ELI’s Jordan Diamond in Galliano, LA
Past Workshops
Since 2011, ELI has been hosting and participating in a series of community workshops across the Gulf with the goal of explaining the various recovery and restoration processes that were initiated in the Gulf region following the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
2014
Gulf Restoration Workshop
February 4, 2014
Spanish Fort, AL
This workshop focused on NRDA early restoration in Alabama. The session covered the current status of the restoration processes, included discussion of the proposed projects, and finished with a workshop period during attendees began drafting their own written comments to submit to the NRDA Trustees.
2013
RESTORE Act Implementation in Texas: Port Lavaca Workshop
August 23, 2013
Port Lavaca, TX
This workshop, co-hosted by the National Wildlife Federation, Texas Sea Grant, and the Environmental Law Institute, included sessions on general Gulf restoration and recovery processes, the RESTORE Act, ongoing efforts and opportunities in Texas, and local restoration priorities in the Port Lavaca area.
RESTORE Act Implementation in Texas: Upper Texas Coast Workshop
August 22, 2013
Beaumont, TX
This workshop was co-hosted by Jefferson County, the National Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, and the Environmental Law Institute, and featured sessions on general Gulf restoration and recovery processes, the RESTORE Act, ongoing efforts and opportunities in Texas, and specific information about restoration along the upper Texas coast.
RESTORE Act Implementation in Texas: South Texas Area Workshop
Dr. David Yoskowitz (Harte Research Institute) at the August Brownsville session
August 16, 2013
Brownsville, TX
At this workshop, co-hosted by Cameron County, the Environmental Law Institute, Texas Sea Grant, and the National Wildlife Federation, speakers discussed general Gulf restoration and recovery processes, the RESTORE Act, ongoing efforts and opportunities in Texas, and general information on the importance of coastal restoration in Texas.
Gulf Restoration & Recovery in Florida
August 3, 2013
Pensacola, FL
This session, co-hosted by ELI and Earth Ethics, Inc., discussed all regional restoration and recovery processes with specific focus on how the RESTORE Act is being implemented in Florida.
Mississippi Restoration
Workshop
Don Blancher (Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration, LLC) at the July Moss Point session
July 25, 2013
Moss Point, MS
ELI and the City of Moss Point, MS co-hosted two sessions on Gulf restoration processes in Moss Point, with a particular emphasis on implications for the City of Moss Point.
Implementing the RESTORE Act in Texas: Port Aransas Area
July 16, 2013
Port Aransas, TX
ELI participated in a full-day workshop on RESTORE Act implementation in the Port Aransas area. The workshop was co-organized by ELI, Texas Sea Grant, the Marine Science Institute at University of Texas-Austin, and the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve. Read more about the Port Aransas session here.
Alabama Restoration
Workshop
Mobile Baykeeper’s Casi Callaway at the June 2013 Spanish Fort workshop
June 12, 2013
Spanish Fort, AL
ELI and Mobile Baykeeper co-hosted a session in Spanish Fort, Alabama, featuring in-depth presentations about regional restoration and the RESTORE Act from ELI and about Alabama coastal restoration priorities and collaboration opportunities by Mobile Baykeeper. Read more about the Spanish Fort session here.
RESTORE Act Implementation in Texas: Houston and Galveston Areas
June 11 & June 13, 2013
Houston, TX and Galveston, TX
ELI participated in two sessions on RESTORE Act implementation and regional restoration efforts in the Houston and Galveston areas. Read more information about the Houston session here and the Galveston session here.
Gulf Gathering
March 2013
Weeks Bay, AL
ELI attorneys attended the 2013 Gulf Gathering in Weeks Bay, AL and presented on regional restoration mechanisms. During the session, Jordan Diamond and Teresa Chan discussed the key processes and opportunities for achieving large-scale restoration through NRDA, the RESTORE Act, and the settlement agreements.
The Gulf Gathering is an annual meeting that brings together community leaders and representatives from organizations dedicated to Gulf coast restoration, recovery, and preservation.
Alabama Gulf Restoration & Recovery Workshop
February 28, 2013
Spanish Fort, AL
ELI and the Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) co-hosted a lunchtime workshop focused on legal, scientific, and public participation elements of Gulf restoration, with specific attention given to efforts in coastal Alabama. Speakers included Teresa Chan (ELI), Mark Berte (ACF), Bethany Kraft (Ocean Conservancy), Judy Haner (The Nature Conservancy) and Hon. Tucker Dorsey (Baldwin County Commissioner).
2012
Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) Conference
October 2012
Tampa, FL
ELI staff attended RAE’s 6th National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration in Tampa, FL. ELI organized and hosted a session on the public’s role in Gulf restoration at the conference.
Florida Workshops
ELI’s Jordan Diamond, San Carlos Island. Credit: Tom Ankersen
November 13, 2012
Fort Myers Beach, FL
ELI participated in the San Carlos Island Waterfronts Partnership Meeting in Fort Myers Beach, FL. ELI attorney Jordan Diamond presented on restoration planning and provided an overview of the RESTORE Act for meeting attendees. View the agenda from this workshop here.
October 4, 2012
Punta Gorda, FL
ELI co-hosted a full-day workshop in Punta Gorda, FL along with the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (CHNEP). Sessions were led by ELI attorneys, David White (National Wildlife Federation), Bethany Kraft (Ocean Conservancy) and Lisa Beever (CHNEP), and focused on the RESTORE Act and its implementation in Florida. You can view the agenda , speaker presentations and materials from this workshop.
Mississippi & Alabama Workshops
August 2012
Biloxi, MS & Bayou La Batre, AL
ELI held two workshops in Biloxi, MS and Bayou La Batre, AL targeting Vietnamese-American communities in the Gulf. Sessions focused on the economic damages claims, Clean Water Act fines, Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, and Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) and were conducted in English with Vietnamese translation. View our Vietnamese “Gulf Recovery and Restoration 101” here.
Louisiana Workshops
June 2012
Slidell, LA, Dulac, LA, & Galliano, LA
ELI held workshops in Slidell, Dulac, and Galliano, LA. ELI attorneys presented information on the economic damages claims, Clean Water Act fines, Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, and Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). Mark Davis (Tulane) and Kris Van Orsdel and Bethany Kraft (Ocean Conservancy) spoke about opportunities for the public to participate in these processes.
Gulf Gathering
ELI attorneys attended the 2012 Gulf Gathering in Fairhope, AL, and conducted a workshop session focused on explaining and showing the linkages between the ongoing processes related to Gulf restoration and recovery in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Weeks Bay in Fairhope, AL
2011
ELI carried out a series of workshops in spring 2011 through which ELI and local partners convened trustees, non-governmental experts, and community members to learn about, discuss, and identify points of action in the natural resource restoration processes initiated after Deepwater Horizon. The 2011 workshops focused on the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) and how the process might unfold in the Gulf. The 2011 workshops were held in four locations (click below to see workshop agendas):
ELI Workshop in Harvey, LA
– Fairhope, AL (Gulf Gathering)