The Office of Gulf Coast Restoration (OGCR), which is part of the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Recovery Programs, administers the Direct Component program and Centers of Excellence Research Grant Program, which are designed to rebuild the economy and ecosystems of the U.S. Gulf Coast. These programs are two of the five grant programs authorized by the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act), which was signed into law on July 6, 2012. The Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund created by the RESTORE Act provides funding for the five grant programs established by the RESTORE Act and derives its funding from civil and administrative penalties obtained from the parties responsible for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Direct Component program funds planning and implementation projects designed to promote the economic and ecological recovery of the U.S. Gulf Coast. To be eligible for Direct Component grants, projects must be for one of the 11 eligible purposes listed in the RESTORE Act and be selected via a public engagement process. Only the 47 entities named in the RESTORE Act are eligible to apply for Direct Component grants. These eligible entities are the state governments of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, as well as 23 Florida Gulf Coast counties, and 20 southern Louisiana parishes. Examples of Direct Component- funded projects include levees and other flood protection structures; water treatment facilities; beach, dune, and marsh nourishment; workforce development facilities and programs; infrastructure including roads, bridges, and port facilities; and facilities and programs to promote tourism and the region's fishing and aquaculture industries.
The Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program provides grants to the five eligible Gulf Coast States named in the RESTORE Act, to establish centers of excellence to conduct research on the Gulf Coast Region. The Gulf Coast State recipients make competitive subawards with their grants to nongovernmental entities and consortia in the region, including institutions of higher education, to establish of centers of excellence that focus on science, technology, and monitoring in at least one of the eligible disciplines outlined in the RESTORE Act. Generally, the scientific research is focused on the health and sustainability of the Gulf, its ecosystems, and wildlife.
Many of the projects funded under the Direct Component program and the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program support the Administration's focus on combatting the climate crisis and economic justice.
Office of Gulf Coast Restoration
The OGCR is the programmatic and grants office for the administration of two grant programs, the Direct Component and the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program. The OGCR is responsible for establishing program policy and procedures; providing guidance to states, counties, and parishes; administering the Direct Component multiyear implementation plan review and acceptance process; implementing and managing the Direct Component and Centers of Excellence Research Grants Programs; conducting grant post award management and oversight; and coordinating with the other RESTORE Act programs.
Treasury RESTORE Act Compliance
TRAC supports the OGCR and is responsible for assessing grants-related risks and reviewing for compliance the grant activities of the states, counties and parishes participating in the Direct Component and Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program. The compliance requirements include:
- RESTORE Act and Treasury’s regulations at 31 C.F.R. Part 34
- 2 C.F.R. Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (OMB Uniform Guidance)
- Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government (GAO Green Book)
- Treasury’s RESTORE Act Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions and Program-Specific Terms and Conditions
- Special Award Conditions (SACs) applied by Treasury to a specific RESTORE awards
- Other executive orders, federal statutes, regulations, and policies that apply to federal grants
TRAC performs an annual risk assessment of all 48 eligible entities, solicits entities’ evaluation of their internal control processes through annual Operational-Self Assessments (OSAs), suggests grant award SACs based on risk analysis, performs compliance reviews of entities’ RESTORE grant activities, and provides technical assistance to entities regarding internal controls and federal requirements.
To contact the OGCR or TRAC regarding Treasury’s RESTORE Act grants program, send an email to restoreact@treasury.gov.