On Nov. 17, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced nearly $100 million in grants from its Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (Gulf Fund) to 25 projects in the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The projects, developed in consultation with state and federal resource agencies, are designed to remedy and reduce the risk of future harm to natural resources affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The announcement represents the second obligation of funds available to support projects in each state from the payments received thus far by the Gulf Fund. To date, the fund has received $511 million, and has obligated $390 million, or more than 75% of available dollars. Provisions within agreements between the U.S. Department of Justice, BP, and Transocean direct a total of $2.54 billion to NFWF over a 5-year period to be used to support projects that remedy harm to natural resources in the Gulf States.

Under the allocation formula and other provisions contained in the plea agreements, the Gulf Fund will receive a total of roughly $1.2 billion for barrier island and river diversion projects in Louisiana, in addition to roughly $356 million each for projects in the states of Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi, and $203 million for projects in Texas. Read more.