Sarasota County selects $900,000 in projects for federal funding

In preparation for receiving $1 million in federal settlement money from the BP oil spill, Sarasota County has submitted three projects to the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program for review. 

It’s been almost five years since the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Congress passed the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourism Opportunities and Revived Economy (RESTORE) Act to structure the disbursement of civil penalty funds from the spill to the federal, state and local levels.

Transocean Deepwater Inc., a drilling subcontractor for BP, settled out of court in 2013. Thanks to the RESTORE Act, a little more than $1 million from the settlement will be available to Sarasota County.

Sarasota County commissioners considered multiple options during their November 17 meeting. Laird Wreford, coastal initiatives manager for the county, updated the board on the process to receive the money and how it could be used. Although the funds are available this month, the county had to submit a strategic plan and outline projects for the money.

Wreford told commissioners via email that the county submitted its project plans March 18 for three projects related to Sarasota Bay Estuary Program:

• $500,000 — Sarasota Bay Urban Low-Impact Development implementation program. The funding would assist the city of Sarasota in the restoration and green infrastructure development of a trail system at the North Water Tower Park. 

• $250,000 — North and South Lido Park Restoration. Funding would go toward construction of a 0.85 mile recreational trail to connect the nature parks with educational signage and boardwalks over Sarasota Bay wetlands and surface water.

• $150,000 — Palmer Point Park environmental restoration. Funding would help remove exotic and invasive species and restore the mangrove ares in the piece of land connecting Siesta and Casey Keys.