Okaloosa County BOCC — November 16, 2013 — reading text

be leveraged to meet the goals of the State Expenditure Plan. GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL 19 Packet Pg. 566  INITIAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Submittal, Review and Approval Process The State Council Member may submit a State Expenditure Plan for Council consideration at any time after the publication of this Plan and the promulgation of appropriate regulations. There is no specific timeframe required for State Expenditure Plan submission, but no funds may be expended from a State’s allocation pursuant to the spill impact formula before the Council approves the State Expenditure Plan and an associated initial project, program, and activity list. The Council will review each State Expenditure Plan to ensure it is consistent with Goals and Objectives provided in this Plan and ensure all requirements are met. The Council will also consider the State Expenditure Plan’s compatibility with other State Expenditure Plans when evaluating issues that cross Gulf Coast State boundaries. The Council will make State Expenditure Plans available to the public and tribes and will approve or disapprove a plan within sixty days of receipt. If a State Expenditure Plan does not meet the applicable requirements, the Council will work with the State to address any outstanding issues. State Expenditure Plans may be updated as necessary. Projects, programs, and activities funded under State Expenditure Plans must comply with all applicable laws and regulations. GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL 20 Packet Pg. 567  INITIAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN VI. NEXT STEPS Since its establishment, the Council has convened, selected a Chair, hosted several rounds of public listening sessions in all five Gulf Coast States, hosted tribal engagement sessions, published The Path Forward to Restoring the Gulf Coast: A Proposed Comprehensive Plan, published the Draft Initial Comprehensive Plan and reviewed over 41,000 public comments on the Draft Plan. Due to ongoing litigation, there is uncertainty surrounding the ultimate amount of administrative and civil penalties that may be available to the Trust Fund and the timing of their availability. The Council will continue to build more detail into the Plan and its associated processes as existing uncertainties are resolved and will issue future updates and addenda to this Plan. In accordance with the RESTORE Act, the Council will review and update the entire Plan at least every five years. The Council will continue its work to implement the RESTORE Act. The Council recognizes that some of these steps will be addressed in the near-term, while others may be more appropriately addressed as the processes of the Council evolve. The Council envisions the following next steps:  Update the Council’s website, www.restorethegulf.gov, to enhance public and tribal engagement in the Council’s decision-making processes.  Continue and enhance coordination, as appropriate, with partners in Gulf Coast restoration, including NRDA and NFWF.  Consider the most effective means of ensuring that the Council’s decisions are based on the best available science, including formation of a scientific advisory committee or some other vehicle to inform its decisions and facilitate coordination across various Gulf restoration efforts. Given the current uncertainty surrounding the amount and timing of funding for Council activities, the Council has not yet settled on the specific advisory and coordination model. However, the Council is firmly committed to science-based decision-making as well as coordinating scientific efforts with its key partners including the NOAA Science Program; the Centers of Excellence established in each State; NRDA; NFWF; and the many other efforts throughout the region.  The Council remains committed to active and meaningful public engagement and to that end, the Council will create a public engagement structure that reflects the richness and diversity of Gulf Coast communities. The Council will take steps to create a public engagement structure, though the precise nature and role of such a structure are still under consideration. The Council anticipates making additional announcements regarding this important effort in the near future. GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL 21 Packet Pg. 568  INITIAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN  Develop regulations establishing the Oil Spill Restoration Impact Allocation formula and provide further guidance on the process of reviewing, evaluating and funding State Expenditure Plans.  Release a schedule for the submittal of proposals from Council Members and develop a proposal solicitation and evaluation process to effectively evaluate projects and programs based on the Priority Criteria set forth in the Act.  Publish for public review and comment a Draft Funded Priorities List, which will identify the projects and programs the Council intends to prioritize for funding. The Council will carefully review public comments, make any appropriate changes, and finalize the List. Once finalized, the List will serve as the basis for allocating funds under the Council- Selected Restoration Component.  Once there is more certainty regarding ongoing litigation, publish a Draft Ten-Year Funding Strategy (i.e., a description of the manner in which the Council will allocate amounts from the Trust Fund that are projected to be available to the Council for the next ten years) as an addendum to the Comprehensive Plan. The public will have an opportunity to review and comment on the Draft Ten-Year Funding Strategy before it is finalized. GULF COAST ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION COUNCIL 22 Packet Pg. 569