The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (the Council) will hold its first public meeting on December 11, 2012 in Mobile, Alabama. The Council, which was established by the Resources and Ecosystem Sustainability, Tourism, Opportunities Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act), will develop and oversee implementation of a comprehensive plan to help restore the ecosystem and economy of the Gulf Coast region in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The oil spill caused extensive damage to the Gulf Coast’s natural resources, devastating the economies and communities that rely on it. In an effort to help the region rebuild, Congress passed the bipartisan RESTORE Act, which dedicates 80 percent of Clean Water Act administrative and civil penalties paid by responsible parties after the date of enactment of this Act in connection with the Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill to the Gulf Region for ecological and economic recovery efforts. This law will likely generate investments in economic development, tourism promotion, and science-based natural resource restoration in the states hit hardest by the spill -- Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

The Council will work with the State and local communities to identify projects and programs that will restore the region’s natural resources and help benefit local businesses, boost their economies, and create jobs. In order to ensure robust public input throughout the entire process, the Council will hold several public meetings and listening sessions in each of the Gulf States in the coming months.

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