New Partnership to Help Restore Gulf Coast After Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
The NRCS and the NFWF have established a new partnership that will help provide more support for ongoing restoration projects of the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) have formed a new partnership to help aid in restoring the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem that was deeply impacted as a direct result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The partnership will support private landowners and operators who still need help with their conservation efforts, and who might not be eligible in recovery programs prior to this partnership. With a $20 million investment by NFWF and $20 million from NRCS, these programs will now become more of a possibility. Another $30 million from each partner is expected within the next 4 years.
"The health of the Gulf ecosystem will be decided by how well we treat the private lands that make up most of this region," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "This new partnership with NFWF leverages significant funding for restoration in these Gulf States. In addition to our many Farm Bill conservation programs, partnering with NFWF and private landowners will enable us to continue to make progress in this region and achieve our goals for a healthy Gulf ecosystem."
NFWF, NRCS, and other partners will work on private lands to implement conservation and recovery projects in Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas. Other projects for the partnership include stream restoration, wetlands conservation, riparian buffer restoration, and farm and ranch land protection.