Mississippi meeting will be held Feb 19 in Biloxi, see below.
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Announces Public Engagement
Sessions in Gulf States
02/06/2013 06:15 PM EST
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (the Council) today announced
the dates for upcoming public engagement sessions to provide early
opportunities for initial input into the Comprehensive Plan for Gulf Coast
restoration. Public engagement sessions will be held in Mississippi on
February 19, in Louisiana on February 19, 20 and 21, and in Florida on
February 28. The Council will announce additional dates and locations via
the Council's website as they become available.
The Council, which was established by the Resources and Ecosystem
Sustainability, Tourism, Opportunities Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast
States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act), will help restore the ecosystem and
economy of the Gulf Coast region by developing and overseeing
implementation of a Comprehensive Plan and carrying out other
responsibilities.
In January, the Council released The Path Forward to Restoring the Gulf
Coast, which describes the Council's path to collaboratively develop an
initial Comprehensive Plan. It sets out an integrated approach to Gulf
restoration, recognizing that ecosystem restoration is inextricably linked
to economic growth and development. The Council is in an early stage of
plan development and intends to release a draft plan for public comment in
Spring 2013. The public engagement sessions are part of the Council's
efforts to ensure robust public input throughout the entire process.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused extensive damage to the Gulf Coast's
natural resources, devastating the economies and communities that rely on
it. In an effort to help the region rebuild in the wake of the spill,
Congress passed the bipartisan RESTORE Act. The Act dedicates 80 percent of
any civil and administrative penalties paid under the Clean Water Act by
responsible parties in connection with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to
the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund (the Trust Fund) for ecosystem
restoration, economic recovery, and tourism promotion in the Gulf Coast
region.
The meetings will give the public the opportunity to provide feedback on
the Council's restoration planning efforts. Following are details on the
upcoming meetings:
Tuesday, February 19
Louisiana – 5:00 PM CST
Terrebonne Civic Center, 346 Civic Center Blvd., Room 3, Houma, LA
Mississippi – 5:00 PM CST
Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center, 2350 Beach Blvd., Biloxi,
MS
Wednesday, February 20
Louisiana – 5:00 PM CST
University of New Orleans, Homer Hitt Alumni Center Ballroom, 2000
Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA
Thursday, February 21
Louisiana – 5:00 PM CST
Lack Charles Civic Center, Jean Lafitte Room, 900 Lakeshore Drive, Lake
Charles, LA
Thursday, February 28
Florida – 6:00 PM EST
Student Union East Conference Center, Gulf Coast State College, 5230 W.
U.S. 98, Panama City Beach, FL
To learn more about the Council and get details about upcoming meetings,
visit www.restorethegulf.gov.
Mr. Robbie Wilbur
Communications Director
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Post Office Box 2261
Jackson, Mississippi 39225
601/961-5277
601/421-5699 (c)
601/961-5715 (f)
rwilbur@deq.state.ms.us
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