NFWF Announces $9.6 Million for Gulf Restoration Projects in Alabama
Second Round of Grants from the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund
WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 17, 2014 - The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $9.6 million for four Alabama projects that address high-priority conservation needs. The projects, developed in consultation with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and federal resource agencies, are designed to remedy harm or reduce the risk of future harm to natural resources that were affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The moneys are the second obligation from NFWF’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, created 18 months ago as part of the settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice, BP and Transocean to resolve certain criminal charges against both companies in relation to the spill. Under the allocation formula and other provisions contained in the plea agreements, a total of $356 million will be paid into the Gulf Fund over a five-year period for conservation projects in the state of Alabama.
“The Gulf Coast of Alabama is one of the state’s greatest natural treasures, and it is important that we restore it from the harm caused by the 2010 oil spill,” said Governor Robert Bentley. “The $9.6 million we will receive from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will support our continued long-term recovery efforts from the adverse effects of the oil spill. I appreciate all of our local, state and federal partners who are working with us in this long-term recovery effort to restore the Alabama Gulf Coast.”
“The model for the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund is one of partnership,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “In order to succeed, NFWF must bring together state resource agencies, federal agencies, and other public and private partners, all working in harmony to fund the best projects that will do the most good for the Gulf of Mexico and the communities that depend on it each and every day. The projects we announce today demonstrate the value of our efforts to work in a collaborative fashion to select projects that will provide significant benefits to wildlife and people for many years to come.”
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 for project expenditures in all five Gulf States. The funds are to be used to support projects that remedy harm or reduce the risk of future harm to natural resources that were affected by the oil spill.
Alabama’s 2014 Projects
Please click on the project title for more specific information:
Alabama Barrier Island Restoration Assessment
Coastal Habitat Restoration Planning Initiative
To learn more about the state of Alabama’s Gulf Coast restoration efforts, visit www.AlabamaCoastalRestoration.org
To learn more about NFWF’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund in Alabama, visit http://www.nfwf.org/gulf/Pages/GEBF-Alabama.aspx