FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 2, 2013
GOVERNOR SCOTT ANNOUNCES $58 MILLION IN EARLY RESTORATION PROJECTS FOR FLORIDA COMMUNITIES
PENSACOLA
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Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees have proposed $58
million in early restoration projects for Florida. To date, Phases I and II of
early restoration projects for Florida have totaled $11.4 million.
Governor
Scott said, “We’re committed to restoring the environment and economy that
families have relied upon in the Gulf for generations. These $58 million in
Florida projects represent a critical step forward in recovering from the natural resource and recreational losses that resulted
from the BP oil spill. We will continue to work with our state, federal
and local partners toward solutions that ensure impacted areas are revitalized
for families.”
Florida’s Proposed NRDA Phase III Projects: Approximately $58
million
-
Florida
Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Hatchery/ Enhancement Center, Escambia
County. Approximately $20 million
-
Florida
Artificial Reef Creation and Restoration, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa,
Walton, and Bay counties. Approximately $11.4 million
-
Pensacola
Bay Living Shoreline, Escambia County. Approximately $11 million
- Florida
Oyster Reef Restoration Escambia, Santa Rosa, Bay and Franklin counties.
Approximately $5.4 million
-
Scallop
Enhancement for Increased Recreational Fishing Opportunity in the Florida
Panhandle, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, and Franklin
counties. Approximately $3 million
-
Florida
Bay Seagrass Recovery Project, Gulf, Franklin and Bay counties.
Approximately $2.7 million
-
Big
Lagoon State Park Boat Ramp Improvement, Escambia County. Approximately $1.5
million
- Bob
Sikes Pier Restoration, Escambia County. Approximately $1 million
- Shell
Point Beach Nourishment, Wakulla County. Approximately $880,000
-
Florida
Cat Point Living Shoreline Project, Franklin County. Approximately $800,000
-
Perdido
Key Boardwalk Improvements, Escambia County. Approximately $600,000
- Perdido
Key Dune Restoration, Escambia County. Approximately $600,000
These
projects, if successfully finalized after public review and comment, are in
addition to the seven projects, on which Florida has been working, including
several boat ramps, a dune restoration project and projects to protect and
restore shorebird and sea turtle nesting habitat. With the additional projects,
Florida will have allocated nearly $69 million of the $100 million available
through the early restoration process defined in the April 2011 Framework
Agreement between BP and the Trustees.
The
Trustees intend to propose the early restoration projects using a method
similar to previous draft restoration plans in order to continue the process of
using early restoration funding to restore natural resources, ecological
services and human use services injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill disaster.
This
next set of projects includes many of the proposals that citizens have been
suggesting, such as oyster and scallop restoration, seagrass restoration,
artificial reefs, living shorelines, recreational beach restoration, state park
improvements, and a hatchery project which will help restore the fisheries in
north Florida as well as provide much needed research into the area of
fisheries management and restoration.
The
Trustees have worked to develop and negotiate the 28 proposed projects
Gulf-wide, of which 12 are being proposed by Florida.
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