Okaloosa County BOCC — November 16, 2013 — reading text

that builds local workforce capacity.” This is a further example that the GCERC recognizes the impacts of the oil spill on the economy and jobs. This Plan can be expected to have further changes made after the Treasury rules are published and finalized and updated project lists are added as Appendices. 4. Following Mr. Ehrenwerth’s presentation, the GCERC unanimously approved the August 2013 Initial Comprehensive Plan, a copy of which is at Attachment 2. 5. Mimi Drew of Florida, very recently selected Chair of the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustee Council, gave an update of their activities. This was followed by Mr. Thomas Kelsch, VP of Gulf Packet Pg. 541 Environmental Benefits Fund of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), providing a power-point presentation. This was followed by Mr. Russell Beard, acting Director of RESTORE Act Science Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), giving a power-point on the science aspects of RESTORE. 6. Next came two hours of public input, limited to 3-minutes each; over 100 speakers went to the microphone. During my two minutes, I highlighted the addition of the statement in para. 3 above, addressed the need to streamline the federal permitting processes so that funds do not languish while waiting for permits to be issued and congratulated the Council for establishing a Working Group in this area. However, I cautioned that this must be an active Working Group and that their work will be judged by their accomplishments. I then congratulated Mimi Drew on her recent selection to Chair the NRDA Trustee Council. 7. Following public comments, the meeting was adjourned. However, following the meeting, Kendra Parsons of FDEP arranged for a short meeting with Mimi Drew, the Florida member of the GCERC, with myself and Sal Nodjomian , to discuss some Florida issues, e.g., funds for planning for Gulf Consortium (Pot 3), the next “listening session” meetings for NRDA 3rd-round project allocations (no dates set, but most probably will be held in Escambia and Bay counties), and her expectations of when funds will begin to flow (possibly within a year for the Transocean settlement). Dave Parisot Commissioner, District 2 RESTORE/NRDA Liaison 2 Attachments 1. Meeting Agenda and GCERC Membership 2. Initial Comprehensive Plan, August 2013 Packet Pg. 542  GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL MEETING Hyatt Regency Hotel, 601 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, Louisiana Q£ M^^-t <£ c./5/R.o August 28, 2013 11:00 am \ Doors Open 11:00 am - 1:00 pmj/Open House (informational tables) Location: Foyer of Empire B 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm ^Public Council Meeting Location: Empire Ballroom 1:00 pm - 1:05 pm \J Welcome and Introductions 1:05 pm - 1:15 pm ^/Opening Remarks Governor Bobby Jindal, State of Louisiana 1:15 pm - 1:25 pm V Remarks from the Chair Penny Pritzker, Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce 1:25 pm - 1:40 pm I/ Overview of Comprehensive Plan and Next Steps Justin Ehrenwerth, Executive Director, Gulf Restoration Council 1:40 pm - 2:10 pm t/'Council Discussion of and Vote on Comprehensive Plan and Accompanying Documents -, 2:10 pm - 2:45 pm Gulf Coast Restoration Partnerships and Coordination 2:10 pm - 2:20pm V Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Mimi Drew, Chair, Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council 2:20 pm - 2:30 pmv National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund Thomas E. Kelsch, Vice President, Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 2:30 pm - 2:40 pm^ Gulf of Mexico Coordinated Ecosystem Restoration Research, Observations, Science, and Technology Program Russell Beard, Director (Acting), RESTORE Act Science Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 0 2>4b pm - 4:30 pm Public Comment Period Moderated by Drue Banta Winters, Counsel, Office of Governor Jindal Packet Pg. 543  GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL Chair Department of Commerce Penny Pritzker Secretary State of Alabama Department of Agriculture Robert Bentley Thomas J. Vilsack Governor Secretary Designee: Designee: y N. Gunter Guy Robert Bonnie " Commissioner, Alabama Department of Conservation and Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Natural Resources Department of the Army State of Florida John McHugh Rick Scott Secretary of the Army Governor Designee: ^ Designee: / Jo Ellen Darcy Mimi A. Drew v Assistant Secretary for Army (Civil Works) Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee and Former Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Protection Agency Gina McCarthy Administrator State of Louisiana Bobby Jindal \/ Designee: * Governor Ken Kopocis " Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, Designate Designee: Garret Graves Chair Department of Homeland Security Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Janet Napolitano Secretary State of Mississippi Designee: ^ Phil Bryant VADM John Currier Governor Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard Designee: / Trudy Fisher V Department of the Interior Executive Director Sally Jewell Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Designee: 'w' State of Texas Rachel Jacobson Rick Perry Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife Governor and Parks Designee: Toby Baker ' Commissioner Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Packet Pg. 544  INITIAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Restoring the Gulf Coast’s Ecosystem and Economy Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council August 2013 Packet Pg. 545 GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL Chair Department of Commerce Penny Pritzker Secretary State of Alabama Department of Agriculture Robert Bentley Thomas Vilsack Governor Secretary State of Florida Department of the Army Rick Scott John McHugh Governor Secretary of the Army State of Louisiana Environmental Protection Agency Bobby Jindal Gina McCarthy Governor Administrator State of Mississippi Department of Homeland Security Phil Bryant Janet Napolitano Governor Secretary State of Texas Department of the Interior Rick Perry Sally Jewell Governor Secretary GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL i Packet Pg. 546  INITIAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction……………………………………………….………………………………...…1 II. Overview…………………………………………………………………………………...….4 III. Goals……………………………………………………………………………………….....8 IV. Council-Selected Restoration Component…………………………………………..……11 V. State Expenditure Plans – Spill Impact Component……………………………………...18 VI. Next Steps…………………………………………………………………………………...21 GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL ii Packet Pg. 547  INITIAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I. INTRODUCTION In July 2012, the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act) established the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council). The Council is comprised of the Governors of the five Gulf Coast States and Cabinet-level officials from six federal agencies. One of the Council’s primary responsibilities is to develop a Comprehensive Plan to restore the ecosystem and the economy of the Gulf Coast region. This Initial Comprehensive Plan (Plan) provides a T HE P LAN’S P URPOSE framework to implement a coordinated, Gulf Coast  To establish overarching region-wide restoration effort in a way that restores, restoration Goals for the Gulf protects, and revitalizes the Gulf Coast. This Plan is Coast region. the first version of a Plan that will change over time. It  To describe how the Council will will guide the Council’s actions to restore the Gulf solicit, evaluate, and fund projects Coast ecosystem and economy. The Plan establishes and programs for ecosystem the Council’s Goals for the region and provides for a restoration. process to fund restoration projects and programs as