Southwest Florida Gears Up for "Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity"

National Estuary Programs across southwest Florida are gearing up to help facilitate the development of a comprehensive regional environmental restoration plan, investing fines paid by BP for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in what could be the most significant restoration initiative ever in the Gulf of Mexico. No one knows how much money is involved or when it will become available, but Holly Greening, executive director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, calls it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The penalties will be divided into three major pots; the regional planning effort is focusing on the 30% allocation to the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council because it is specifically targeted toward environmental restoration. Assuming a $15 billion penalty, the council could distribute $300 million per year for 15 years — “a chance to do something really significant for the environment in the Gulf of Mexico and along its coast,” Greening said.

Although the Council has not been formally established, the Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Programs (NEPs) have requested input on possible projects from local governments and non-profit organizations in a region spanning the Ten Thousand Islands in Collier County to Crystal River in Citrus County.

“We provided all our partners including local governments and non-profits with templates for their environmental projects and guidelines for applying,” Greening said. “We’ve requested information, including how ‘shovel ready’ — or how quickly they can start construction — their projects might be for inclusion in the regional plan.”

The Gulf Restoration Council must publish a draft comprehensive plan within 180 days of its formation, so being ahead of the curve could make a major difference when funds are awarded, Greening adds. It’s an incredibly fast track:

• Templates for restoration projects were developed and distributed in September
• Local governments and partners must complete proposals by Nov. 1
• Members of the three NEP management boards will review them
• Members of the three NEP policy boards will meet jointly to further review potential projects and finalize recommendations.

The NEP policy boards are composed primarily of elected representatives, so their stamp of approval may carry extra weight with a council whose voting members include governors from the five Gulf coast states and one federal official. And if NEP partners propose projects that fall within the realm of the individual Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs), then they have the added benefit of working within a framework that’s already received approval from the federal government.

Along with environmental impacts, the templates also cover information of particular interest to policy makers, including number of jobs created, economic benefits of the restoration and its impact on community resilience as sea levels continue to rise.

RESTORE Act Shares Funds Across Gulf Coast

The RESTORE Act directs 80% of fines paid by BP back to the five states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. (The fines are separate from the damages paid to restore ecosystems and economies directly harmed by the oil spill, so they can be used to address wider issues.)

Under the Clean Water Act, BP must pay a fine based on what appears to be a simple calculation — the number of barrels spilled multiplied by a set dollar amount per barrel.

Both numbers, however, are being challenged by BP. The government estimates that 4.9 billion barrels of oil were lost during the 87-day disaster; BP says it was significantly less. The penalty per barrel will be determined based partially on whether a court rules that BP was “negligent” or “grossly negligent” in the spill that also killed 11 people. CWA calls for a base penalty of $1,100 per barrel if the spill is deemed to be accidental. If it was caused by negligence, that penalty rises to $4,300 per barrel.

Depending upon a final settlement, that works out to somewhere between $5.5 billion and $22 billion -- with most experts using $15 billion as a good starting place for potential projects. “If BP decides to settle, it could happen tomorrow, but if they go to court, it could take years. We think it’s prudent for us to be ready for it to happen tomorrow,” Greening said.

Along with funds directed to the Gulf Coast Restoration Council, other allocations may benefit ecosystems in Tampa Bay:

• 35% of the funds, or $70 million per state per year (assuming a $15 billion payout), will go directly to Gulf Coast counties for environmental and economic restoration. TBEP staff estimates that between $500,000 and $2 million per year may be available for Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties.
• An additional 30% of the funds (a minimum of $15 million per year per state) will be distributed to the five Gulf States based on the number of miles of oiled shorelines and other factors. In Florida, these funds will be allocated through a consortium of the 23 Gulf coast counties with money directed at either economic or environmental restoration.
• The remaining five percent will be dedicated to research and monitoring of Gulf Coast ecosystem restoration and fisheries, and to support regional Centers of Excellence like the Florida Institute of Oceanography headquartered at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg.

“This focus on research and monitoring is very welcome,” Greening adds. “There is usually not a long-term funding commitment by granting agencies for monitoring so we don’t often have the opportunity to track the impact of our restoration activities.”

Tampa Bay Environmental Fund Now Accepting Grant Applications

The Pinellas County Environmental Fund, which provided critical start-up funding to Bay Soundings when publication began in 2002, has been revived. Now known as the Tampa Bay Environmental Fund, TBEF is a strategic partnership between the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and other public and private entities focused on the restoration and protection of Tampa Bay. Approximately $750,000 is expected to be available for the 2013 funding cycle in grants of $50,000 to $200,000. Funds will be awarded based on priorities detailed in the TBEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), including:

• Recover additional seagrass beds and prevent increases in nitrogen entering the bay by implementing innovative stormwater management projects and programs
• “Restore the historic balance” of coastal wetland habitats
• Restore additional salt barren (saltern) habitat in Tampa Bay
• Restore and protect connectivity and function of fisheries habitat in the bay’s tidal streams and creeks
• Benefit declining, threatened or endangered species at the state or federal level, or as identified in the CCMP, through addressing long-term solutions to the conservation of a species and/or restoring associated habitat.

Click here for more information and an online application. Grant applications must be completed by Nov. 19 to be considered for this funding cycle.