U.S. plans $328 million ecosystem restoration effort in 5 Gulf states

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday announced a new 3-year, $328 million plan to improve improve water quality and help restore coastal ecosystems in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The new effort will help determine the direction of USDA conservation efforts on private lands in certain areas of the Gulf of Mexico region.

Through the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, or RESTORE Council, the USDA will work with landowners and other federal agencies in the five Gulf States.

The effort will include a USDA initiative to help farmers make conservation improvements on 3.2 million acres of land through 2018.

Robert Bonnie, the USDA’s Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, announced the new plan today from a forest near Carriere, Mississippi.

“We're working side-by-side with farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to improve their operations while taking care of natural resources in the region," Bonnie said. "With most of the land in the region privately owned, working lands on the Gulf Coast are pivotal to the region's recovery."

This story was originally published September 19, 2016 at 5:24 PM with the headline "U.S. plans $328 million ecosystem restoration effort in 5 Gulf states."