The Spill Impact Component of the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act) provides funding to the five Gulf Coast states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas) for ecosystem restoration, economic recovery, and tourism promotion in the Gulf Coast region. RESTORE Council oversees the Spill Impact Component, commonly referred to as “Bucket 3”.
Bucket 3 funds are allocated among the Gulf states according to a formula in the RESTORE Council’s December 9, 2015, Spill Impact Component Final Regulation (Vietnamese Translation). To access Bucket 3 funds, each state must first have an approved State Expenditure Plan (SEP). The RESTORE Act lists the types of activities that can be contained in a SEP, including but not limited to planning, ecosystem restoration, tourism promotion, and to a limited extent, infrastructure projects such as flood protection.
States can use up to 5% of their Bucket 3 allocations for planning activities needed to develop their respective SEPs. To access these planning funds, the state must first have an approved Planning SEP. Upon approval of a SEP or Planning SEP, the state then applies to the RESTORE Council for grants for activities in the approved plan.
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Bucket 3 (Spill Impact Component) proposed and approved SEPs