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| Credit: Scott Nicol |
The Deepwater Horizon trustees
have released the Phase II Draft Early Restoration Plan &
Environmental Review (DERP/ER) for public review and comment. The plan
includes two proposed projects totaling about $9 million that focus on
restoring nesting habitat for birds and sea turtles. Response efforts
resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused injuries to this natural habitat.
"This
draft plan includes two Early Restoration projects which represent a
near-term opportunity to improve the nesting habitats of birds and
turtles, two species that are integral to the Gulf Coast wildlife
community," said Cynthia Dohner, Natural Resource Trustee for the
Department of the Interior. "Our desire is to provide these benefits
during the next nesting season, but we'd first like to hear from the
public. We encourage the public to attend the November 13 meeting in
Pensacola and to give us their comments."
The DERP/ER describes the second round of projects proposed to receive funding from the $1 billion BP committed to Early Restoration on April 21, 2011.
The trustees will hold a public meeting on November 13, 2012 to solicit
comment on the plan. The meeting will be held at the Escambia County
Central Complex Building in Room 104, 3363 West Park Place Pensacola,
Fla. 32505. There will be an open house from 6:00-7:00 PM followed by
the meeting and public comment period from 7:00-9:00 PM.
The
DERP/ER describes two proposed projects for the second round of Early
Restoration. These projects address coastal conservation for the purpose
of restoring bird (avian) and sea turtle nesting habitats, which were
injured by oil spill response operations. These projects are timed to
enhance the bird and turtle nesting ground as the spring 2013 nesting
season begins. Below is a brief description of each project:
- A
Comprehensive Program for Enhanced Management of Avian Breeding Habitat
Injuries by Response in the Florida Panhandle, Alabama and Mississippi.
This project proposes to protect nesting habitat for beach-nesting
birds from disturbance in order to restore habitat impaired by
disturbance from oil spill response activities. It is to be conducted on
sandy beaches in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, and
Franklin counties, Florida; Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)
in Baldwin and Mobile counties, Alabama, and the Gulf Islands National
Seashore (GUIS) - Mississippi District.
- Improving Habitat Injured by Spill Response: Restoring the Night Sky.
This project proposes to reduce artificial lighting impacts on nesting
habitat for sea turtles, specifically loggerhead turtles, to restore
habitat impaired by disturbance from oil spill response activities. It
is to be conducted on sandy beach public properties in Baldwin County,
Alabama; and Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, and
Franklin counties, Florida.
Comments may be submitted in the following ways:
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