Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Strategy For Public Review

The preliminary strategy is the first effort of its kind to be developed with the involvement of parties throughout the region, including the states, tribes, federal agencies, local governments and thousands of interested citizens and organisations. The plan strategy, which builds upon on-going efforts underway in the Gulf Coast states includes specific steps for on-the-ground action and represents the Task Force's commitment to putting Gulf coastal restoration on an equal footing with other national priorities.

The natural resources of the Gulf's ecosystem are vital to many of the region's industries that directly support economic progress and job creation, including tourism and recreation, seafood production and sales, energy production and navigation and commerce. Among the major initiatives with specific actions recommended by the preliminary strategy to protect and restore those natural resources are Stopping the Loss of Wetlands, Reducing the Flow of Nutrients into the Gulf and Enhancing Resiliency Among Coastal Communities.
 
The strategy calls for enhancing the quality of life of Gulf residents by working in partnership with Gulf with coastal communities themselves, the living laboratories for facing the challenges posed. The strategy specifically recommends working with each of the States to build the integrated capacity needed through effective coastal improvement plans to better secure the future of their coastal communities and to implement existing efforts underway.
 
The Task Force will also begin immediately reviewing existing policies, programs and regulations that are slowing down restoration progress, particularly in the habitat restoration area and explore innovative ways to implement restoration, measure success and support the restoration with science.

This preliminary strategy was developed following more than 40 public meetings throughout the Gulf to listen to the concerns of the public. It is available to the public for review and feedback at www.epa.gov/gulfcoasttaskforce, until 26^th October 2011, 11:59PM EST. The Task Force will release the final version in December 2011.