EPA Chief, DOI Secretary, CEQ Chair Lead Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Public Meeting (HQ)
WASHINGTON — U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, joined by U.S.
Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Council on
Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley, convened an official
meeting of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force on
Monday in Galveston, TX. This was the fifth public meeting of the
task force, which was created by President Obama by executive order
to develop a comprehensive restoration strategy for the Gulf of
Mexico. The meeting was followed by
public listening sessions. Jackson, Salazar and Sutley spoke to
attendees about the ongoing Administration-wide effort to address
critical recovery issues in the Gulf.
During the public meeting, the task force discussed the strategy
under development to support the conservation and restoration of
resilient and healthy ecosystems in the Gulf. They also
discussed how to gauge the progress of
restoration efforts, and addressed ongoing public engagement
efforts and international coordination.
“The meetings of the Gulf Coast
Ecosystem Restoration Task Force allow us to bring the communities
together and talk about restoring and protecting the waters that
affect the health of the people, the vitality of the economy and
the way of life for millions of coastal residents. This Task Force
is an opportunity for us to come together and harness all of the
work, thinking and studying that has been done to address the
challenges facing these waters.” said EPA Administrator Lisa
P. Jackson. “We want to hear from the people who know this
area best and talk about how we rebuild the ecosystem, support the
local economy and ensure a cleaner Gulf for our children and
grandchildren.”
"Through the Taskforce we want to ensure
that the priorities of coastal communities guide Gulf Coast
restoration every step of the way," said Secretary of the Interior
Ken Salazar. "With our shared goal of healthier coastlines,
wetlands, wildlife, and other natural resources, we can develop a
long-term ecosystem restoration strategy that will benefit future
generations to come.
"Through collaboration among Federal, State and local partners, we
are enlisting the input of Gulf Coast residents to restore the
health this region's ecosystem which is essential to the strength
and vitality of the Gulf Coast and our nation's culture,
environment and economy," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White
House Council on Environmental Quality.
Jackson, a native of New Orleans, chairs
the Gulf Coast Restoration Task Force which is comprised of lead officials from the five Gulf states
appointed by the President at the recommendation of each Governor,
and 11 Federal agencies and White House offices.
The President created the task force on October 5, 2010 and charged
it with development of an ecosystem restoration strategy that
furthers the administration's ongoing commitment to the Gulf
region.
Recent events such as hurricanes and the
BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill have added to the ecological decline
of the area, making communities, infrastructure, ports and other
resources vulnerable. Gulf-wide ecosystem restoration is imperative
to address longstanding concerns and move toward a more resilient
Gulf Coast ecosystem.
The task force works to integrate federal
restoration efforts with those of local stakeholders and state and
tribal governments, and to facilitate accountability and support
throughout the restoration process. View the President’s
executive order:
www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/10/05/executive-order-gulf-coast-ecosystem-restoration-task-force.
More information on the task force: https://archive.epa.gov/gulfcoasttaskforce/web/html/
To receive automatic updates, email the
task force at
[email protected]