The Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunity and Revived Economies of the Gulf State (RESTORE Act) was created following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, which caused extensive environmental and economic damage to five states in the US Gulf Coast, including Florida. The RESTORE Act directed assessed penalties to the impacted states under several categories administered at Federal, State and Local levels.
The RESTORE Act is divided into 5 Components also known as "Pots".
Components are as follows:
1. Direct Component or Pot 1 (Counties are eligible for funding)
2. Comprehensive Plan Component or Pot 2
3. Spill Impact Component or Pot 3 (Counties are eligible for funding)
4. NOAA Science Program Pot 4
5. Centers of Excellence Pot 5
Direct Component (Pot 1)
Manatee County is eligible to apply for a total of $6,332,370 distributed over a 15 year period under this Pot of funding , which is federally administered by the US Department of the Treasury. Of the eleven categories of eligible activities under the Direct Component , Manatee County (through public information sessions and comment period and Board of County Commissioner approval) selected representative projects in four categories, with the option to add a fifth project.
The US Department of the Treasury approved the following version of the initial Multiyear Implementation Plan (MYIP) on December 11, 2017. Manatee County intends to submit future amendments (or phases, etc.) to its multiyear plan. On January 11, 2022, the Board of County Commissioners approved the proposed amendments to the Multiyear Implementation Plan (MYIP), which provides for a moderate change to the Florida Maritime Museum project description, budget, and timeline.
Spill Impact Component (Pot 3)
Manatee County is eligible to apply for a total of $12,660,000 distributed over a 15 year period under this Pot of funding , which is administered for all 23 Gulf Coast Counties in Florida by the Gulf Consortium.
The initial State Expenditure Plan was approved in June 2018. Projects were chosen for each county based on the same criteria as Pot 1. For more information on Manatee County's Gulf Consortium administered funding breakdown and estimated timeline see HERE.
As of December 2019, Manatee County has been awarded three projects from the Pot 1 funding. A grants handbook was developed for guidance of standardized procedures in the management of RESTORE Act awards.
The Story behind Manatee County's RESTORE Projects
Projects were open for public comment and review for over 45 days, were subsequently approved by the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners, and the Multiyear Implementation Plan was submitted to the US Department of Treasury reviewed and approved in December 2017.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROJECTS
"We owe it to the memory of the eleven lives lost in the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and the untold environmental damages which followed to commit to building a resilient Gulf and understand the connections between a healthy environment and a healthy economy."
— Charlie Hunsicker, Director, Manatee County Natural Resources Dept.