The RESTORE Act, signed into law in July 2012, established a Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund (Trust Fund) which will receive 80 percent of the civil and administrative Clean Water Act penalties resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Trust Fund supports five restoration components aimed at restoring the long-term health of the valuable natural ecosystems and economy of the Gulf Coast region.
Thirty percent of the money directed to the Trust Fund is managed by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) to implement ecosystem restoration under a Comprehensive Plan, developed by the Council with input from the public, to restore the ecosystem and the economy of the Gulf Coast Region. This 30% is referred to as the Council-Selected Restoration Component (commonly referred to as "Bucket 2"). The Council approves Bucket 2 projects and programs for funding in what is called a Funded Priorities List (FPL).
FPL Funding Categories
FPLs include activities in two categories. Category 1 activities are approved for Bucket 2 funding. Such approval requires a Council vote as set forth in the RESTORE Act. To be approved in Category 1, a project or program must have documentation demonstrating that all applicable environmental laws have been addressed. For example, a construction project would need documentation demonstrating compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and other applicable laws.
Category 2 activities are Council priorities for potential future funding, but are not approved for funding. These are projects and/or programs that are not yet in a position to be approved by the Council, but which the Council considers to be worthy of potential future funding. Funding is budgeted for potential use on the Category 2 activities, but the Council is not committed to such activities. As appropriate, the Council will review the activities in Category 2 in order to determine whether to: (1) move an activity to Category 1 and approve it for funding, (2) remove it from Category 2 and any further consideration, or (3) continue to include it in Category 2. In these reviews, the Council can consider feasibility, environmental compliance and scientific, technical, policy and/or other related issues. A Council vote and FPL amendment are required to move an activity from Category 2 to Category 1, or to remove an activity from Category 2, thus from any further consideration.
To date, the status of the Council’s FPLs are:
- Initial Funded Priorities List (Initial FPL) - Approved December 9, 2015
- 2017 Funded Priorities List: Comprehensive Commitment and Planning Support (2017 CPS FPL) - Approved January 24, 2018
- Funded Priorities List 3a (FPL 3a )- Approved February, 12 2020
- Funded Priorities List 3b (FPL 3b) - Approved April 28, 2021
Learn more about:
Grants and Interagency Agreements awarded under the Council-Selected Restoration Component