NOAA and its fellow Natural Resource Damage Assessment trustees in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have announced the signing of a formal Record of Decision to implement a Gulf restoration plan.
The 44 projects, totaling an estimated USD 627 million, will restore barrier islands, shorelines, dunes, underwater grasses and oyster beds. Of those, NOAA is directly involved in the implementation of four projects.
As explained by NOAA, this announcement marks the largest suite of Gulf early restoration projects selected thus far in the wake of the 2010 oil spill.
The projects aim to address a range of injuries to natural resources and the subsequent loss of recreational use.
Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator , said:
“These projects reflect an earnest commitment to the Gulf and will enhance the region’s economic, social, and ecological resilience in the future.”
The largest NOAA project partnership will be with Louisiana to fund and execute restoration of beach, dune, and back-barrier marsh habitat on Chenier Ronquille, a barrier island off the state’s coast. Chenier Ronquille is one of four barrier islands proposed for restoration as part of the Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project that will be implemented by NOAA, the U.S. Department of Interior and Louisiana. The total cost to restore the four barrier islands is expected to be USD 318 million.
Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and NOAA will partner to undertake three “living shorelines” projects. These projects involve a blend of restoration technologies used to stabilize shorelines and restore fish and wildlife habitat. The three projects are:
As the largest phase of early restoration efforts, Phase III sets a strategic approach for these and additional early restoration activities. The trustees received thousands of public comments that were instrumental in its development, and has issued a guide to the plan and projects.
These projects will be funded through the USD 1 billion provided to the trustees by BP, as part of the 2011 Framework Agreement on early restoration.
Ten early restoration projects already are in various stages of implementation as part of the first two phases of early restoration. Updates on these projects are available in an interactive atlas.
[mappress] Press Release, October 06, 2014;Images: USCG, NOAA