Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

What Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council does

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) is a small federal agency established by the RESTORE Act of 2012 in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It administers over $3.2 billion in ecosystem restoration funding from the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund, which receives 80% of civil and administrative penalties paid under the Clean Water Act by parties responsible for the spill. The Council operates two statutory funding mechanisms: the Council-Selected Restoration Component, which funds Gulf-wide ecosystem projects approved by member vote through periodic Funded Priorities Lists (FPLs), and the Spill Impact Component, which allocates funds to the five Gulf states based on spill impact for projects developed through State Expenditure Plans. Its governance structure is statutorily fixed: the governors of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas plus the heads of six federal agencies (USDA, Army, Commerce, DHS, Interior, EPA), with the EPA Administrator serving as Chair.

The Council does not develop proprietary technology or sell products or services. Its 'products' are funding batches (FPLs), planning documents (the Comprehensive Plan series, Planning Frameworks), an ArcGIS-based interactive project dashboard, and NEPA environmental compliance documentation. Distribution operates through public comment periods, webinars, and in-person public meetings across the Gulf Coast, with the Council headquartered at 500 Poydras Street in New Orleans under Executive Director Mary Walker. Funding recipients are limited to its member state and federal agencies plus a narrow set of NGO intermediaries (e.g., The Nature Conservancy), making the customer base structurally closed. To date, the Council has deployed over $1.1 billion across the Gulf, with the June 2026 FPL alone committing $403.6 million to 19 projects — pushing cumulative Council-Selected commitments above $1 billion.

Name

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

Legal name

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

Website

https://restorethegulf.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council is a federal agency established by the 2012 RESTORE Act that administers over $3.2 billion in Deepwater Horizon oil spill penalties through Funded Priorities Lists and State Expenditure Plans to fund ecosystem restoration across the five U.S. Gulf states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Federal Ecosystem Restoration Grant Administration

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ecological Restoration Planning & Monitoring (Habitat, Wetland, Stream) (EUAHAHAF)

Keywords

• Ecosystem restoration funding
• Federal grant administration
• Coastal habitat restoration
• Water quality programs
• Wetland conservation funding

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Federal Funding Administration: The Council manages over $3.2 billion in ecosystem restoration funding from the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund, established under the RESTORE Act. The funding comes from civil and administrative penalties paid by parties responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill under the Clean Water Act. The RESTORE Act dedicates 80 percent of these penalties to ecosystem restoration and economic recovery along the Gulf Coast.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) is a federal agency established by the RESTORE Act of 2012 that administers and allocates over $3.2 billion from the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund for ecosystem restoration and economic recovery across the five Gulf Coast states. It distributes funds through the Council-Selected Restoration Component (approving Gulf-wide projects via periodic Funded Priorities Lists) and the Spill Impact Component (allocating amounts to individual states based on spill impact, administered through State Expenditure Plans). The Council also conducts environmental compliance review and supports the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program.

Product overview

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) operates as a federal agency managing ecosystem restoration and economic recovery programs for the Gulf Coast region. The organization does not offer a traditional product suite but administers two primary funding mechanisms under the RESTORE Act: the Council-Selected Restoration Component (funding Gulf-wide ecosystem projects via periodic Funded Priorities Lists) and the Spill Impact Component (state-allocated funding via State Expenditure Plans). The Council's offerings include the 2026 FPL, FPL 3, Initial FPL, Comprehensive Plan and Planning Framework documents, an interactive ArcGIS-based project dashboard, environmental compliance services, and oversight of the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program. The 2026 FPL represents the latest $403.6 million funding commitment for 19 restoration projects spanning water quality, habitat conservation, and coastal resilience across the five Gulf states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Council-Selected Restoration Component A RESTORE Act funding component for ecosystem restoration across the Gulf Coast, with funds approved by vote of the 11 Council members through periodic Funded Priorities Lists (FPLs). Available to state and federal Council members sponsoring Gulf-wide restoration projects.
• Spill Impact Component A RESTORE Act funding component allocating 30% of the Trust Fund to Gulf states (Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Texas) based on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon spill, with funding administered through State Expenditure Plans (SEPs) approved by the Council Chair for ecosystem restoration and economic recovery.
• Interactive Project Dashboard and Map An ArcGIS-based interactive map and dashboard displaying RESTORE-funded projects across the five Gulf Coast states, providing public visibility into project locations, status, and restoration activities.
• Environmental Compliance Services NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) compliance documentation and environmental review services covering Council-Selected Restoration Component activities across Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Gulfwide projects.
• Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program A research grants program funded by 2.5% of the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund and administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to establish Centers of Excellence in Gulf states for science, technology, and monitoring related to Gulf Coast restoration.
• Comprehensive Plan Commitment and Planning Support FPL A specialized Funded Priorities List providing funding to Council members to support the planning and collaboration activities required to develop high-quality FPL proposals, underpinning the comprehensive restoration planning process.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with The Nature Conservancy for coastal prairie conservation in Texas. The Nature Conservancy holds conservation easements on private lands purchased with RESTORE Council funding. Example: O'Connor Ranch 6,600-acre conservation easement ($7.6M from RESTORE Council) protecting coastal prairie habitat in perpetuity.
• Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012State agency serving as primary sponsor for Alabama ecosystem restoration projects. Implements habitat protection, water quality, and coastal resilience projects under Council-Selected Restoration Component and Spill Impact Component.
• Florida Department of Environmental ProtectioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012State agency administering Florida's State Expenditure Plan and implementing restoration projects including Apalachicola Bay oyster restoration, water quality programs, and coastal resilience initiatives.
• Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012Louisiana's lead agency for coastal restoration implementing major projects including Houma Navigation Canal Lock Complex, Mississippi River Reintroduction into Maurepas Swamp, and Chandeleur Islands restoration.
• Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012State agency implementing Mississippi restoration projects including strategic land protection, living shorelines, water quality improvement, and Mississippi Sound estuary programs.
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012State agency representing Texas on the Council and implementing restoration projects including coastal water quality programs, Chenier Plain ecosystem restoration, and land acquisition for coastal conservation.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012Federal agency serving as Council member and sponsor of Gulf Coast Conservation Reserve Program working with private landowners on agricultural land conservation across Gulf states.
• U.S. Department of the ArmycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012Federal agency serving as Council member and sponsor of ecosystem restoration projects with civil works components benefiting Gulf Coast communities.
• U.S. Department of Commerce (NOAA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012Federal agency serving as Council member with NOAA implementing restoration projects including habitat restoration, fishery enhancement, and science programs for Gulf ecosystem recovery.
• U.S. Department of Homeland SecuritycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012Federal agency serving as Council member providing intergovernmental coordination for Gulf Coast restoration and resilience efforts.
• U.S. Department of the InteriorcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012Federal agency serving as Council member and sponsor of extensive restoration portfolio including wind-tidal flat restoration, orphaned oil/gas well plugging, tribal youth programs, and land conservation.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012Federal agency serving as Council chair and sponsor of water quality programs, Gulf of Mexico Conservation Enhancement Grant Program, and Mobile Bay National Estuary Program.
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Related Gulf restoration effort administered by NFWF using funds from settlement of criminal charges against BP and Transocean Deepwater, Inc. Separate but complementary to RESTORE Council activities.
• Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Separate restoration effort under the Oil Pollution Act for natural resources injured by the Deepwater Horizon spill. NRDA activities are coordinated with but separate from RESTORE Council funding.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Chesapeake Bay Program: Long-standing federal-state partnership coordinating restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Shares the same multi-jurisdictional governance structure, science-based planning framework, and ecosystem-services-driven mission as the RESTORE Council.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Federal agency serving as a Council member and primary implementation partner for large-scale civil works restoration projects (e.g., Houma Navigation Canal Lock Complex, Chandeleur Islands restoration). Operates as both governance participant and project delivery vehicle.
• Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI): Federal interagency initiative funding ecosystem restoration across the Great Lakes basin. Operates with similar federal-state-NGO collaboration model, comparable project categories (habitat, water quality, coastal resilience), and parallel governance dynamics.
• Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP): Multi-decade, multi-billion-dollar federal-state effort to restore the Florida Everglades ecosystem. Shares the RESTORE Council's hybrid federal-state governance, restoration-scale funding, and emphasis on large-scale hydrological and ecological restoration.
• Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force: Federal-state-tribal partnership coordinating nutrient reduction and water quality improvement across the Mississippi River Basin and Gulf of Mexico. Operates in overlapping geography with overlapping state agency partners (notably MDEQ and TCEQ) on related restoration priorities.

Emerging players

• The Nature Conservancy: Major conservation NGO operating as a strategic implementation partner for RESTORE Council-funded conservation easements (e.g., O'Connor Ranch) across Gulf states. Comparable in mission (habitat protection, restoration) but operates outside the public-sector funding allocation model.

Direct peers

• Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustees: Parallel DWH restoration authority under the Oil Pollution Act, jointly governed by federal and state trustees. Allocates billions for Gulf restoration projects that frequently overlap geographically and thematically with RESTORE Council investments.
• EPA Gulf of Mexico Program: EPA-administered program funding water quality, habitat, and community resilience projects in the Gulf of Mexico. Shares the same geography, EPA institutional parent, and many of the same state agency partners as the RESTORE Council.
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF): Administers the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund derived from BP/Transocean criminal penalties under a separate but complementary settlement. Both organizations distribute DWH-related restoration funding across the Gulf Coast using federal-NGO-state implementation partnerships.
• NOAA Restoration Center: Federal program within NOAA that funds habitat and fishery restoration across the U.S., including Gulf-focused activities. Both organizations are Council members/sponsors and co-implement marine and coastal habitat restoration across overlapping geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/restorecouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/restorecouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gulf-coast-ecosystem-restoration-council

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council