Sea turtles, dolphins, oysters and shorebirds along the Gulf Coast will get more protection under a restoration plan approved by the Deepwater Horizon Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group this week.
The nearly 100 million dollar plan includes 11 restoration projects to be implemented across the Gulf states and offshore waters.
It also targets specific locations in Mexico and on the Atlantic coast of Florida.
About 19 million dollars will be spent on four projects to restore sea turtles by focusing on nesting beaches, enhancing stranding and salvage networks, and collaborating with recreational and commercial fisheries to reduce bycatch.
7 million dollars will go to three projects to restore marine mammals through enhancing stranding and salvage networks and working with fisheries, including collaborating with shrimp fishing communities to reduce dolphin entanglements in gear, and hook-and-line fisheries to reduce dolphin injuries and deaths.
36 million dollars will be spent to increase the resilience of and restore oyster reefs by linking brood reefs and sink reefs in each of the five U.S. Gulf states.
$31 million dollars will restore shore birds through habitat restoration and nesting colony management and 7 million dollars will be used to restore both sea turtles and birds through the removal of marine debris.
The Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group is tasked with restoring the environment after the 2010 oil spill; it includes four federal agencies and all five Gulf of Mexico states.
Wildlife and other natural resources affected by the spill live and migrate across jurisdictional boundaries, which requires a region-wide approach to restoration.
You can see the full 401 page restoration plan for yourself on-line at gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov
https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/FINAL.RP_.EA-2021.09.16-TIG.approved.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment