en.Wedoany.com Reported - Alabama has received $87 million in federal funding for coastal ecological restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The funds come from a priority funding list approved by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, totaling over $403 million.
The restoration plan was unanimously approved on June 10 by the federal-state council, which includes representatives from five Gulf Coast states and six federal cabinet departments. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced the funding details on June 11, stating that the projects will support local coastal communities and waterway restoration.
Among the specific projects, a $24 million grant is planned to construct a 100-acre (approximately 40.5-hectare) wetland restoration unit in Upper Mobile Bay. Doug Otto, Director and CEO of the Alabama Port Authority, stated that the project will use routine dredged materials from port berths to restore critical habitats and lay the foundation for future wetland restoration efforts.
The largest single project is a $38 million effort to restore the western end of Dauphin Island, covering 160 acres (approximately 64.7 hectares) of beach, 40 acres (approximately 16.2 hectares) of sandy bottom, and 3.5 miles (approximately 5.6 kilometers) of linear dunes. This initiative aims to protect vulnerable coastal communities and estuarine habitats within Mississippi Sound, including 30,000 acres (approximately 12,140.6 hectares) of protected areas.
Additionally, the Coastal Alabama Water Quality Program received $9.5 million to plan and implement municipal infrastructure improvements over the next decade. Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, stated that this priority funding list is the result of extensive work. He specifically noted that a project to jointly rebuild Grand Batture Island and protect shared wetlands with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has received $11.95 million in funding, marking the first cross-state Deepwater Horizon restoration project.
The remaining funds include $1.8 million for the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up debris in local waters and $1.5 million for a land conservation program under the US Department of Agriculture.
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