The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) voted on Wednesday, January 24th 2018, to approve funding $1,790,546 in implementation funding for the Robinson Preserve Wetlands Restoration project sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
These funds will be used to restore 118.2 acres of coastal habitat and restore more natural hydrology, along with related activities in Tampa Bay, Florida.
The Council also voted to approve the 2017 Funded Priorities List: Comprehensive Commitment and Planning Support (2017 CPS FPL), to provide funding to its members to enhance collaboration, coordination, public engagement and use of best available science needed to make efficient use of Gulf restoration funds resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“ The 2017 CPS FPL funding will support the Council’s commitment to a coordinated approach to ecosystem restoration, as called for in the Comprehensive Plan Update 2016: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy, ” reported the Council.
Per the RESTORE Act, only RESTORE Council members may apply for any Council-Selected Restoration Component funds. The Council members include the governors of the five Gulf states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas), and the heads of six federal departments (the Secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, the Army, Commerce, Homeland Security and the Interior, and the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) has been published to the Council website . Applications for CPS funding will be accepted from members through April 30, 2018.