Bkt 2/FPL 3b Approval – $79 million in Funding Approved for Texas

The RESTORE Council approved $302 million in Bkt 2 grants for programs and projects in the Funded Priority List (FPL) 3b. With this approval, Texas is expected to receive approximately $79 million over the next several years to support projects addressing four Texas programs in the approved FPL 3b list.

• Texas Land Acquisition Program for Coastal Conservation at $24.3 million
  The program will acquire large, high-quality coastal zone properties in Texas. The selected locations will offer the greatest value to the coastal environment. Targeted habitats will include urban green corridors, riparian, prairie, and other uplands, as well as wooded wetlands.
• Shoreline Protection Through Living Shorelines at $12.25 million
  The program will support the construction of large-scale living shorelines that will enhance the resiliency of coastal Texas through stabilization. This program is also intended to enhance ecosystem function by creating hard structure habitats for fish and oysters, removing excess nutrients and sediments, providing seagrass protection, and improving water quality.
• Texas Coastal Water Quality at $22.5 million
  This program aims to restore water quality and freshwater inflows on the Texas coast using a variety of methods. These methods could include (1) implementation of best management practices (BMPs), (2) the repair and enhancement of drainage channels and outfalls, and (3) the construction of living shoreline features to reduce erosion.
• The Chenier Plain Ecosystem Restoration Program at $20 million
  This program intends to restore and conserve high-quality coastal habitats within the Chenier Plain complex of Texas. Activities could include (1) beneficial use of dredge material, (2) the construction of breakwaters to protect shoreline, and (3) the restoration of hydrology and wetlands.

For the next step in securing the programmatic grant funds, TCEQ will submit applications for the four FPL 3b approved Texas programs. The selection of projects to receive funds through each of the program grant awards will be made at a later date. The process to select projects will include the requirement that projects will have to have been already vetted through Texas’ prior efforts to develop the RESTORE Council 2019 Planning Framework or through other public processes. Projects that were posted for public comment in September 2019 will be considered for grant funds.

The criteria to select the specific projects will include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) addresses issues presented in the program proposal; (2) amounts of funds available for the program; (3) readiness; (4) leveraging opportunities; (5) scalability; (6) risk-benefit ratio; and (7) distribution of funds across the Texas coastline.

Notification of the projects selected will be posted on the Texas RESTORE website at the appropriate time. Continue to visit this website for updates.

Also included in the $302 million is approximately $2.7 million for programs in Texas that will be spent by two federal agencies, Department of Interior (DOI) and U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC).

• The Gulf of Mexico Coast Conservation Corps Program, sponsored by DOC/(NOAA).
• Wind Tidal Flat Restoration Pilot, sponsored by (DOI)
  This pilot project will lead to the restoration of and improved resiliency for 5 acres of wind-tidal flat habitat on Padre Island National Seashore, Texas.

Additional information on the RESTORE Council-approved FPL 3b doc can be accessed at the RESTORE Council’s website, https://www.restorethegulf.gov

A press release was issued by TCEQ.