The Nature Conservancy Recommended to Receive $12 Million NOAA Grant for Gulf of Mexico Community Resilience Projects
Media Contacts
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Chelsea Bowers
The Nature Conservancy
Phone: (804) 728-0588
Email: chelsea.bowers@tnc.org
The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Gulf of Mexico Program is being recommended to receive a $12 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) 2023 Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grant Competition.
This significant funding will be dedicated to the GulfCorps Resilience Collaborative (GRC) to engage a conservation corps workforce of at least 150 young adults across the Gulf of Mexico. The GRC will work with Gulf Coast communities and use natural features such as wetlands to improve wildlife habitat and strengthen communities’ resilience to coastal hazards, such as frequent storms and floods.
Examples of coastal nature-based solution projects include:
- Building oyster reefs and restoring marshes
- Restoring coastal pitcher plant bogs and Longleaf pine forests
- Protecting and creating habitat for waterfowl and endangered species
- Managing invasive plant and animal species that harm ecosystems
“TNC is grateful to NOAA for recommending us for this important award. This grant allows TNC and our partners to deepen our work with local Gulf Coast communities, especially those impacted by severe storms,” said Temperince Morgan, TNC Southern U.S. Division Director. “The GulfCorps program helps to build the next generation of conservation professionals and provides at-risk communities with the tools necessary to increase their resilience to the many coastal hazards experienced in the Gulf.”
A selection of the GRC projects will be community-based and will be guided by TNC’s Scaling Up Nature-based Solutions (SUNS), which works closely with local governments and stakeholders to identify nature-based projects that reduce damage from flooding while also enhancing the natural environment. These projects will improve resilience to storms and flooding impacts in underserved communities. This work will be carried out by the emerging conservation leaders who will be engaged and trained through the GulfCorps Program.
For the last seven years, GulfCorps has been funded from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill settlement allocated by the RESTORE Council. This program has trained over 500 conservation corps members and has impacted 26,000+ acres of lands and waters along the Gulf Coast. Over the next four years, this grant will build on GulfCorps’ successes.
“The recovery process from a natural or man-made disaster is too big for one person, but the biggest challenges can be overcome when dedicated, local people—especially young people—have the opportunity to work together and lead the way. This is demonstrated by GulfCorps,” said Mary Ellen Sprenkel, President and CEO of The Corps Network.
“I am inspired by everything this initiative has accomplished to build coastal resilience and train a new generation of restoration professionals. We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to not only continue this work, but expand partnerships and assist new communities in environmental recovery and workforce development. Thank you to NOAA, The Nature Conservancy and the many local people and organizations that will make the GulfCorps Resilience Collaborative possible. We look forward to supporting this new chapter for GulfCorps.”
“The Student Conservation Association is grateful to NOAA for supporting the GulfCorps Resilience Collaborative project. This initiative has been vital for fostering resiliency and spurring job creation throughout the Gulf region,” said SCA President and CEO, Lidia Soto-Harmon. “The SCA is dedicated to building the next generation of conservation leaders and inspiring lifelong protection of the environment and communities we serve by engaging young people through hands-on service, including the GulfCorps Resilience Collaborative project. The SCA is thankful for our partners and proud to support this important project.”
If awarded, the NOAA funding will begin in fall 2024 and continue over four years. Key partners in these collaborative programs include NOAA, The Corps Network, Student Conservation Association, The Ember Alliance, Franklin’s Promise Coalition, Inc., and American YouthWorks.
Learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s work in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 77 countries and territories (41 by direct conservation impact and 36 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.
Explore Our Work
GulfCorps: A New Generation Restoring the Gulf
Gulf of Mexico Program director Bob Bendick writes about the GulfCorps program, a project led by The Nature Conservancy to put young adults to work to help restore the Gulf of Mexico.
GulfCorps Program Overview
GulfCorps is creating jobs for hundreds of young adults in the Gulf of Mexico region, while restoring the Gulf's ecosystems.
What We Do in the Gulf of Mexico
Learn about The Nature Conservancy's work in the Gulf of Mexico.