Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

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Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

The Council was established by the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act) in order to help restore the ecosystem and economy of the Gulf Coast region by developing and overseeing implementation of a Comprehensive Plan and carrying out other responsibilities.

In August 2013 the Council approved the Initial Comprehensive Plan (Initial Plan). The Initial Plan sets out an integrated approach to Gulf restoration, recognizing that ecosystem restoration is inextricably linked to economic growth and development. Following publication of the Initial Plan in 2013, Council members collaborated to develop an Initial Funded Priorities List (FPL) using a process that emphasized public input, transparency, and coordination with other restoration programs. The Initial FPL, approved by the Council in December of 2015, contains the first set of foundational restoration activities the Council intends to fund.

The Council released a draft Comprehensive Plan Update for public comment and review on August 23, 2016. The Council is updating its Initial Comprehensive Plan now in order to take into account recent developments in Gulf restoration such as the resolution of civil claims against BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a source of future funding for the Council's projects. The draft Comprehensive Plan update is intended to improve future Council funding decisions. The Council is also now in a position to develop a Ten-Year Funding Strategy, as required by the RESTORE Act. The update also captures important public input and lessons learned from the process of developing and approving its initial FPL, its first slate of restoration activities to be funded through the RESTORE Act, and positions the Council to make the most effective use of future funds as they become available beginning in 2017.

Public comments on the draft Comprehensive Plan Update will be accepted from August 23, 2016 to October 7, 2016.


For more information please visit the Council's website: www.RestoreTheGulf.gov.