The RESTORE Act was created to provide economic and ecological recovery to areas affected by the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. The US Treasury Department holds the Trust Fund established by the RESTORE Act.
As of October 1, 2014, Hernando County’s available funding through this program is $569,348 (direct component funding).
Potential projects were identified by citizens and community leaders for RESTORE Act funding. The board of county commissioners approved the projects and they are now available for public comment (for 45 days) before the implementation plans and public responses are both submitted to the Treasury Department.
The first project is Bayou Drive Repair and Restoration. This will restore salt marsh habitat, improve roadside parking areas to prevent erosion and provide better access for recreational birding and fishing. The cost for this project is $175,000 of RESTORE Act Funding, $65,000 from Stormwater MTSU to repair damaged culverts, and $110,000 from Transportation Trust to rebuild roadway.
The second project is the Hernando Beach Shallow Water Reef which is currently in the permitting and approval process. They are focusing on three locations to rehabilitate barren areas of the sea floor by creating artificial reef using reef balls. The project would require $94,500 of RESTORE act funding and $10,500 from the Boating Improvement Fund.
The third project is the Linda Pederson Park Improvement. The project aims to repair coastal infrastructure, reduce sedimentation into Jenkins Creek spring run, improve quality of water entering the spring run from the park, improve aesthetics and construct a canoe/kayak launch to the spring run. The $300,000 cost of this project would be entirely funded by the RESTORE Act.
For more information, visit http://www.HernandoCounty.us/restoreact
Photo Credit: Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, Louisiana State University