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Plans for Restoration

 

The Nature Conservancy - Great Places Network

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with manatees in Blue Spring State Park, Florida

Researcher with manatees in Blue Spring State Park, Florida
© Kevin Barry

This past March, the governors of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas put forth an ambitious plan to restore the vital natural resources of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Governors’ Action Plan sets out a comprehensive and much needed blueprint for initiating long-term restoration for a healthy Gulf. In the three year implementation plan, the governors identified five specific areas to focus on: improving water quality, restoring wetlands, increasing awareness about the Gulf, improving coastal management and reducing pollution.

It is imperative that adequate funding and support be provided in the coming months and years to ensure this plan moves forward in an efficient and effective manner.

Individual Gulf states and policy makers are also calling for action to bring this natural treasure back to health.

Governor Haley Barbour’s Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal mobilized Mississippians to respond to the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. Among the priorities set by the Commission is the conservation of coastal marshes, forests and wetlands.

Senator Trent Lott also has introduced a bill, the Gulf of Mexico Restoration and Protection Act, which would recognize the national and international importance of the Gulf of Mexico, expand services provided by the EPA Gulf of Mexico Program, and expand and strengthen cooperative efforts to restore and protect the Gulf of Mexico.

Restoration plans should also address reconnecting the Mississippi River with its floodplain and protecting the barrier island system. And the nation must begin implementing the first phase of the long-planned Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration Study.

Local, state and federal support for these proposals is needed to ensure the necessary actions are taken to protect vital coastal resources.