect on their assessment of injuries to natural resources and to look back at early restoration that has been completed so far: Deepwater Horizon: Five Years Later. Also, on April 20, 2015, the NRDA Trustees and BP announced approximately $134M in proposed early restoration projects for including in the Phase IV Early Restoration Plan. The proposed projects included those listed in the state sections of this newsletter as well as two regional projects: Sea Turtle Early Restoration and Pelagic Longline Bycatch Reduction. If the proposed Phase IV Early Restoration projects are approved and funded, approximately $832M of the $1B that BP has agreed to make available for early restoration will be obligated. More information about all four phases can be found here: www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund This month NFWF announced a $4.5M project to support development of a Restoration Strategy in Florida. More information can be found on NFWF's website for its Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. North American Conservation Wetlands Act Fund (NAWCA) The US Fish and Wildlife Service maintains a website for NAWCA programs. Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) GoMRI scientists are studying alternatives to existing dispersant systems, oil transport that informs spill response, lingering presence of hydrocarbons along Alabama shorelines, and much, much more. Learn more about GoMRI and their research at their website.
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