Today's joint press release from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced that the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustees approved two proposed projects that focus on restoring nesting habitat for birds and sea turtles, which was injured during response efforts resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.
This is the second round of projects. (The first includes four boat ramp construction projects along with a dune restoration project all located in Escambia County.) Both phases are funded from settlement funds from the BP corporation.
One of the projects proposes to protect nesting habitat by restoring nesting habitats that were disturbed from oil spill response activities. The second project plans to reduce artificial lighting impacts on nesting habitat for loggerhead turtles. Both proposed projects will take place in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties. Projects should have a positive impact on the 2013 nesting season.
This set of proposed projects will be finalized upon completion of the public comment periodwhich ends on December 10, 2012.
A public hearing will be held on November 13, at the Escambia County Central Complex Building. An open house will begin at 6:00 p.m. central time with the public meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m.
More information at: www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.
More information on the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process and projects being submitted at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/
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