The official website of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

Comprehensive Plan

2022 Comprehensive Plan Update

The RESTORE Act called for a regional approach to restoring the long-term health of the valuable natural ecosystems and economy of the Gulf Coast region. The Council is responsible for developing a Comprehensive Plan to guide a coordinated, regionwide effort to restore, protect, and revitalize the Gulf Coast.

On September 14, 2022, the RESTORE Council voted to approve the 2022 Comprehensive Plan Update: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy (2022 Comprehensive Plan Update). The Council translated the 2022 Comprehensive Plan Update into Spanish and Vietnamese. This is the second update to the 2013 Initial Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy (2013 Initial Comprehensive Plan).

In the draft 2022 Comprehensive Plan Update, the Council continues to build upon its commitments to ensure that the Gulf’s natural resources are sustainable and available for future generations. This update is intended to continue to refine and guide Council decisions by:

  • Ensuring consistency with the Priority Criteria referenced in the RESTORE Act, described below
  • Reinforcing the Council’s goals, objectives, and Comprehensive Plan commitments
  • Recommitting to the Council’s Funding Strategy, including the Council’s vision for ecosystem restoration
  • Continuing collaboration among Council members and partner ecosystem restoration and protection programs
  • Ensuring that the Council’s decisions are informed by the best available science
  • Communicating benefits of past funding decisions and describing how lessons learned from past actions inform future decisions
  • Improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of Council actions

It also provides updates on the Council’s work to date, including:

  • Updates to Council’s decision-making process
  • Additional details about the Council’s funding strategy and how it has  been working toward meeting its commitments, and
  • An overview of Council investments to date

The draft Comprehensive Plan Update was available for public review and comment from April 21, 2022 and until 11:59 pm MT on June 6, 2022. During that time, the RESTORE Council provided an overview of the draft Comprehensive Plan Update via two live public webinars. In general, all comments received, including attachments and other supporting materials, will be part of the public record and subject to public disclosure. Additionally, any business or personal information provided, such as names, addresses, email addresses, or telephone numbers will be part of the public record.

For more information on how to comment, visit: https://www.restorethegulf.gov/public-engagement/public-comment


Background Initial Comprehensive Plan (2013)

One of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council’s (Council) primary responsibilities is to develop a Comprehensive Plan to restore the ecosystem and the economy of the Gulf Coast region. The Council approved the Initial Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy (2013 Initial Comprehensive Plan) (Vietnamese translation) in August 2013, which provided a framework to implement a coordinated, Gulf Coast region-wide restoration effort in a way that restores, protects and revitalizes the Gulf Coast.

Comprehensive Plan Update 2016

On August 23, 2016, the RESTORE Council released the Draft 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy (Draft 2016 Comp Plan Update) (Vietnamese Translation), the proposed update to its 2013 Initial Comprehensive Plan. The Council updated its Initial Comprehensive Plan to account for developments in Gulf restoration such as the resolution of civil claims against BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a source of future funding for the Council’s projects. The update also captured important public input and lessons learned from the process of developing and approving its Initial Funded Priorities List (FPL), its first slate of restoration activities funded through the RESTORE Act. This update provided strategic guidance to the Council and positioned it to make the most effective use of future funds as they became available in 2017.

The RESTORE Council hosted a series of public meetings across the Gulf Coast and two public webinars to discuss the Draft 2016 Comp Plan Update. Public comments on the draft Comprehensive Plan Update were received from August 23, 2016 to October 7, 2016. All public comments received, the Council's response to public comments, and summaries of public meetings on the Draft Comprehensive Plan Update can be found on the RESTORE Education Opportunities page.

On December 16, 2016, the RESTORE Council voted to approve the 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update: Restoring the Gulf Coast's Ecosystem and Economy (Vietnamese Translation) and released a fact sheet (Vietnamese Translation) during a public meeting in New Orleans, LA.