The previously published address for tonight's public meeting in St. Petersburg was incorrect. Please plan to attend at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute at 100 8th Ave SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. There will be an open house at 6:00pm followed by the meeting in the auditorium at 7:00pm.
The public meeting is being held to take comments on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan (PDARP) and Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS).
The draft plan allocates funds from a proposed settlement with BP of up to $8.8 billion for natural resource injuries stemming from the spill. The draft plan allocates funds to meet five restoration goals, and 13 restoration types designed to meet these goals. The restoration types address a broad range of impacts at both regional and local scales. The plan also provides guidance for identifying, evaluating, and selecting future restoration projects.
Together, these efforts will restore wildlife and habitat and increase recreational opportunities in the Gulf.
The public comment period on the draft plan ends on December 4, 2015.