Governor Reeves announces approval of Mississippi RESTORE projects

Projects will improve the Gulf Coast’s water quality and enhance coastal habitats.

• Coastal Nearshore Habitat Restoration and Development Program in Mississippi ($34.6 million) — this program will restore and conserve habitat through activities to create, restore, and enhance coastal habitat, including marsh, beach, and dunes through the dedicated sourcing of materials. Program activities include planning, engineering and design, and construction of habitat in the three coastal counties of Mississippi, and builds off work funded by the plan as well as National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund projects. Read more here.
• Water Quality Improvement Program for Coastal Mississippi Waters ($34.25 million) — this program’s goal is to restore water quality and quantity on the Mississippi Gulf Coast through the identification and implementation of water quality improvement projects. Program activities include planning, engineering and design, septic-to-sewer conversion, implementation of new stormwater and wastewater systems, and repairing/upgrading existing stormwater and wastewater systems. This program would be coordinated with water quality improvement efforts under other funding streams to maximize effectiveness. Read more here.

• Gulf of Mexico Coast Conservation Corps (GulfCorps) Program ($11.9 million) — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will use the funding to implement the Gulf of Mexico Coast Conservation Corps (GulfCorps) Program for an additional four years. GulfCorps organizations in each Gulf state will recruit, train, employ and help to inspire hundreds of young adults to produce habitat restoration benefits and become the Gulf of Mexico’s future restoration workforce.
• Enhancing Gulf Waters through Forested Watershed Restoration ($23 million) — the U.S. Department of Agriculture will use the funding for the Enhancing Gulf Waters through Forested Watershed Restoration program to provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners and communities in watersheds where forest resources are instrumental to the health of the Gulf. A coordinated cross-boundary effort will be led by state forestry agencies in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi, leveraging the funding and activities of other organizations.
• Gulf Coast Conservation Reserve Program ($3.1 million) – additional funding for the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Gulf Coast Conservation Reserve Program (GCCRP). NRCS is currently implementing the program in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida for the purpose of protecting and restoring critical wildlife habitat and improving water quality through the development of wildlife habitat, conservation, and forest management plans.
• Tribal Youth Coastal Restoration Program ($927,000) — The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs will fund the Tribal Youth Coastal Restoration Program for the following federally-recognized tribes: Chitimacha Tribe, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Seminole Tribe of Florida, and Miccosukee Indian Tribe, and will add the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana. Tribes will create projects to protect natural resources and the environment, and maintain a healthy ecosystem, while learning cultural values. These training projects should restore 1,000 acres of habitat on Tribal lands.