To make the most of our efforts, we work hard to leverage funding from other sources and strive to engage other restoration partners. For example, the McFaddin Beach and Dune Restoration in eastern Texas funded by Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, RESTORE, the state, and the county. In addition, there are several projects intended to restore an adjacent salt marsh project funded by the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. This collaboration has increased the restoration footprint and reaps far greater environmental benefits. Through coordination across funding sources, we are leveraging resources and will be able to accomplish more than would be possible with NRDA settlement funds alone.
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Bahia Grande Coastal Corridor, Laguna Atascosa Habitat Acquisition and Bahia Grande Hydrologic Restoration in Texas
These three NRDA projects, three Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund projects, and two RESTORE Act funded projects are located in the Texas Restoration Area in the vicinity of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. The Texas Trustee brought together many partners and funding sources to improve and protect a variety of habitat types and expand wildlife corridors by protecting contiguous parcels. Several of the projects will improve tidal flows, wetlands, and habitats in the adjacent Bahia Grande complex.
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Sea Rim State Park Improvements in Texas
In the Texas Restoration Area, this NRDA and state-funded project resulted in the construction of two wildlife viewing platforms and other recreational use amenities. A complementary project, funded by the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, will restore 5.3 miles of dune habitat. Newly planted dune grass provided immediate benefits to wildlife.
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Norriego Point Restoration Project in Florida
Located in the Florida Restoration Area, Norriego Point is a well-known landmark that serves as a protective barrier for the boat channel entering Destin Harbor. The project is funded by NRDA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and will construct erosion control features and enhance and re-establish recreational activities.
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Lake Hermitage Marsh Creation in Louisiana
Located in the Louisiana Restoration Area, the Lake Hermitage Marsh Creation early restoration project involved the creation of marsh within a project footprint known as the “Lake Hermitage Marsh Creation Project” developed for and funded through the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) Program. Funding was leveraged from both CWPPRA and NRDA to fast track this project, creating 104 acres of new brackish marsh in the Barataria Basin. The project area is also planted with native marsh vegetation to accelerate its benefits.
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Read the Trustee Council's statement on 10 years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill >
