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 (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%, of which approximately $150-$180 million is available for projects and programs, is referred to as the Council-Selected Restoration Component (commonly known as "Bucket 2").
Draft 2017 Funded Priorities List: Comprehensive Commitment and Planning Support (CPS FPL)
On July 13, 2017, the Council announced the availability of the Draft 2017 Funded Priorities List: Comprehensive Commitment and Planning Support.
Click here for additional information about the Draft 2017 Funded Priorities List.
Initial Funded Priorities List (FPL)
On Dec. 9, 2015, the Council voted to approve the Council-Selected Restoration Component Initial Funded Priorities List.
Click here for additional information about the Initial Funded Priorities List.
2016 Request for Applications for FPL Projects [PDF 13pp 120Kb]
Grants and Interagency Agreements awarded under the Council-Selected Restoration Component
About the Council-Selected Restoration Component Submission and Evaluation Process
In July 2014, the Council finalized a proposal submission and evaluation process to select projects for inclusion on a Draft Funded Priorities List (FPL). Each state and federal member of the Council is responsible for proposing restoration projects and programs for consideration by the Council as a whole. These members may solicit input from the public and will decide which proposals are ultimately submitted under this component. The Council can only consider proposals from the individual Council members.
Recognizing that the available amount of funds could not cover the full array of the projects needed to successfully restore the Gulf, the Council decided to focus its first project selection effort on projects and programs that restore habitat and/or water quality. Each Council member could submit up to five (5) proposals to the Council.
Submitted Council-Selected Restoration Component Proposals and Context Reports
Detailed links on the submission & evaluation process are below:
- About the Council-Selected Restoration Component Process
- Detailed Submission Process Document
- Proposal Submission Guidelines for Members
- Public Input and the Council-Selected Restoration Component
- Council Member Summary Notice of Application Process for Notice of Application Process for Council-Selected Restoration Component Projects and Programs (link is external)
- Public Input on the Draft FPL
- Response to Public Input on the Draft FPL