The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council recently released an initial draft of the Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy, along with a draft environmental assessment. A meeting in Pensacola next week kicks off a public input tour, prior to the release of a final version of the plan later this summer.
The restoration council was established by the RESTORE Act, following the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The council oversees the use of Clean Water Act fines in restoration efforts.
The draft plan being presented by the council establishes restoration goals for the Gulf Coast region. According to a statement, the draft provides details about how the council will solicit, evaluate and fund projects and programs for ecosystem restoration, and also outlines the process for the development, review and approval of state expenditure plans.
The local meeting is scheduled for June 3, from 5:30 to 9 p.m., at the Escambia County governmental complex in downtown Pensacola. Other meetings will follow in Spanish Fort, Ala. on June 5; Galveston, Texas on June 10; Biloxi, Miss. on June 11; Belle Chasse, La. on June 12; and St. Petersburg, Fla. on June 17.
For more information, or to view the council’s draft plan visit http://www.restorethegulf.gov/.