The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group is beginning the process of writing our Draft Bird Restoration Plan #7.1, a restoration plan focused on restoring and conserving birds injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill injured at least 93 species of birds, including year-round resident and migratory species. Injury occurred in each of the five coastal states and in multiple habitat types. The Louisiana Trustees have undertaken this restoration planning effort to meet the purpose of contributing to the compensation for and restoration of natural resources injured by the oil spill in the Louisiana Restoration Area. The first phase of this effort, the Final Restoration Plan #7: Restore and Conserve Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitat and Birds, was released in November 2020. That Plan selected two bird projects, the Isle Au Pitre and the Terrebonne Houma Navigation Channel Island Restoration, for engineering and design. Draft Bird Restoration Plan #7.1 will consider funding the construction of these restoration projects along with a no action alternative.
The Louisiana Trustees expect to release a draft of the plan and associated environmental analyses in late 2022. The public will have the opportunity to review and provide input on all construction alternatives analyzed in the draft plan. After the public comment period ends, we will review, consider, and incorporate public comments, as appropriate, before releasing a final restoration plan.
We will ensure development of the Draft Bird Restoration Plan #7.1 is consistent with the Trustees’ Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan, the Oil Pollution Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, their implementing regulations, and all applicable Federal and Louisiana laws.