The Department of Agriculture Thursday announced $31 million in funding to advance restoration work and improve water quality in the Gulf Coast states impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The funds will support three priority programs and related project work approved by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration, or RESTORE Council, as part of a multi-year process of collaborative planning and public engagement throughout the Gulf. USDA's Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, along with state forestry agencies in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi, will leverage the funds to restore forest health, improve coastal ecosystems and provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners. The USDA-funded activities include the Gulf Coast Conservation Reserve Program, the Enhancing Gulf Waters through Forested Watershed Restoration Program, and the Apalachicola Regional Restoration Initiative. The RESTORE Council was established in 2012 by the RESTORE Act, a federal law enacted in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
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