Linking Gulf of Mexico Restoration Efforts
Our country has repeatedly faced big challenges, but it is exactly then that we display what is best about America. We never give up. We never give in. Instead, we band together to work toward a better future. Together, we will help make the Gulf of Mexico and the entire Gulf Coast whole again – for its citizens, and for all America. (Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy)
Fort Myers, FL. Credit: ELI
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was an epic environmental, economic, and human disaster. The disaster poses a challenge not only to the Gulf of Mexico region, but to the entire country. The United States and the Gulf region have responded to the challenge by instigating restoration efforts at the federal, state, and local levels.
To effectively and efficiently build a better future for the Gulf of Mexico region, it is critical that restoration efforts be linked and coordinated in a way that maximizes benefits. Over the coming years billions of dollars will be allocated to restoration projects through multiple funding streams, including the RESTORE Act, the Natural Resource Damages Assessment (NRDA), settlement funds allocated to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and others. Simultaneously, federal, state, and local institutions are continuing restoration and conservation activities under the auspices of existing government programs. The resources on this page seek to support coordination across and between these programs.
Deepwater Horizon Restoration and Recovery Funds: How Much, Going Where, For What?
In this assessment, ELI provides background information on the restoration and recovery funds that have been identified and earmarked to date, including where the monies are directed, what they must be used for, and the process for expending them. It then explores the bigger questions of how these myriad processes fit together and their potential long-term impacts.
Gulf of Mexico Restoration Projects Database
ELI created an interactive database that attempts to track the projects so people can see where the money is being spent, along with details about specific projects, to enhance public transparency and provide information for participation opportunities.
Building Bridges between Restoration Programs and Existing Federal Programs
The goals and objectives of Deepwater Horizon-specific restoration and recovery funds inherently and necessarily overlap with the goals and objectives of existing restoration and conservation policies and programs. Building Bridges is an effort to find linkages between these programs to ensure that the current influx of funds for restoration achieves long-term environmental protection goals.