On April 18, 2012, the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees announced the finalization of the Phase I Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (Phase I ERP/EA). The Phase I ERP/EA is the first early restoration plan under the unprecedented April 2011 agreement with BP to fund $1 billion in early restoration projects. The funding enables the trustees to begin restoration before the completion of damage assessment activities.

The Phase I ERP/EA includes eight projects, two each in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. The projects are intended to provide services that will benefit impacted marshes, coastal dune habitats, nearshore habitats, oysters and human uses (such as beachgoing and fishing).

Project Title	Estimated Cost*
Lake Hermitage Marsh Creation - NRDA Early Restoration Project	$14,400,000
Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project	$15,582,600
Mississippi Oyster Cultch Restoration	$11,000,000
Mississippi Artificial Reef Habitat	$2,600,000
Marsh Island (Portersville Bay, AL) Marsh Creation	$11,280,000
Alabama Dune Restoration Cooperative Project	$1,480,000
Florida Boat Ramp Enhancement Construction	$5,067,255
Florida (Pensacola Beach) Dune Restoration	$644,487
Total Estimated Cost for Phase I Projects	$62,054,342
*Actual costs may differ depending on future contingencies, but will not exceed the amount shown without further agreement between the trustees and BP.

The trustees are working to move forward with additional early restoration projects and plans. The selection process for future early restoration projects will proceed along the same lines as the first. The trustees continue to seek public input on potential restoration ideas and will seek public comments before finalizing any future restoration plans.

 Download this document

Download the proposed Louisiana project fact sheets:

• Lake Hermitage Marsh Creation – NRDA Early Restoration Project
• Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project

On December 14, 2011, the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees released the Deepwater Horizon Draft Phase I Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (DERP/EA) for public input and suggestions. It is the first in an anticipated series of plans to begin restoration for injuries to natural resources and services resulting from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and related response activities undertaken to prevent, minimize, or remediate oiling. The DERP/EA describes the initial projects proposed to receive funding from the $1 billion Early Restoration agreement announced by the Trustees and BP on April 21, 2011. 

The DERP/EA describes eight proposed projects for the initial round of Early Restoration, two each in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. These projects reflect the ideas and input received by the Trustees through project solicitation and outreach efforts. The proposed projects include shoreline marsh creation, coastal dune habitat restoration, nearshore artificial reef creation, oyster cultch restoration and construction of four boat ramp facilities. The total estimated cost of the proposed Phase I projects is approximately $57 million.

Twelve public meetings are being held Gulf-wide to provide an opportunity for the public to submit comments regarding the DERP/EA.  Visit our calendar  for a list of meeting dates and locations in Louisiana.

Public Comment Period: 12/14/2011 – 2/14/2012

 Download this document

Download the proposed Louisiana project fact sheets:

• Lake Hermitage Additional Increment - (Lake Hermitage Marsh Creation – NRDA Early Restoration Project)
• Oyster Reestablishment Program (Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project)