Mississippi working to restore coastline following oil spill
(The Center Square) – Mississippi is getting a helping hand in preserving its coastline.
Gov. Tate Reeves announced the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund will be working on six restoration projects, and two additional projects, at a cost of $26.8 million.
“These projects will be critical in my administration’s coastal restoration and preservation efforts,” Reeves said in a news release. “One of my top priorities will always be to restore our coast to what it was before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, so future generations of Mississippians can enjoy all the benefits it has to offer.”
The state’s Department of Environmental Quality will administer the projects, according to the release.
The projects include a $1.4 million restoration of West Hancock County Nearshore Habitat for engineering, design, and permitting that will increase living resources along the coast and aid crabs, fish, and other marine life.
The Point Cadet Nearshore Habitat Restoration project is a $400,000 expenditure for the engineering, design, and permitting for shoreline protections to increase marsh area to increase marine resources.
A $1 million project at Bellefontaine Nearshore Habitat Protection will aid in protecting the shoreline at Davis Bayou and Marsh Point, and $3.12 million has been allotted for artificial reef design and construction at Barrier Island Reefs to increase fisheries production.
An $8.5 million project at Katrine Key will allow for the construction of shoreline protections for Deer Island with an extension of the Key, and $662,000 has been earmarked for the Inshore Artificial Reef Assessment and Petit Bois Planning for the restoration of marine life productivity at the site.
“The health of our natural resources is intertwined with the strength of the economy of South Mississippi,” said Chris Wells, executive director of MDEQ. “These projects, in addition to the others announced for this year, will continue the essential work necessary to enhance the coastal habitat so vital for marine life.”
Two project amendments were approved for dredge material for marsh restoration in the coastal region at a cost of $11 million and $720,000 for the Mississippi Coastal Restoration Plan.
The gulf environment fund was established in 2013, according to the release, as a result of plea agreements stemming from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The agreements funneled $2.54 billion into the fund for gulf coast projects in areas impacted by the spill.
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