Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Restoration for the Regionwide Restoration Area is replenishing and protecting marine mammals, sea turtles, birds, and oysters. These resources affected by the spill often live and migrate across the Gulf of Mexico —so Regionwide Restoration Area projects are being implemented across these jurisdictional boundaries.
The Regionwide Restoration Area is made up of trustees from each Gulf state and all the respective federal trustees. The Regionwide Restoration Area is responsible for planning and implementing restoration activities for resources that range throughout the Gulf of Mexico. It is also promoting collaboration and coordination between the individual federal and state trustees. This will ensure that restoration is performed effectively for the entire ecosystem.
Together, we are restoring natural resources—and the services they provide—that were injured by the spill. As part of the restoration planning process, we are accepting restoration project ideas from the public. We are developing restoration plans that are consistent with the programmatic restoration plan (see chart below). The public also has the opportunity to review and comment on any proposed restoration plans for the Regionwide Restoration Area. Once a plan is approved, we will implement and monitor the selected projects.
Restoration Plans
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Draft PlanonPDF,346 pages)
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Final PlanonPDF,401 pages)
Recent News
Looking for a particular news item or document related to the Regionwide Restoration Page? View the story archive.
![a large group of white birds with orange beaks and black hair are shown on a sandy and grassy beach](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/2024-01/royal%20terns%20usfws_10599_full.jpg?h=29234840&itok=UFDY5KVe)
The Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group has
![a silhouette of a man fishing off of a boat is shown](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/recreational%20angler%20fishing%20from%20boat%20sunset%20florids%204608x3072%20credit%20FWC%20%282%29.jpg?itok=QsV2g-s4)
Outreach materials are now available from the June
![a couple stands on a beach with an orange sunset in the background](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/main.jpg?itok=ZdFU__KR)
Through the cooperation and coordination of five
![Aerial view of beach and vegetated habitat on the Gulf Coast.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/Aerial%20of%20Pilot%20Town%20Property%204618x3078%20credit%20USFWS.jpg?itok=WfypjGtg)
Approximately 99 acres of property on Fort Morgan
![On a Mississippi Gulf Coast beach looking out to the water with a pier.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/Deepwater%20Horizon%20Restoration%20Mississippi%20Gulf%20Coast%203888x2592%20Jeanne%20Allen.jpg?itok=sdCXAQre)
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill Natural Resource
![A sea turtle hatchling in the sand.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/gulf%20of%20mexico%20sea%20turtle%20hatchling%202827x1885%20credit%20shutterstock%20abtassoc.com_.jpg?itok=Bd3TX_be)
The Deepwater Horizon Regionwide Trustee
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Stakeholder and community feedback have
![Hundreds of sea turtles on the floor of the South Padre Island Convention Centre](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/2021%20texas%20cold%20stun%20event%20turtles%20in%20convention%20center%202016x1344.jpg?h=5fe8231b&itok=74yi91B0)
In February 2021, Texas experienced a historic
![A line of rocks protecting marsh and upland habitat on the Gulf Coast in Alabama.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/Alabama%20Swift%20Track%20Living%20Shoreline%20Protection%20Weeks%20Bay%203264x2176.jpg?h=54f755f4&itok=RzovOTjL)
In what turned out to be an extremely challenging
![Anglers fishing on kayaks in Texas, near Port Aransas. Copyright Texas Parks and Wildlife](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/anglers%20kayaking%20texas%20gulf%20coast%20port%20aransas%202000x1335%20copyright%20Texas%20Parks%20and%20Wildlife.jpg?itok=CctLPDI3)
The Trustee Council will hold its sixth annual
![A large turtle sits on a beach. Image: Florida Fish and Wildlife](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/green%20turtle%20florida%20beach%202074x1383%20florida%20fish%20and%20wildlife%20FWC.jpg?itok=WNA86RGY)
The Regionwide Trustees held two virtual public
![Two scientists wade in water next to oyster reefs with measurement tools and a clipboard.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/2020-04%20GulfCorps%20Monitoring%20Oyster%20Reefs%20Appalachicola%20FL%203711x2474%20image%20NOAA%20Stephen%20Heverly.jpg?h=1e79f874&itok=kAE5pMvA)
The Deepwater Horizon Regionwide Trustee
![Black skimmers, colorful colonial nesting birds, on a beach in Florida. Image: Florida Fish and Wildlife](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/black%20skimmers%20on%20florida%20beach%202829x1910%20Florida%20Fish%20and%20Wildlife.jpg?h=7f24c87b&itok=QjJCrt8c)
The Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group is set
![Green turtle swims by an artifical reef in the Gulf of Mexico. Image: Florida Fish and WIldlife](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/green%20turtle%20on%20artificial%20reef%20gulf%20of%20mexico%202400x1600%20144ppi%20photo%20Florida%20Fish%20and%20Wildlife.jpg?itok=hyUjHbr1)
The Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group is
![A school of Horse-eye jacks in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/school%20of%20fish%20gulf%20of%20mexico%20flower%20garden%20banks%20%203008x2000%20G%20P%20Schmahl%20NOAA.jpg?itok=UCvSqa3A)
The Trustee Council will hold its fifth annual
![Sunset over dunes and marsh in Destin Florida, a dolphin dorsal fin breaches the water in the foreground.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/Gulf%20Sunset%20Destin%20Florida%20Dolphin%20Dunes%20FWC%20Amanda%20Nalley%205310x3464.jpg?h=216f17bf&itok=Kao-L3YH)
In 2019, the Deepwater Horizon Trustees continued
![Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve landscape.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/21445178260_44e6e6d223_o.jpg?h=721939af&itok=epm7NtZ-)
Many of our projects are designed to benefit
![Scientists transport rehabilitated sea turtles to release them in the water.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/Green%20sea%20turtles%20release%20Lower%20Laguna%20Madre%202000x1600%20TX%20Credit%20TX%20PWD%20%281%29%203x2.jpg?h=56d0ca2e&itok=qEonu-5G)
We are restoring resources in multiple locations
![Sign with project information in front of a restored beach in Texas.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/2020-04%20TC%20McFaddin%20restoration%20project.jpg?h=f2fcf546&itok=wAzIXsJz)
To make the most of our efforts, we work hard to
![Multiple habitats are seen in an aerial view of the Louisiana coastline.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/1500%20x%20998%20WestLouisianacoastline-OHC.jpg?itok=RTKmBrdp)
Today marks ten years since the Deepwater Horizon
![Oysters line the Gulf of Mexico shore.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/deepwater%20horizon%20Oyster_Restoration%201599x1066.jpg?itok=raM_MNpi)
The Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group (TIG)
![Dozens of juvenile sea turtles on a beach, heading to the Gulf of Mexico. Deepwater Horizon Sea Turtle Early Restoration Project.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/2018%20DWH%20sea%20turtle%20early%20restoration%20hatchlings%201979x1319.jpg?h=885011cc&itok=lWqSUzVS)
In 2018, the Deepwater Horizon Trustees continued
![A diver operates a camera in a coral nursery.](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/DWH%20DIVER%20Access%20the%20Data%203x2.png?h=10d202d3&itok=deWG_NSH)
The Trustees are committed to providing annual
![Skimming oil in the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill - Credit NOAA Office of Response and Restoration](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/12685861633_1708f2dbff_o.jpg?itok=boajAcGe)
Many members of the Deepwater Horizon Trustee
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The Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group (TIG)
![green turtle on a beach](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/greenturtle10_ffsnwhi_msullivan_noaa_permit1013707.jpg?itok=-Z41hp4O)
It’s been one year since we settled with BP and
![Nesting brown pelicans](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_115x77/public/migrations/used/Brown_pelicans%20_cropped_nesting_at_BretonNWR_USFWS_Tom%20MacKenzie_0.jpg?itok=PtM8V6NV)
The recent settlement with BP has cleared the way
Projects
Planning
The chart shows the restoration funding allocated to the Regionwide Restoration Area for each restoration goal and the percentage of committed funds as of May 2023. For more information on the allocation of funds, please visit the Department of Justice Deepwater Horizon page.
![rw funding 2024](/sites/default/files/2024-06/RW_Funding_2024%5B1%5D.png)
Monitoring and Adaptive Management
The Regionwide Restoration Area considers monitoring and adaptive management throughout their restoration efforts.
Check out the Monitoring and Adaptive Management Manual for more information.
Looking for information about Gulf of Mexico Colonial Waterbirds? View the Avian Data Monitoring Portal.
![screenshot of the avian monitoring portal](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_4x3/public/2024-05/Avian%20Portal%20Dashboard.png?itok=Cg1ITcdQ)
Trustee Implementation Group
The trustees for the Regionwide Restoration Area are:
- Alabama Restoration Area Trustees
- Florida Restoration Area Trustees
- Louisiana Restoration Area Trustees
- Mississippi Restoration Area Trustees
- Texas Restoration Area Trustees
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Contact: nanciann_regalado@fws.gov