Through the NRDA early restoration process, NFWF settlement funds, and the RESTORE Act, the five Gulf States are already slated to receive billions of dollars for restoration and recovery. Additional funds will become available as the processes continue. Altogether, the restoration funding presents a significant opportunity to achieve meaningful, sustainable ecological restoration in the region.
The Building Bridges—Federal Programs assessment focuses on the opportunity to use RESTORE Act monies to leverage other federal funds through the nonfederal match provisions, focusing on environmental grant programs for states and their political subdivisions, along with programs that involve public-private partnerships. Grants solely to private individuals, those that likely fall outside RESTORE Act-eligible activities, and those that are designated purely for implementation of federal regulatory schemes (such as the Clean Air Act) are omitted.