FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 18, 2016
DEP AWARDS GRANT TO
ESCAMBIA COUNTY FOR PERDIDO KEY DUNE RESTORATION
~Project seeks to restore dune habitat in Escambia County~
 Native dune vegetation is vital for resisting beach erosion and maintaining wildlife habitats.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. – The Florida
Department of Environmental Protection is awarding approximately $500,000
in grant funding to Escambia County for the Perdido Key Dune Restoration project.
The project will plant native dune vegetation across roughly 20 acres of dune habitat along 6 miles of Perdido Key, restoring habitat used by the federally endangered Perdido Key Beach Mouse.
“We are pleased to partner with
Escambia County to re-establish vegetation along the dunes at Perdido Key,” DEP
Deputy Secretary Drew Bartlett said. “Restoration efforts like this help ensure
continued protection and enjoyment of Florida’s unique natural resources and
ecosystems.”
"This is a wonderful example of what we can accomplish
through cooperation and collaboration," Escambia County Commissioner Doug Underhill said. "Perdido Key's beachfront property
owners are the front-line stewards of the critical habitat and the dune
structure that protects it. With this project, DEP and Escambia County
are not only enabling the property owners to repair the harm done in the
aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, but improving the resiliency of the
island to natural disasters. Persistent efforts to implement 'intelligent
stewardship' projects like this can delay the need for artificial beach nourishment, potentially permanently."
The Perdido Key Dune Restoration project
begins 2.2 miles east of Perdido Pass at the Florida/Alabama state line and
extends approximately 6 miles to the east. The restoration work will consist
of planting native dune vegetation, such as sea oats, panic grasses, cord
grasses, sea purslane and beach elder, approximately 20-60 feet seaward of the primary dune to provide a buffer and enhance dune
habitat. In addition, gaps in existing dunes will be
revegetated to provide a continuous dune structure. The project will be conducted in a way that minimizes potential disturbance to birds, sea turtles and other wildlife in
the area.
Funding was received as part of
an early restoration settlement to offset injury to natural resources from the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil
spill. As a result of
the oil spill and related
response activities, dune habitat in Florida’s Panhandle was adversely impacted.
DEP and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in conjunction with select Federal agencies, are responsible for
restoring the natural resources injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill.
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