GulfFuture Campaign

in November month, several members of Gulf Future sent the following letter including a list of projects recommended for funding consideration by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council.

The letter the the entire list of projects can be downloaded here 

December 10, 2012

The undersigned organizations and individuals write to provide some suggestions for restoration projects that are appropriate for funding under the RESTORE Act. It is imperative that the Council creates a unified, comprehensive environmental restoration plan that is based on science and delineates a focused vision for a resilient Gulf Coast. There are many worthy individual projects to be considered, but only those  projects that fit within a broad vision  for coastal and marine resiliency - ones that address systemic enhancement, restoration and protection of our coastal and marine resources --  should be implemented,. As the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council plans its first meeting to develop \the comprehensive plan called for in the legislation, we urge you to consider the projects we have listed  as examples of the types of projects that, if funded, could provide not only necessary ecosystem restoration but also would have economic and job creation benefits for coastal communities.

We encourage the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to adopt the restoration strategy and Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Science Assessment and Needs[1] document developed by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force (GCERTF) Science Coordination Team. The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council should then build on the work of this team of experts to create a coordinated, robust, gulf-wide ecosystem restoration implementation plan with recommendations for specific projects to restore both coastal and marine resources.

Funding decisions should be made using a selection and evaluation framework that is made publicly available for review and that accomplishes the following:

• Address long-term recovery goals such as prevention of or recovery from oil spills, preservation/restoration of fish and wildlife, restoration of use, protection of public health;
• Have a Gulf-wide or Regional benefit;
• Address root causes of issues, not symptoms; and
• Have specific deliverables and measurable objectives.

. All projects subject to consideration should be subject to rigorous scrutiny to ensure that restoration projects chosen have a broad scope of positive environmental impacts on the many coastal resources of the Gulf of Mexico and will bring enduring positive change to our coastal and marine ecosystems. We believe that the attached portfolio of projects meets these criteria and should rise to the top for consideration for funding

There exists in Gulf coast communities a considerable amount of expertise and local knowledge that will be critical in implementing a long-term restoration strategy that will protect and restore the ecosystem and economies of these communities. The RESTORE Act allows the establishment of advisory committees to assist the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council on public policy issues.[2]  We urge the Council to create these committees[3] as soon as possible so that citizens can provide insight and thoughts on the council strategy document prior to its release in 2013.