[StBernard] Grants News Release (Region 6): EPA Awards $2.4 million to Restore Coastal Habitats in the Gulf

[Westley Annis]

EPA Awards $2.4 million to Restore Coastal Habitats in the Gulf 

  

(DALLAS - October 14, 2010)   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
awarded more than $2.4 million to revitalize coastal areas along the Gulf of
Mexico.  Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Coastal Bend Bays
and Estuaries Program (CBBEP), and the Louisiana Universities Marine
Consortium (LUMCON) are the grant recipients.  They will use the money to
restore land lost in areas where commercial and industrial development has
decreased natural areas causing habitat loss and land degradation.    

  

The funds will be split between the three organizations.  TCEQ developed the
Galveston Bay Estuary Program which includes a comprehensive conservation
and management plan (CCMP).  The plan focuses on restoration and maintenance
of chemical, physical and biological integrity of estuaries.  The state of
Texas will receive $815,000 towards activities that include assessing trends
in water quality, natural resources and implementation of the CCMP.   

  

CBBEP, a local Texas non-profit, will receive $800,000 to implement plans to
protect and restore the health and productivity of Texas' bays and
estuaries.  CBBEP is a volunteer organization that works with industry,
environmental groups, bay users and local governments to improve the health
of the coastal areas. 

  

The Barataria-Terrebone National Estuary Program (BTNEP) under the LUMCON
organizational structure will focus on the implementation of a CCMP.  The
plan will include efforts to restore coastal estuaries in the
Barataria-Terrebonne Bay of coastal Louisiana.  BTNEP's mission is the
preservation and restoration of the estuary and will receive $800,000.  

  

"The window of opportunity for conservation of natural resources is
gradually closing.  These projects foster new approaches to conserve coastal
wetlands," said Al Armendariz, Regional Administrator.  "Protection and
renewal of the wetlands will provide increased protection from coastal
storms and more recreational opportunities." 

The National Estuary Program (NEP) was established in 1987 by amendments to
the Clean Water Act to identify, restore, and protect nationally significant
estuaries of the United States.  Unlike traditional regulatory approaches to
environmental protection, the program targets a broad range of issues and
engages local stake-holders in the process.  The program is designed to
encourage local communities to take responsibility for managing their own
estuaries.  Each NEP is made up of representatives from federal, state and
local government agencies responsible for managing the estuary's resources,
as well as members of the community.  Stakeholders work together to identify
problems in the estuary, develop specific actions to address those problems,
and create and implement a formal management plan to restore and protect the
estuary. 

Additional information on EPA grants:
http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
<http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm>  

  

More about activities in EPA Region 6:  http://www.epa.gov/region6
<http://www.epa.gov/region6>  

  

EPA audio file is available at:
http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/oct2010.html
<http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/oct2010.html>  

  

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