Restore Projects
Direct Component
The RESTORE Act provides that 80% of the civil penalties recovered as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill be directed to the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund (Trust Fund) to be used by the five Gulf Coast states to restore and protect the environment and economy in the Gulf Coast region. Monies in the Trust Fund are distributed to five different components, one of which is the Direct Component, also referred to as Bucket 1.
This component requires Mississippi, through MDEQ, to prepare a Multiyear Implementation Plan (MIP) describing each activity, project or program for which Mississippi seeks funding under Bucket 1 and accounts for 35% of the funds directed to the Trust Fund. Mississippi, as determined by the RESTORE Act, will receive 7% of the 35% allocation in Bucket 1.
Mississippi’s Multiyear Implementation Plan was accepted by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in May 2016.
Click here to see the story map of the MIP
*Funding for all projects included on the MIP is subject to approval by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Inclusion of a project in the MIP does not guarantee funding.
Council-Selected Restoration Component Funded Priorities List
On December 1, 2015, the Council released the Initial Funded Priorities List (FPL) which was approved on December 9, 2015. Using funds from the settlement with Transocean Deepwater Inc., the Council is seeking to provide near-term, on-the-ground ecosystem benefits, while also conducting planning activities designed to build a foundation for future success as additional funds become available from other parties. The Council will focus on 10 key watersheds across the Gulf in order to concentrate and leverage funds to address critical ecosystem needs in high priority locations. The Council also approved a suite of Gulf-wide investments designed to support holistic ecosystem restoration and lay the foundation for future success.
Below are fact sheets on projects in Mississippi.
The Mississippi Sound Estuarine Program – Planning & Implementation
Enhancing Opportunities for Beneficial Use of Dredge Sediments – Planning
Vietnamese Translation
Tăng cường cơ hội Sử dụng có ích Trầm tích nạo vét – Hoạch định
Chương trình cửa sông eo biển Mississippi – Hoạch định & Triển khai
Bảo vệ đất chiến lược, Bảo tồn, và Tăng cường cảnh quan ưu tiên ven Vịnh – Hoạch định & Triển khai
Oil Spill Impact Component
The RESTORE Act provides that 80% of the civil penalties recovered as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill be directed to the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund (Trust Fund) to be used by the five Gulf Coast states to restore and protect the environment and economy in the Gulf Coast region. Monies in the Trust Fund are distributed to five different components, one of which is the Oil Spill Impact Component, also referred to as Bucket 3.
This component requires Mississippi, through MDEQ, to prepare a State Expenditure Plan (SEP) describing each activity, project or program for which Mississippi seeks funding under Bucket 3 and accounts for 30% of the funds directed to the Trust Fund. Mississippi, as determined by the Oil Spill Impact Formula described in the RESTORE Act, will receive 19.07% of the 30% allocation in Bucket 3.
Mississippi’s State Expenditure Plan was approved by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) in April 2017.
Click here to see the story map of the SEP
Center of Excellence Research Grants Program
The RESTORE Act provides that 80% of the civil penalties recovered as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill be directed to the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund (Trust Fund) to be used by the five Gulf Coast states to restore and protect the environment and economy in the Gulf Coast region. Monies in the Trust Fund are distributed to five different components, one of which is the Center of Excellence Research Grants Program, also referred to as Bucket 5.
This component requires Mississippi, through MDEQ, to establish Centers of Excellence for science, technology, and monitoring in one or more of the following disciplines:
- Coastal and deltaic sustainability, restoration, and protection, including solutions and technology that allow citizens to live in a safe and sustainable manner in a coastal delta in the Gulf Coast Region;
- Coastal fisheries and wildlife ecosystem research and monitoring in the Gulf Coast Region;
- Offshore energy development, including research and technology to improve the sustainable and safe development of energy resources in the Gulf of Mexico;
- Sustainable and resilient growth, economic and commercial development in the Gulf Coast Region; and
- Comprehensive observation, monitoring, and mapping of the Gulf of Mexico.
Mississippi, as determined by the RESTORE Act, will receive 20% of the 2.5% allocation in Bucket 5, plus a proportionate share of 25% of the interest earned by the Trust Fund.
Mississippi’s Center of Excellence is a consortium of four state universities:
- Jackson State University
- Mississippi State University
- University of Mississippi
- University of Southern Mississippi.
Click here to see the story map of the Center of Excellence
