Alabama’s Gulf Coast Plan Approved

Governor Kay Ivey last Friday announced that on March 29, 2019, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council approved Alabama’s State Expenditure Plan for Gulf Coast recovery.

This plan, developed by the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council (AGCRC), proposes 28 activities for the Spill Impact Component of RESTORE funding (also known as Bucket 3) for a total estimated cost of $132,355,952.

The approval of the State Expenditure Plan continues reinvestment in the Alabama’s Gulf Coast communities as a result of the oil spill funds guaranteed to the people of Alabama through the RESTORE Act,” Governor Ivey said.

The projects proposed in this plan are all located within Mobile and Baldwin Counties.

The Alabama Council decided to adopt all activities deemed eligible for funding under the RESTORE Act for the State Expenditure Plan (SEP) as follows:

  1. Restoration and protection of the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, and coastal wetlands of the Gulf Coast region;
  2. Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, and natural resources;
  3. Implementation of a federally approved marine, coastal, or comprehensive conservation management plan, including fisheries monitoring;
  4. Workforce development and job creation;
  5. Improvements to or on state parks located in coastal areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill;
  6. Infrastructure projects benefitting the economy or ecosystem resources, including port infrastructure;
  7. Coastal flood protection and related infrastructure;
  8. Planning assistance;
  9. Administrative costs;
  10. Promotion of tourism in the Gulf Coast region, including recreational fishing; and,
  11. Promotion of the consumption of seafood harvested from the Gulf Coast region.

The 28 projects selected focus, in large part, on water quality, park and public facility improvements, and environmental restoration.