October 2011
Restore America's Estuaries Applauds Preliminary Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy
WASHINGTON--Restore America's Estuaries applauded the release yesterday of the first comprehensive framework for restoring the environmental, economic, and societal health of the Gulf of Mexico region.
The report, issued by the EPA, comes after more than a year's worth of meetings that gathered input from residents and users of the Gulf region on how to best move forward to restore the Gulf of Mexico. The strategy builds on the ongoing work, recommendations, and priorities of the Gulf Coast states, local communities, federal partners, academics, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
The restoration framework contains four overarching goals designed to guide the collective actions at the local, state and federal levels to restore the health of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem: restore and conserve habitat, restore water quality, replenish and protect living coastal and marine resources, and enhance community resilience. Each goal identifies a series of actions necessary to begin the restoration process.
"It's clear the Task Force took the time to listen to the local individuals and the organizations that best know the Gulf," said Jeff Benoit, President of Restore America's Estuaries. "This preliminary strategy hits the mark on the key actions needed to return the Gulf to its full, sustainable potential. I'm particularly pleased to see clear recognition that restoring critical coastal habitats is considered essential to maintaining healthy recreational and commercial fisheries, and creating local jobs--a real win-win for us all."
Restore America's Estuaries looks forward to continued work with the Task Force as the Gulf Strategy is further refined, finalized, and ultimately implemented," added Benoit.
Restore America's Estuaries is a national alliance of 11 regional, coastal conservation organizations with more than 250,000 volunteer-members dedicated to preserving our nation's estuaries. RAE members include: American Littoral Society, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Conservation Law Foundation, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Galveston Bay Foundation, North Carolina Coastal Federation, People For Puget Sound, Save The Bay-Narragansett Bay, Save The Bay-San Francisco, Save the Sound, a program of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, and Tampa Bay Watch.