Justice for Gulf Coast Birds

On August 23, the blueprint for repairing the damage to the Gulf Coast from the BP oil spill was released. Years in the making, the Comprehensive Plan will guide the development of large-scale restoration projects across the Gulf of Mexico. The Plan marks a significant step forward, but more work is needed to make it as strong as possible.                                           

In the aftermath of the disaster, studies suggest the BP oil spill killed more than one million birds. This region and its wildlife will continue to feel the impacts from the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history for decades to come. Thanks to tens of thousands of Audubon supporters, BP’s penalty fines are going towards repairing the damage from the spill by restoring and creating much-needed habitat for the birds and wildlife that depend on it.

As a result of the BP settlement, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration (RESTORE) Council will administer more than two billion dollars in recovery and restoration funds over the coming years. The draft Comprehensive Plan released in August sets the table for how large restoration projects will be developed, designed, funded, and implemented across the Gulf of Mexico.

Audubon experts are pleased with the plan, but see some room for improvement in creating a collaborative and science-based approach to large-scale restoration. The most effective restoration can only be achieved by long-term planning and monitoring, and this plan sets up a good process to achieve that.

Over the next month, there will be several public meetings in the region. If you live nearby, we encourage you to attend and weigh in with the RESTORE Council about the importance of this final step in helping the Gulf recover from the largest oil spill in US history. We are asking people nationwide to submit comments to strengthen the plan. If you haven't already, you can send public comments directly to the RESTORE council through our Action Center.