NFWF to Support Development of Mississippi Coastal Restoration Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 8, 2014 -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced an award of up to $3.6 million to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).  The award supports the development of an integrated, far-reaching restoration plan that will serve as an overarching framework for the development and implementation of programs and projects that restore and conserve Mississippi’s Gulf Coast natural resources. 

The science-based restoration plan, to be developed by MDEQ with significant input from individual and organizational stakeholders, will identify priority projects for future funding consideration from NFWF’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund.  The projects that ultimately receive funding will remedy harm or reduce the risk of future harm to natural resources that were affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

This project represents some of the first obligations of funds received by NFWF’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund.  In early 2013, a U.S. District Court approved two plea agreements resolving certain criminal charges against BP and Transocean related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  Provisions within the plea agreements direct a total of $2.544 billion to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation over a five-year period.  From that amount, NFWF will receive more than $356 million for projects to protect or restore natural resources in Mississippi in the aftermath of the oil spill. 

“NFWF’s approval of Mississippi’s Coastal Restoration Planning Project represents a significant step in the identification and prioritization of projects and programs to restore and conserve Mississippi’s coastal habitats and replenish its important living resources,” said Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and CEO of NFWF.  “We appreciate the strong leadership the state of Mississippi has shown and support their desire to utilize a portion of the funds available under the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund for this important effort.  Together, we’ll work to remedy harm to Gulf Coast natural resources affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.”

Click on the project title below for more specific information:

Mississippi Coastal Restoration Planning Project

To learn more about the state of Mississippi’s process for identifying priority Gulf Coast restoration projects, visit www.restore.ms.

To learn more about NFWF’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund in Mississippi, visit

http://www.nfwf.org/gulf/Pages/GEBF-Mississippi.aspx