The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) will meet to vote on the Comprehensive Plan Update.

• When:  Friday, December 16, 2016 
• Where: Hyatt Regency Hotel

               Celestin Ballroom Section E (3rd Floor)
               601 Loyola Avenue
               New Orleans, LA, 70113
  Time:   9:00 a.m. CST

The public is invited to attend.

U.S. Secretary of the Department of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack, Chair of the Council, will preside over the meeting and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards will attend as a Council member and host of the meeting. Council representatives from the other Gulf States and participating federal agencies will also attend. 

In addition to voting on the Comprehensive Plan Update, the Council will hear updates from some of its key restoration partners including representatives from the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. 

The Council approved an Initial Comprehensive Plan: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy in August 2013, which set forth goals and objectives for advancing comprehensive Gulf restoration. In August 2016, the Council released a draft update and solicited public feedback. The Council received more than 65,000 comments by mail, online and during the engagement meetings held throughout the Gulf Coast. The Comprehensive Plan Update to be voted on in New Orleans incorporates changes made in response to these comments. The public will have the opportunity to offer informal comments pertaining to future council actions at the December 16, 2016 meeting. The final agenda will be provided in advance of this meeting.  

Pre-registration for Council Meeting

To pre-register for the meeting please click on the registration link above. Please note: By selecting the “Pre-registration for Council Meeting” link, you will be transferred to a non-governmental website. Pre-registration for the meeting is open until Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Onsite registration will also be available on the day of the meeting (December 16, 2016) from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

The meeting space is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation and related accommodations should be indicated during pre-registration on or before Thursday, December 1, 2016 at 5:30 p.m.  For requests received after December 1, 2016, every effort will be made to provide the requested accommodations, although we cannot guarantee these services will be available.

For more information about the upcoming meeting, please contact keala.hughes@restorethegulf.gov.