The Alabama Trustee Implementation Group has approved its third Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (PDF, 132 pages) to address natural resource injuries from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This restoration plan includes five projects to address lost recreational uses and two projects for the restoration of birds.
Lost Recreational Use:
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Perdido River Land Acquisition (Molpus Tract)
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Bayfront Park Restoration and Improvement Phases IIa and IIb
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Gulf State Park Pier Renovation
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Perdido Beach Public Access Coastal Protection
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Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Enhancement – Mobile Street Boardwalk
Birds:
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Stewardship of Coastal Alabama Beach Nesting Bird Habitat
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Dauphin Island West End Acquisition
The total estimated cost for the seven projects is approximately $23.5 million, including $13.5 million for recreational use projects and $10 million for birds. Implementation of two of the recreational use projects, the Perdido Beach and Bon Secour Mobile Street Boardwalk projects, budgeted to cost approximately $1.57 million, is contingent on availability of additional recreational use funds.
We began this restoration planning effort in December 2018 by requesting project ideas from the public. We considered these ideas when identifying and screening project proposals to include in the draft restoration plan and environmental assessment. The draft plan and environmental assessment was released for public review and comment in early September 2019 and we held a public meeting in Spanish Fort later in September 2019. The comment period closed on October 3.
The final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment reflects revisions to the draft plan resulting from public comments and continuing Trustee project development. The plan aims to partially compensate the public for injuries to natural resources and resource services in the Alabama Restoration Area and is consistent with the Trustees’ Programmatic Restoration Plan.