Florida Trustee Group Approves 11 Projects in Restoration Plan 3

Florida wetlands. (Image credit: David Moynahan)

The Florida Trustee Implementation Group has approved the Final Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment: Water Quality (PDF, 258 pages). The plan selects 11 projects for implementation to address the Water Quality Restoration Type at an estimated cost of $111.5 million.

They released the Draft Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment on March 8, 2024, and accepted public comments through April 8, 2024. A public webinar was held on March 27, 2024. Through the public webinar and comment period, the Florida Trustee Implementation Group received and considered a total of ten public comments, which have been summarized in an Appendix in the plan and included in the Administrative Record.

Plan Highlights

All 11 projects proposed as preferred alternatives in the draft plan were selected for implementation in the final plan. This group of projects utilizes a range of techniques to benefit water quality, including detecting pollution sources to identify future restoration priorities, implementing sediment or erosion control measures at unpaved road-stream crossings, retrofitting existing or constructing new stormwater infrastructure, strategic conversion of residential areas from the use of septic tanks to regional utilities, and restoring hydrology in coastal habitats. More information about these selected projects, listed below, can be found in the final plan.

  • Pensacola and Perdido Watersheds Microbial Source Tracking (Planning)
  • Pensacola Bay Unpaved Roads Initiative Phase 2 (Planning)
  • Carpenter Creek Hydrologic Restoration and Stormwater Improvements
  • Hollice T. Williams Stormwater Park
  • Gulf Breeze Septic to Sewer Conversion
  • Santa Rosa County Septic to Sewer Conversion
  • Choctawhatchee Bay Unpaved Roads Initiative
  • Telogia Creek Watershed Water Quality Improvements
  • Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge Hydrologic Restoration Phase 2 (Planning)
  • Bond Farm Hydrologic Enhancement Impoundment
  • Bond Farm Hydrologic Enhancement Southwest Discharge Structure (Planning)

The Final Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment is consistent with the Trustees’ Programmatic Restoration Plan and evaluates projects for restoring natural resources and services injured or lost in Florida as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. On June 28, 2024, the Florida Trustee Implementation Group approved a Finding of No Significant Impact associated with the projects in the Final Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment.

More Information

Final Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment (PDF, 258 pages)

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