NEW ORLEANS – The Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) has
awarded two Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) grants totaling
$150,000 to the State of Mississippi for projects to conserve and
protect critical seagrass beds within the Gulf Islands National
Seashore (GINS) and educate citizens on reforestation issues along
the Gulf Coast.
Created by the Energy Policy Act of
2005, CIAP provides funding to the six Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
oil and gas producing states to conserve and protect the coastal
environment. CIAP is an ongoing program with grant funding that is
allocated based on the offshore energy revenues collected by the
United States.
“BOEMRE will continue to support
essential conservation, preservation and education initiatives, such
as these two projects, in Mississippi’s coastal communities,” said
BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich. “This funding enables us to
help state and coastal communities analyze sensitive ecosystems and
educate the public on vital initiatives to revitalize Gulf Coast
habitats.”
The first grant will provide $100,000
for the Mississippi Sound Sea Grass Project, an initial mapping of
critical seagrass areas, and the mapping and marking of existing
natural and constructed channels, including islands adjacent to the
GINS. Grant funding will also support a public outreach and
awareness campaign, including signage materials to promote
recreational boating that would be considered compatible in these
sensitive areas. The grant will also help support a monitoring
program and the production of a final report on the overall
condition of seagrass beds within the project boundaries.
The project area is located within
the Mississippi Sound, north of Ship, Horn and Petit Bois Islands
within the management boundary of the GINS in Harrison, Hancock and
Jackson Counties.
The second grant will provide $50,000
for public educational outreach materials regarding tree
maintenance, storm resistant tree species and reforestation to
assist in the recovery, rebuilding and sustainability of Gulf Coast
forest habitats.
CIAP will receive $250 million in
appropriated funds for each of the Fiscal Years 2007-2010 to be
disbursed to six eligible OCS oil- and gas-producing states –
Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana, and Texas.