Gulf Coast Restoration Advisory Board Meeting
The Gulf Coast Restoration Fund Advisory Board met today as the group continues to accept applications for projects to be funded through the BP Oil Spill settlement with the state.
The fund was set up back in September of last year after Mississippi lawmakers passed legislation clearing the way for funds from the 2015 BP Oil Spill settlement to be allocated to worthy projects.
The advisory board began accepting applications on June 3rd. In total there are currently 23 active applicants for the funding.
After the applications are submitted, the Mississippi Development Authority will review and score all applications received and will present them to the state legislature by December 2nd of this year.
The state legislation set up 15 criteria for the funding and the board says that criteria is exactly how applications will be scored, meaning the more legislative criteria you meet the higher the score and the more likely your project receives funding. GCRF Advisory Board Chairman Ashley Edwards said, “Well, it’s a tremendous opportunity for the Gulf Coast, a really historic opportunity because we have more than 500 million dollars that will ultimately be spent in Mississippi as a result of this. It allows us to create catalytic projects that can really take the Coast forward into the next generation. You know, there are folks in the six coastal counties of Mississippi that can be eligible for this funding and so we look forward to seeing the types of ideas that will be submitted.”
Prospective applications can find the portal at www.mississippi.org/gcrf. The board will continue to accept applications until the deadline on August 2nd.
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