RESTORE Act
In anticipation of receipt of funds through the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund, Pinellas County requested and received ideas (beginning July 2014) and proposals for projects (November 6, 2014 to February 6, 2015) within the County and/or its adjacent bay, coastal, and Gulf waters that will benefit the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. The federal funding stems from Clean Water Act civil fines and penalties related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Note: Pinellas County is no longer accepting project proposals or project ideas until further notice.
This funding allocation, known as the Direct Component fund, is being used by the 23 Florida Gulf coastal counties to restore the environment and economy of the Gulf above and beyond the environmental and economic impacts associated with the oil spill. These funds will be allocated directly to Florida counties, including Pinellas. As of October 1, 2017, the Pinellas County Direct Component fund gross allocation of $2,401,470 is available for projects. The current Trust Fund allocations can be viewed for each of the five Gulf Coast states, including the 23 Florida counties.
A BP settlement was approved April 5, 2016. The agreement will result in an additional Pinellas County Direct Component allocation of about $8.5 million spread out in annual payments over 15 years. Annual payments into the Trust Fund began April 2017.
Multiyear Implementation Plan and Project-Specific Grant Applications:
After completing a project review and ranking process, the 4 top ranked projects of the 17 project proposals submitted were chosen for inclusion in the Multiyear Implementation Plan (MYIP). On October 1, 2015, the County submitted its MYIP to the U.S. Treasury for their review. Project proposals submitted and the MYIP can be reviewed at the links below:
After the U.S. Treasury approved the MYIP in November 2015, funding applications for each of four projects proposed in the MYIP were submitted to the U.S. Treasury in early 2016, then issued and executed in 2016 as shown below.
- Pinellas County Assessment of Vulnerability to the Impacts of Sea Level Rise & Infrastructure Resiliency Plan, by Pinellas County Planning Dept, $300,000, submitted 3/14/2016, issued 9/01/2016, executed 10/06/2016. Grant Award
- Coastal Ocean Monitoring & Prediction System (COMPS), by USF College of Marine Science, $233,934, submitted 2/20/2016, issued 6/16/2016, executed 8/01/2016. Grant Award
- A Very High Resolution Estuary Circulation Nowcast/Forecast Model for Tampa Bay & Vicinity, by USF College of Marine Science, $479,493, submitted 2/28/2016, issued 8/18/2016, executed 9/30/2016. Grant Award
- Ft. De Soto Park Dune Walkovers, by Pinellas County Office of Management & Budget, $534,894, submitted 1/29/2016, issued 10/26/2016, executed 12/06/2016. Grant Award
Pinellas County RESTORE Act Working Group
The Pinellas County Working Group consisted of 16-17 individuals from academia, non-profits, city government, public utilities, environmental agencies, and seafood-related businesses. The Working Group assisted county staff in developing the initial MYIP.
The Working Group held its first meeting with county staff on January 8, 2014, and met regularly (seven times) through May 2014. The project selection and ranking process, developed with assistance from the Working Group, was approved by the Board of County Commissioners on May 20, 2014.
The Working Group is not active at this time but may be requested to reconvene when enough unencumbered Pinellas County dollars are available in the Trust Fund to revise the MYIP with additional projects.
Location of Meetings:
- Working Group Meetings (unless noticed otherwise)
22211 US Highway 19, Building #1 - 2nd floor, room A230- Upcoming meeting: Not Active
- Past Meetings
- Subcommittee Meeting
Location: 22211 US Hwy 19, Building #6 Conference Room
Topic: Project Selection/Ranking Process- Upcoming meetings: Not Active
- Past Meetings
RESTORE Working Group Documents:
Other Documents of Interest:
RESTORE Act Spill Impact Component to Develop a Florida State Expenditure Plan
The Gulf Consortium is a public entity created in October 2012 by Inter-local Agreement among Florida's 23 Gulf Coast counties, from Escambia County in the western panhandle of Florida to Monroe County on the southern tip of Florida and the United States.
Florida’s 23 Gulf Coast Counties formed the Consortium to meet requirements of the RESTORE Act to develop a State Expenditure Plan for economic and environmental recovery of the Gulf coast in Florida following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The RESTORE Act was passed by the Congress on June 29, 2012 and signed into law on July 6, 2012 by the President.
- Florida Gulf Consortium
- Comment Period on Standup State Expenditure Plan Closes January 19, 2018.
- On January 11, 2018, the Gulf Consortium approved the Draft State Expenditure Plan for public and agency review.
- A Public meeting is scheduled for January 23, 2018 at 6:30PM Conference Rooms A&B on the 26th Floor of the County Center 601 E Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33602
- The deadline for comments and information on web-based public meetings is available on the main Florida Gulf Consortium link above.
Resource Links: 
- Ocean Conservancy Deepwater Horizon Flowchart
- County Comprehensive Plan
- Direct Component Guidance 08/2014
- FDEP – About RESTORE Act
- Gulf Restoration Council
- Interim Final Treasury Rule 08/15/14
- NFWF Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund
- U.S. Dept. of Treasury RESTORE Act
Past Meetings: |
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| Working Group Meetings: |
Subcommittee Meetings: |
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