“We applaud the Council for recognizing that a truly comprehensive plan requires an integrated vision to leverage investments in ecosystem restoration to build more resilient communities and greater economic opportunity for the working families along the coast, many still impacted by the oil spill,” said Jeffrey Buchanan, Senior Domestic Policy Advisor at Oxfam America. “Gulf Coast communities are facing the inter-related reality of spiking poverty and enormous long-term ecological challenges, and the Council’s vision sets a path for creating new career pathways for struggling, hardworking families connected to projects addressing these environmental needs.”

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council was created under the RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act, legislation signed by the President in July 2012, which will send up to $20 billion in civil fines under the Clean Water Act from the 2010 BP oil spill directly to the Gulf Coast states. The Council is tasked with developing a comprehensive plan to expend funds on critical coastal and marine restoration projects and guide the use of other resources.

“Instead of debating false choices that pit the economy against the environment, the Council is pointing towards a path to make things right in the community and in the environment,” said Patrick Barnes, President of BFA Environmental, a regional environmental engineering firm, and founder of Limitless Vistas, a nonprofit organization preparing New Orleans-area disadvantaged youth for environmental jobs. “We need an integrated comprehensive plan that restores the coast and ensures those projects promote training and real job opportunities to revitalize the local economy and the life of these coastal communities as they adapt to new challenges."

Ecosystem restoration projects create from 17 to 36 jobs for every one million dollars invested. This includes middle skilled, decent wage jobs -- like boat captains, pipefitters, welders, heavy equipment operators, construction inspectors and surveyors -- that low-skilled workers could obtain with access to additional skills training and on-the-job learning opportunities.

“Coastal restoration projects have the opportunity to wrap together both ends of the socioeconomic spectrum in the Gulf Coast as it relates to jobs,” said Elliott Bouillion, CEO of Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), a leading provider of wetland solutions based in Houston, TX and Baton Rouge, LA.  RES operates Louisiana’s largest commercial native plant and coastal grass nursery in Pointe-aux-Chenes, LA. “Under the leadership of the Department of Commerce and the Gulf Coast states, this is a chance to put scientists and engineers to work together with construction and monitoring crews. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in the Gulf environmentally and economically."

In many coastal communities along the Gulf where livelihoods rely on a healthy marine ecosystem, individuals and families have been struggling to survive since the spill in 2010. According to the Census Bureau, coastal counties and parishes across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana (the states closest to the spill site) saw poverty rates jump by as much as 33 percent between 2009 and the most recent post-spill data in 2011.

“As our shrimp, crab and oyster fisheries continue to suffer the impacts from the BP spill, we have seen more and more fishermen fall on hard times, particularly in the Vietnamese community,” said Kaitlin Truong, Chair of Ocean Springs, MS based community development organization Asian Americans for Change. “We need to remember the people of the Gulf, and we look forward to the opportunity to engage the Council to ensure community input is heard as its starts to construct a regional restoration plan that repairs our natural resources and finds new ways to help the most impacted communities access new livelihood opportunities.”

“Through the years our company has seen how investing in the environment can mean jobs for workers and economic growth for local communities,” said Ashley Kerns, vice president of Westlake, LA-based Mike Hooks, Inc. a regional dredging and marine construction firm. “The industry is excited to work with Acting Secretary Blank, the Council, and the Gulf States to execute projects and help create new career opportunities for Gulf Coast workers -- jobs that in many cases, for those willing to work hard and stay with it, can provide working families with good wages and a shot at economic mobility.”

/ENDS

Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in 99 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice. Oxfam America is an affiliate of Oxfam. To join our efforts or learn more, go to www.oxfamamerica.org

Attending the forum were businesses that have specific interests in the new restoration projects, especially dredging, engineering, and construction firms; government agencies that help retrain and locate workers; nonprofits that work in the communities; and conservation organizations that aim to maximize investments in ecosystem restoration projects that protect coastal communities and make them more resilient in the face of hazards.

“The RESTORE Act gives the region a tremendous opportunity to repair and restore the vital and delicate ecosystems that many have relied on for their livelihoods,” said Irit Tamir, Senior Advocacy and Collaborations Advisor for Oxfam. “We see the opportunity to create a whole new market that employs hundreds and thousands of people and injects new life into the communities.”

Oxfam America and The Nature Conservancy presented a new report at the forum entitled “Rebuilding Our Economy, Restoring Our Environment: How the Emerging Restoration Economy Offers New and Expanded Opportunities for Gulf Coast Businesses and Communities.” The report underscores the importance of the Gulf Coast to the country’s environment and economy, and explores the potential of the new restoration economy to employ people, revitalize the economy, and repair vital ecosystems.

"It was tremendously exciting to gather these people from such different arenas, to see how they could assist each other in embarking on new enterprises that benefit the environment and economy of the Gulf Coast,” said Cindy Brown, Gulf of Mexico Program Director for The Nature Conservancy. 

"The business community has always been a tremendous supporter of coastal restoration in our area,” noted Simone Maloz, Executive Director of Restore or Retreat, a regional coastal advocacy group based in Thibodaux, and host of the forum.  “We are pleased to be able to give back in a small way by hosting this forum and providing information about the ways that coastal restoration can help local businesses grow and maximize their investments in this restoration economy.”

The joint report notes that an investment of $1 million dollars in a restoration project generates from 17 to 36 jobs. “That’s a tremendous return on investment,” said Scott Kirkpatrick, President of the Coast Builders Coalition. “And we have further proof that these are good jobs that pay wages that can sustain families. Business owners are invested in the health of our communities, and are eager to use the local workforce where practical.”

“In order for businesses to enter new markets such as the construction of oyster reefs, the flow of funding for ecosystem restoration and management cannot be intermittent or cyclic,” said Dr. Sherwood “Woody” Gagliano, CEO of Coastal Environments, Inc. who presented at the forum. “With the passage of the RESTORE Act, there is an opportunity for long-term, meaningful investment in projects that will not only provide significant benefits to the environment, but also to local workers, businesses, and communities.”

“This is a moment of incredible opportunity,” said Patrick Barnes, President of BFA Environmental and founder of Limitless Vistas, a nonprofit organization preparing New Orleans area disadvantaged youths for environmental jobs. “The money from the oil spill fines gives us a real chance to make things right in the community and in the environment. We can retrain the folks who were displaced, and employ them in repairing the damage. If the game plan to repair the environmental harm does not include making the impacted communities whole through training and real job opportunities, then we would have failed. These projects must help to revitalize the local economy and the life of these communities as they adapt to these challenges.”

Included as part of the surface transportation reauthorization bill passed by the House and Senate, the historic measure will send civil fines – amounting to as much as $20 billion –under the Clean Water Act from the 2010 BP oil spill to the Gulf Coast states for restoring vulnerable communities, ecosystems and local economies.

“The US Congress has created an opportunity for the largest investment in a generation in restoring a nationally important ecosystem, and it’s a huge boost for these communities,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “After decades of environmental degradation, and the one-two punch of Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon disaster, this legislation offers a chance to reduce the risks of some of our most vulnerable coastal communities and create new economic opportunities for low income and disadvantaged working families restoring the coast.”

The language included in the surface transportation bill was based on the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act, a bipartisan bill in the House and Senate to address the region’s economic and ecological challenges. New research from Mather Economics indicates the bill will create as many as 74,000 jobs, including on coastal restoration and protection projects. Oxfam America has been working with community organizations to urge Congress to ensure the bill helps provide jobs and training opportunities in these projects, so struggling families can find good jobs restoring the coast.

“Projects that restore coastal wetlands, barrier islands and oyster reefs can create good jobs -- from welders to boat captains to heavy equipment operators -- while revitalizing our fisheries for future generations,” continued Offenheiser. “We have a chance to put in place policies that support the training, hiring and economic mobility of residents, providing a new pathway out of poverty for struggling fishers and low income workers along the coast, helping to build more resilient coastal communities.”

“We applaud Senators Landrieu, Shelby and Nelson and Representatives Scalise, Palazzo, Bonner, and Richmond for spearheading this effort,” said Offenheiser. “We also thank Senate and House leadership for ensuring the measure emerged from the conference process, and Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Senator Barbara Boxer for her early leadership."

States in the Gulf Coast region have struggled for years with high poverty and low economic mobility, which impair their ability to cope with disasters. Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas regularly rank in the top ten with the worst poverty rates and all five rank among the worst in economic mobility. Poverty is one of the most important factors in determining social vulnerability -- the ability of communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Oxfam America works with local organizations in Mississippi and Louisiana serving socially vulnerable coastal communities, including Zion Travelers Cooperative Center (ZTCC), Bayou Grace Community Services, Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organization (BISCO), Coastal Women for Change (CWC), Asian Americans for Change, GO FISH, Steps Coalition, and Terrebone Readiness & Assistance Coalition (TRAC). All of them contributed greatly to garnering support for the RESTORE Act.

“We thank the Gulf Coast delegation for their work ensuring impacted communities receive vital resources,” said Kaitlyn Troung, Executive Director of Asian Americans for Change in Ocean Springs, MS. “We look forward to working with the states and the federal government to ensure these funds help restore our fisheries for future generations, reduce the risks of our most vulnerable populations, and create new jobs and training opportunities.”

The region has lost 50 percent of its inland and coastal wetlands and oyster reefs. In Louisiana alone, a football field of land disappears into the Gulf every hour. Over the next 20 years, the Gulf is vulnerable to an estimated $300 billion in economic damages from hurricanes and flooding. Investments in oyster reef construction, marsh building, and strengthening living shorelines and barrier islands could help restore damaged ecosystems and reduce vulnerability to hazards.

“The bayous along the Gulf of Mexico have always served as a safety net, helping to employ and feed our families,” said Rebecca Templeton, of Bayou Grace Community Services. “Coastal erosion, sea level rise and now the oil spill are threatening this unique resource. We need to make the best of these funds and repair our coast to protect our communities for future generations.”

/ENDS

Louisiana’s coastal projects are expected to receive a boost from BP Oil Spill resources and funding under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process and the proposed RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act, which is now being considered in the US Congress. The spill and coastal land loss have harmed communities and industries like the fisheries, and these new resources promise to provide new economic opportunities for working families. In the effort to strengthen the coastal economy and support economic development, a diverse coalition of legislators and community groups worked with the Louisiana legislature to pass the “Louisiana First” bill.

“This innovative approach looks beyond the environmental and engineering challenges of Louisiana’s coastal land loss and recovery from the oil spill, focusing on the heart of the problem: the coastal communities and working families at risk,” said Minor Sinclair, US Regional Director of Oxfam America. “The challenge is to tackle the environmental risks while we revitalize the local economy and life of these communities as they adapt. This bill will put people back to work as the Master Plan proceeds, helping ensure the economic vitality of these vulnerable communities.”

Under the law, coastal restoration or protection contractors will outline employment plans once the contract has been awarded. The plan may include such items as types of jobs involved in a project; skill level required; wage information; how the contractor will recruit disadvantaged, low wage and unemployed applicants. The Louisiana Workforce Commission can then use this information to offer better services to employers to line up qualified applicants, or coordinate efforts to begin training workers for available jobs through its local workforce investment boards and partners.

“I'm proud to be part of this landmark legislation which protects jobs for Louisiana residents,” said District 91 State Representative Walter "Walt" J. Leger, III (D-New Orleans) who advocated for the legislation. “This legislation will strengthen our communities by making sure federal disaster dollars that come to Louisiana are spent here, creating real jobs across the entire state.”

“Business owners are invested in the health of our communities, and are eager to use local workforce where practical,” said Scott Kirkpatrick, President of Coast Builders Coalition. “This legislation should improve the interaction between contractors and the Louisiana Workforce Commission.”

New research from Mather Economics this week indicates the RESTORE Act would create as many as 58,000 jobs, including many coastal restoration and protection jobs in Louisiana. The Louisiana First bill will help coastal residents have access to higher than average wages and will create  opportunities for economic mobility in high-growth industries and occupations.

“Louisiana is facing some big problems, but we also have a great opportunity with this money from the RESTORE Act coming along,” said Clint Guidry, President of the Louisiana Shrimp Association. “And this bill helps move us toward so many goals: by employing local people, especially in restoration projects, we revitalize our local economy and preserve our historical fishing communities. We thank Louisiana’s leaders for making this a reality.”

“This is a major victory for the region,” said Telley Madina, Coastal Communities Program Officer for Oxfam America, based in Louisiana. “Louisiana is so often among the last to get resources. Great thanks go to the delegation from the Coast who helped move the legislation along.”

After a disaster strikes, funds flow into the areas affected, but they often fail to reach the people who are the most vulnerable and the neediest. In the effort to strengthen the Gulf economy and support real economic development, a diverse coalition of legislators and community groups has been encouraging the Mississippi legislature to pass the “Jobs First” bill.

“This is a very innovative approach that looks beyond the damaged buildings in a disaster to focus on the heart of the problem,” said Minor Sinclair, US Regional Director of Oxfam America. “We can replace the things that we lose but we need to revitalize a whole economy and the life of a community. This bill puts people back to work, which is vital to putting life back into the area.”

As the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been hit by several natural and man-made disasters in recent years, many people have lost homes, businesses, and jobs. This bill seeks to make sure the resources for restoration reach the right people in time to provide real means to recovery.

“I'm proud to be part of this landmark legislation which protects jobs for Mississippi residents,” said State Sen. Philip Moran (R), District 46, Hancock and Harrison who advocated for the legislation. “This legislation will strengthen our communities by making sure federal disaster dollars that come to Mississippi are spent here, creating real jobs across the entire state.”

Under the law, contractors are required to outline an employment plan in bid submissions for a given public work project. The plan may include such items as types of jobs involved in a project; skill level required; wage information; how the contractor will recruit disadvantaged, low wage and unemployed applicants. The state, through its appointed agency, can use this information to line up qualified workers, or start training workers for available jobs through workforce systems.

“After the oil spill, like after Katrina, we heard that Mississippi contractors were not getting awarded the cleanup contracts,” said Rep. David Baria (D), District 122, Hancock County. “We are committed to restoring the Gulf Coast, and putting Mississippians back to work. This bill is a good step in that direction.”

Oxfam America worked with legislators from the Gulf Coast region and community groups that represent diverse interests and constituencies to bring this law to life. The timing is fortuitous, as the region may soon see an influx of new restoration funds from sources such as the BP oil spill fines, as directed by the RESTORE Act, a federal bill that has passed the House of Representatives and the Senate and is currently in conference.

“As resources for restoring our coast begin to come into Mississippi, such as potential funds from the RESTORE Act, it is so important that local residents have access to opportunities that help our economy grow,” said Roberta Avila, Executive Director of the STEPS Coalition, which brings together nearly 40 local organizations.  “We thank Mississippi’s leaders for making this a reality.”

Kaitlin Troung, Executive Director of Asian Americans for Change, noted the long-lasting effects from the many disasters. “Fishermen and workers along the coast are still hurting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This bill will present an enormous opportunity for the under-employed workers to find new jobs in the restoration economy and recovery of our coast.”

Mississippi, plagued with social as well as environmental vulnerabilities, often ranks toward the bottom of nationwide programs. “It’s great to be first,” said Sen. Sean Tindell (R), District 49, Harrison. “Thanks to this effort, Mississippi is now one of the first states in the union to pass a statewide first source hiring law. It will help to ensure that disaster-impacted communities see long-term economic benefit through an increase in local jobs. This could mean thousands of new job opportunities on state projects.”

“This is a major victory for the region,” said Yumeka Rushing, Gulf Coast Policy Officer for Oxfam America, based in Mississippi. “Mississippi is so often among the last to get resources. Great thanks go to the delegation from the Coast who helped move the legislation along.”

“We thank Rep. Steve Scalise, the Gulf delegation and the leadership of both the House and Senate for making Gulf restoration such a high priority. The time has come to make good on promises to restore the environments of the Gulf region and the communities and economies that rely them,” said a joint statement issued by Oxfam America along with Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, and Ocean Conservancy. “Now we look forward to getting the bill across the finish line in conference, and the President signing RESTORE into law with the final transportation bill.”

The amendment, called the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act, is similar to historic legislation that the full Senate passed last month with strong bipartisan support from 76 senators.

“Oxfam looks forward to working with the people in the hard-hit communities along the Gulf Coast to make best use of these funds to do real restoration work,” said Minor Sinclair, Director, US Regional Office, Oxfam America. “We believe the money can help bring back the vitality of the environment and the economy, put people back to work, and make the communities more resilient. We thank everyone who moved this Act along.”

The Senate's version of the RESTORE Act will ensure that penalties paid by BP and others responsible for the 2010 Gulf oil disaster are used to rebuild the economies of Gulf Coast communities that were impacted by the spill and to restore the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, barrier islands, dunes and coastal wetlands that are the foundation of the Gulf Coast economy.

A nationwide poll of 1,006 likely general election voters conducted by a Democratic firm, Lake Research Partners, and a GOP firm, Bellwether Research and Consulting, showed that the vast majority of U.S. voters (84 percent) believe the Gulf Coast—including the Mississippi River Delta—impacts the nation's economy. Nearly two-thirds of those voters (63 percent) believe this region impacts the economy in their part of the country.

The House bill is crucial to building the momentum and progress towards using penalties paid by BP and others responsible for last year’s Gulf oil disaster to restore the region’s economy, ecology and communities.  The RESTORE Gulf Coast States Act of 2011 was introduced this week and now has 23 other bipartisan leaders as co-sponsors. The New York Times editorial board has also weighed in on the issue, standing firmly behind the efforts. 

“This action by the House, led by Representative Scalise, is yet another critical stage for this important legislation that will help Gulf Coast businesses create thousands of new jobs and restore natural resources that so many depend on for their livelihoods,” said Minor Sinclair, director of Oxfam’s US Regional Office.  “The House introduction of the RESTORE Act combined with Senate action on the bill last month, means the momentum for its passage continues.”

The community groups in the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi working with Oxfam America are Zion Travelers Cooperative Center (ZTCC), Bayou Grace, Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organization (BISCO), Coastal Women for Change (CWC), Steps Coalition, and Terrebone Readiness & Assistance Coalition (TRAC).  All of them have all contributed greatly to garnering support for the RESTORE Act.

The bill has overwhelming public support.  A recent, national survey of likely voters shows 83 percent support a proposal to direct fines paid by BP and other parties responsible for the Gulf oil spill back to the affected areas for restoration and renewal.

“By funding worker training, we can create vital jobs in a tough economy for working families by building the resiliency of our most vulnerable communities and ecosystems. This is a powerful example of how legislators on both sides of the aisle can still work together on big national challenges. Opinion-shapers have taken notice and we hope the U.S. House moves quickly to pass this common sense legislation. We thank Representative Scalise and all the co-sponsors of the bill for pushing this forward,” said Sinclair.

“This is a bipartisan bill which will bring historic investments in increasing the resilience of some of our nation’s communities most vulnerable to natural and man-made disaster along America’s Gulf Coast,” said Minor Sinclair, program director of Oxfam’s US regional office.  “The bill would create potentially tens of thousands of jobs and retrain workers to build new pathways out of poverty for working families, including those whose livelihoods were impacted by the Deepwater Horizon disaster.  We congratulate EPW Chair Sen. Barbara Boxer for the quick action on the bill and hope it will move quickly to the Senate floor and that the House will follow suit.”

“This is an important step in the process of bringing much needed resources to the Gulf.  Every day we live with the aftermath of the oil spill.  This bill would mean crucial economic and ecosystem restoration.” said Rev. Tyrone Edwards of the Zion Travelers Cooperative Center, a Gulf Coast community group. Other  local organizations on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi—Bayou Grace, Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organization (BISCO), Coastal Women for Change (CWC), Steps Coalition, and Terrebone Readiness & Assistance Coalition (TRAC)—have all contributed greatly to garnering support for the RESTORE Act.

Sen. Mary Landrieu is spearheading the effort on the RESTORE Act (S. 1400) and is joined by eight other Gulf Coast senators as co-sponsors.  The investments will build the resilience of the communities and help restore critical protections within the coastal ecosystem.

The bill has overwhelming public support.  A recent, national survey of likely voters shows 83 percent support a proposal to direct fines paid by BP and other parties responsible for the Gulf oil spill back to the affected areas for restoration and renewal. 

“There has never been a greater need, nor a greater opportunity to develop a regional plan such as this legislation to help build more resilient coastal communities across America’s Gulf Coast, creating tens of thousands of new livelihood opportunities in the process,” said Paul O’Brien, vice president for policy and campaigns for Oxfam America. 

“In addition to historic investments in restoring ecosystems, this legislation will help those most impacted by the oil spill, from low-income communities and industries like commercial fishing, to gain the skills they need to find good-paying work restoring critical natural resources. This legislation ensures local communities benefit not just ecologically but economically by promoting the hiring of local workers and use of local companies in projects to restore our coastline,” O’Brien said. “By investing in science and technology innovation, this bill can help the Gulf Coast to develop new industries to tackle water management and coastal protection challenges of the future across the globe.”

Currently, the Gulf Coast is home to over 80 percent of the United States’ annual coastal erosion, and almost half of annual wetlands loss, degrading billions of dollars worth of natural flood protection for coastal communities. The region’s fishery supports over $23B in economic activity, all of which remains threatened by the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon spill and decades of environmental degradation.

Nearly 500 miles – almost half – of the coastline in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida that was contaminated by the Gulf oil disaster remains oiled one year later, according to the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration.

The coalition of groups, working together as the Gulf Renewal Project, support the Oil Commission’s recommendation that 80% of Clean Water Act (CWA) penalties to be paid by BP and other responsible parties go directly to Gulf restoration, to help the region recover economically and environmentally from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and past degradation.  Directing the CWA penalties specifically to Gulf restoration will require specific action by Congress.  Otherwise, the CWA penalties automatically will be deposited in the Federal Treasury. 

“The Gulf Caucus will play a key role in ensuring that the people, the economies and the ecosystems of the Gulf Region get the help they need to recover from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and decades of damage from hurricanes and other factors,” said the joint statement by Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Ocean Conservancy, Oxfam America, and The Nature Conservancy.  “The damage from the oil spill is still causing harm to the Gulf culture, economy and environment of the region, and the health of the Gulf ecosystem and the health of our economy are directly linked.  Congress must act this year to make good on promises made to the Gulf to ensure the region gets the help it deserves.”

The Gulf region is a vital part of the nation’s economy:

• The Gulf currently supports a $34 billion a year tourism industry, and its fisheries support an estimated $22.6 billion dollars in seafood, commercial and recreational fishing related activity.

• The Gulf produces 40 percent of all the seafood in the lower 48 states.

• The region is home to ten of our nation’s 14 largest ports by tonnage. More than 25 percent of the nation's waterborne exports pass through Louisiana ports alone.

The organizations working together for restoration as the Gulf Renewal Project include:

Environmental Defense Fund
National Audubon Society
National Wildlife Federation
The Nature Conservancy
Ocean Conservancy
Oxfam America

The report, co-written with former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Phillip Singerman, builds on analysis of agencies across the region to detail how a well-designed economic and workforce development plan – hinged on coastal restoration – can build on the region’s existing assets and leverage incoming federal funding to spark innovation and collaboration,  putting Gulf Coast communities to work. The report also examines how stakeholder participation in restoration legislation could strengthen local support, identify risks, and reduce costs.

“Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, together with the Deepwater Horizon oil catastrophe delivered a one-two-three punch to the Gulf Coast, highlighting the region’s economic and environmental vulnerabilities, but also the incredible resilience and determination of its residents,” said Kate Gordon, vice president of energy policy with the Center for American Progress and co-author of the report. “The region has an opportunity, and if done right, recovery can diversify the Gulf economy while promoting innovation, creating jobs and protecting communities”.

The BP oil disaster demonstrated the dependence of the economy and jobs on a healthy, functioning Gulf of Mexico, according to the report, but policy makers can turn the Coast’s vulnerability into assets by investing in a cutting-edge set of industries around coastal and marine science along with resiliency technologies capable of competing in a growing global marketplace. In fact, the insurance company SwissRe predicts annual international investments in coastal protection and water management to reach as high as $135 billion annually in the coming years.

“We need to confront the false choice between promoting business, communities and the environment in the Gulf,” said Paul O’Brien, Vice President of Policy and Campaigns, Oxfam America. “Lasting coastal restoration depends on all three working together.”

The advocacy groups also called on Congress to pass legislation redirecting Clean Water Act fines from the Deepwater Horizon disaster towards a coastal restoration plan that also focuses on innovation and increased economic opportunity connected to coastal and marine restoration. Such funds, in combination with funds raised through the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) and the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), could substantially address the region’s coastal vulnerability while creating new economic opportunities. 

“America’s Gulf Coast is under assault and Washington must join Coastal states and take action,” said Rev. Tyronne Edwards, founder of Zion Travelers Cooperative Center in Phoenix, Louisiana. “It is crucial that our Congress develops a plan that gives our communities a voice and helps workers in our coastal communities find opportunity.” 

To read the report, go here.

The New Pornographers saw the plight of Gulf Coast residents rapidly falling out of news headlines.  To help maintain and raise awareness for the affects of the oil spill, the band partnered with Oxfam and the organization’s Emmy-Award winning director to create a video for “Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk.”

“That’s one of the main reasons for this video…to do something for a situation that might be falling out of the news,” said Carl Newman of The New Pornographers.  “But it’s still a big problem that people need to remember…both cleaning up Katrina and the oil spill.”

In March 2010, one month before the Deepwater Horizon explosion, Oxfam launched its Coastal Communities Initiative which focuses on elevating the voices of socially-vulnerable Gulf Coast communities in the protection of the coast, which is their home and source of livelihoods.  Oxfam says this disaster has highlighted the fact that in the Gulf Coast, livelihoods, poverty, and vulnerability to disaster are intertwined with the health of the environment.

“To see New Orleans and the outlying areas go through Katrina and then have the Gulf oil spill a couple of years later, it’s just such a devastating series of events,” said Neko Case of The New Pornographers. “And there’s a lot of culture, and a lot of peoples’ hearts in that place… we really need to support them and show them we haven’t forgotten.”

According to Oxfam, fines levied against BP could result in billions of investment dollars, and a real opportunity to aid the region.  Oxfam is building a campaign with local partners for the region’s long-term restoration and recovery. The focus of this work will be on mobilizing support for issues including job creation and restoration.

“The Gulf Coast oil spill is making year-end lists right now as one of the biggest stories of the year.  But come January 2, we can’t let the most vulnerable people in this area be forgotten,” said Bob Ferguson, senior advisor for music outreach at Oxfam America.  “We're thrilled that The New Pornographers are working with us to make sure that doesn’t happen. Oxfam America's music outreach has proven to be a great way for us to connect with music fans, spread the word of our important work and find new support.”

Released today, “America’s Gulf Coast: A Long Term Recovery Plan After The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill,” calls for investing unprecedented federal resources, as high as $21B,  in ecosystem restoration critical to the survival of coastal communities. The plan also urged the creation of a council, led by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, to coordinate federal and state agencies’ restoration efforts.

While hopeful about plans urging Congress to create a recovery fund with civil penalties and leveraging contracting opportunities to create new jobs locally, Gulf residents who have been working since the first days of the disaster expressed concerns about notable gaps, including the need for greater citizen participation and targeting of resources towards economic opportunities towards the needs of socially vulnerable communities, those families who continue to face disproportionate impacts of disasters.

Rhonda Jackson, director, Oxfam America’s Gulf Coast Recovery Program, New Orleans, LA -
“Nearly six months after the spill, many Gulf workers and business owners are still struggling to get back on their feet.  America needs a healthy Gulf Coast and this plan has the potential to create tens of thousands of new livelihood opportunities restoring coastal ecosystems and building more resilient communities . We encourage the Council to target investments in training and economic development to assist vulnerable Gulf Coast communities, especially fisherfolk, low income workers and people of color, in finding pathways towards opportunity in these new markets.”

Patty Whitney, organizer, Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organizing, Thibodaux, LA –
“We are excited to have a leader like Administrator Jackson, who intimately understands the environmental injustices facing our communities, now leading the charge. Still we believe this plan does not give those communities most vulnerable to disaster, be it an oil spill or a deadly hurricane, a voice in the decision-making process. We hope Administrator Jackson and Congress will act immediately to create a Gulf Coast citizen stakeholder committee to ensure decisions made that affect us here on the coast, should include people on the coast.”

Reverend Tyronne Edwards, Zion Travelers Community Center, Phoenix, LA –
“The plan is right to call on contracting to promote opportunity. One of the keys moving forward is to make sure that contracts go to local business owners and to make sure local workers are hired. The people on the coast have tremendous resolve to build back, and we will do it again. But public and private support is critical to rebuilding and reducing vulnerability to both environmental and man-made disasters.”

Roberta Avila, director, Steps Coalition, Biloxi, MS –
“By far the most encouraging initiatives that arose in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were driven by citizens and nonprofits across the Gulf Coast and were aimed at helping promote community renewal and recovery. This is a tremendous opportunity to support those same community driven initiatives that have proven most successful.”

A report released August 24 by Oxfam America and signed by more than 100 Gulf Coast organizations, “One Gulf, Resilient Gulf,” www.oxfamamerica.org/onegulf, outlines critical recommendations for coastal community recovery, and components that they would encourage the Council to support moving forward. These steps include

-  The development of new livelihood opportunities through long-term federal investments in ecosystem restoration, climate adaptation and clean, renewable energy to build more resilient coastal communities;
- Ensuring that new jobs are decent jobs, avoiding “low-road” contracting practices and promoting sustainable jobs and working conditions;
- Supporting community-based scalable transitional workforce and enterprise development programs with successful track records;
- Ensuring any governance structure builds upon past planning and prioritizes community participation, accountability, transparency and streamlining of project implementation;
- And adequate funding is provided through proposals including eliminating tax loop holes, and tax deductions for oil spillers and directing these revenues along with federal fines and liabilities related to the BP Horizon Disaster towards a Gulf Coast Community Resiliency Fund.
These and other steps outlined in the report will help the region recover from yet another disaster.

The full report can be found at www.OxfamAmerica.org/OneGulf.

On the eve of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the expected release of Sec. Ray Mabus’ Gulf Coast Recovery Plan, residents and advocates who have been responding to the disaster are calling for a recovery plan that addresses the core needs of those who have lived through both disasters and ensures that the status quo of degradation, inaction, and vulnerability is no longer be accepted.

“Gulf Coast citizens and community advocacy groups are more than just resilient, we are visionary,” said Derrick Evans, adviser to the Gulf Coast Fund for Ecological Health and Community Renewal and founder of Turkey Creek Community Initiatives. “After the hurricanes of 2005 and 2008, and the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster, we heed President Obama’s call to forge local experience and community wisdom into recommendations for the Administration’s regional recovery plan. Representatives from diverse groups across the gulf coast have responded by developing and endorsing these recommendations for community-led economic, environmental and social recovery”

Aaron Viles, Campaign Director for the Gulf Restoration Network, said the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is the best time for the nation to commit to the Gulf Coast.

“On the five year anniversary of Katrina and the devastating 2005 hurricane season it's well past time for the nation to commit to a true restoration vision and plan for the central Gulf, long the nation's energy sacrifice zone,” said Viles.

The report outlines key components for a successful recovery effort, including:

- The development of new livelihood opportunities through long-term federal investments in ecosystem restoration, climate adaptation and clean, renewable energy to build more resilient coastal communities;
- Ensuring that new jobs are decent jobs, avoiding “low-road” contracting practices and promoting sustainable jobs and working conditions;
- Supporting community-based scalable transitional workforce and enterprise development programs with successful track records;
- Ensuring any governance structure builds upon past planning and prioritizes community participation, accountability, transparency and streamlining of project implementation;
- And adequate funding is provided through proposals including eliminating tax loop holes, and tax deductions for oil spillers and directing these revenues along with federal fines and liabilities related to the BP Horizon Disaster towards a Gulf Coast Community Resiliency Fund.

These and other steps outlined in the report will help the region recover from yet another disaster. One of the Gulf’s greatest assets is the innovation and resourcefulness of its people. By far the most encouraging initiatives that arose in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were driven by citizens and nonprofits across the Gulf Coast and were aimed at helping promote community renewal and recovery. Projects helping communities reimagine their future, create jobs, start new social enterprises and rebuild their homes, and led by community and faith-based nonprofits, gave a glimpse of the promise of what communities could do with proper resources.

“First with Katrina and now with the BP oil spill, the recovery of the Gulf Coast has depended far too much on the resiliency of individuals and families in the region,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. “Alongside community resolve to build back stronger, what is needed are appropriate private and public investments that reduce the vulnerability and create a roadmap to recovery. Communities are showing the way:  it’s time for others to make their contributions count.”

“You’ve got fishermen that are losing their livelihoods, that can’t make their payments. There are men in tears in the food stamp lines because the fishing areas are already closed. We’ve got to be helping those men. There’s got to be more government oversight of what BP is doing to make sure the communities’ interests are protected,” said Rev. Tyronne Edwards, director of Zion Travelers Cooperative Center in Phoenix, LA.

Rev. Edwards and others are extremely concerned about how businesses will sustain themselves in the short and long term. Zion Travelers is working closely with fishermen who need to keep safe from toxins as they support the oil cleanup. Zion is also advocating for employing as many local and small business owners to assist in the recovery process as possible. And, while coastal organizations know the impact will be significant, no one knows yet just how big it will be – but are bracing for the worst.

“I can’t fathom the impact this is going to have, I can’t begin to imagine the impact on the fishing industry,” said Courtney Howell, Director of Bayou Grace Community Services in Chauvin, LA. “This is much larger than the aftermath of the hurricanes.”

Oxfam America has been working in these communities since the first days after Hurricane Katrina.  According to a recent Oxfam study, Exposed , many of these communities are among the most vulnerable regions of the country, with the least ability to respond to disasters, and few avenues to make their voice heard in the recovery process. It is imperative that residents on the coast are heard now and throughout the recovery process.

“For the second time in less than five years, Oxfam’s friends and partners on the coast are facing monumental disasters from forces beyond their control. Oxfam will do all it can to ensure that the most vulnerable populations in the region will be heard and attended to as the disaster and recovery process unfold,” Oxfam America President Raymond Offenheiser said. 

For the people who depend on the coastal waters for a living, the oil spill may have serious consequences for more than a decade. As the oil spill now reaches land, the closure of oyster beds (already started) may expand. The shrimp harvest, which generates about $962 million in annual retail sales, is also in jeopardy. Recreational fishing, too, is a major source of income for the economy generating about $1 billion in retail sales a year in the state. Nearly eight thousand jobs rely on saltwater sport fishing which produces about $757 million in annual economic impact in Louisiana, while sustaining more than 7,700 jobs. In addition, secondary jobs in restaurants, services, hospitality and tourism all depend on clean beaches and environmental bounty.

Community organizations like Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organizing, (BISCO) Bayou Grace Community Services, Zion Travelers Cooperative Center, and the Steps Coalition are responding on numerous fronts, including environmental impact, coastal erosion, mental health needs, hazardous materials, livelihoods and information sharing. As they did after Hurricane Katrina, these community groups are filling crucial gaps between the official response from state, federal and BP officials and needs on the ground.

“This oil drilling disaster only reinforces our passion for our work to address the environmental, social and economic issues of our coast, our issues of coastal land loss and the dangers created when we see industrial and commercial interests creating long term negative impacts in our own community and neighboring communities along the coast,” said BISCO Executive Director Sharon Gauthe.

In coastal Mississippi, the Steps Coalition is also rededicating itself to recovery, gathering member organizations to determine needs and response strategies.

“The Steps coalition is spearheading efforts to coordinate advocates’ work in response to the BP oil spill and is partnering with local organizations to create forums where community residents can voice their concerns and fears,” said Steps Coalition director Roberta Avila.