County to receive $16 million in NRDA funds

The Florida Trustee Implementation Group approved its Final Restoration Plan 1, which selects 23 projects at a total estimated cost of $61 million. The final plan is consistent with the Trustees’ Programmatic Restoration Plan and selects projects for restoring natural resources and services injured or lost in Florida as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  

With the approval of this plan, 10 projects totaling more than $16 million will benefit water quality and recreation in Pensacola Bay and Perdido Bay. 

The projects include water quality improvements and park amenities for Carpenter Creek, expansion of Pensacola Beach reclaimed wastewater system, nutrient reduction in Pensacola and Perdido Bays, Gulf Islands National Seashore beach and dune habitat protection and invasive plant removal, and new camping sites along the Perdido River and Bay Paddle Trail. 

These projects will help restore and benefit wetlands, coastal and nearshore habitats on federally managed lands; improve water quality and hydrology by reducing sources of pollution and restoring more natural flows to increase the overall health and productivity of these ecosystems; and enhance the public’s access to the surrounding natural resources while increasing recreational opportunities. 

Visit www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov to view the Final Restoration Plan 1 along with additional details of the proposed restoration projects. More information on the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process and projects being submitted can be found at dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon.