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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, will be 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 March 31, 2016, a Pinellas County Direct Component fund allocation of $1,800,498.81 is available for projects. View the current Trust Fund allocations for each of the five Gulf Coast states including the 23 Florida counties.

 

A BP settlement was proposed July 2, 2015 and approved April 5, 2016. The agreementwill result in an additional Pinellas County’s Direct Component allocation of $8.5 million spread out in annual payments over 15 years. Annual payments into the Trust Fund would begin 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:

 

• Proposals Submitted by February 6, 2015
• Pinellas County Multiyear Implementation Plan

After 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 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 03/14/016
• Coastal Ocean Monitoring & Prediction System (COMPS), by USF College of Marine Science, $233,934, submitted 02/20/2016
• A Very High Resolution Estuary Circulation Nowcast/Forecast Model for Tampa Bay & Vicinity, by USF College of Marine Science, $479,493, submitted 02/28/2016
• Ft. De Soto Park Dune Walkovers, by Pinellas County Office of Management & Budget, $534,894, submitted 01/29/2016.

 

The Treasury estimates a 90-120 day duration to review and approve each application and develop each grant agreement. 

 

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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, assisted county staff in developing the initial Multiyear Implementation Plan.

 

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 and may be requested to reconvene when enough unencumbered Pinellas County dollars are available in the Trust Fund to revise the Multiyear Implementation Plan 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:

• Project Ideas
• Participant List
  
• Charter
  
• TBRPC Economic Analyses
• Project Selection & Ranking Criteria

Other Documents of Interest:

• Letter to Gulf State Governors

Resource Links:

• BP Oil Spill Lawsuits & Legal Issues
  
• County Comprehensive Plan
• Direct Component Guidance 08/2014
• FDEP – About RESTORE Act
• Florida Gulf Consortium
• Gulf Restoration Council
• Interim Final Treasury Rule 08/15/14
• NFWF Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund
• TBRPC RESTORE Act
• U.S. Dept. of Treasury RESTORE Act

 

Past Meetings:
Working Group Meetings:	Subcommittee Meetings:
May 27, 2015 Agenda Summary October 22, 2014 Agenda Handouts Summary May 28, 2014 Agenda Handouts Handouts-rules Summary April 23, 2014 Agenda Handouts Summary March 5, 2014 Agenda Handout Summary February 5, 2014 Agenda Handout Summary January 8, 2014 Agenda Handout Summary	March 23, 2015 Summary March 16, 2015 Summary April 2, 2014 Summary March 19, 2014 Summary

 

 

 

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