The Agriculture Department and a congressionally created foundation will put up to $100 million into restoration of wetlands, farmland and waterways damaged by the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster of 2010. “The new partnership will significantly expand conservation efforts with private landowners and operators who might not otherwise be eligible to participate in existing recovery programs,” said a USDA announcement. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation received $2.5 billion from settlements in the Deepwater case, with the funds to go to projects benefiting natural resources that were degraded by the spill.
NFWF and USDA each put $20 million into the partnership, with additional commitments of $30 million apiece possible over the next four years. The states covered by the project are Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. During a tele-conference, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he hoped other groups would join the project.