In the middle of BP rolling out large oil spill settlement offers across the Gulf of Mexico this month, some smaller groups in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida received some of their own monetary relief.
A total of $4.2 million was awarded to agencies and cities across the four states as part of a third round of grants from the Gulf Tourism and Seafood Promotional Fund, according to announcement this week by Deepwater Horizon Claims Administrator Patrick A. Juneau.
Since 2012, $65 million in promotional grants have been doled out to 132 organizations thanks to a settlement between BP and a team of private plaintiffs' attorneys following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The fund is separate from the RESTORE Act settlement and its goal is to help promote the tourism and seafood industry along the Gulf Coast.
For the third distribution, Louisiana was awarded $1,554,800, Florida $1,105,012, Alabama $904,360 and Mississippi $735,540.
In a news release, Juneau said the third round of awards came as a result of his recommendation in 2013.
"When I met with BP and the (Plaintiffs Steering Committee) in 2013 for the second distribution," Juneau said, "I recommended that if there is a third distribution, first and second round participants would receive a pro-rata share of the third distribution. Both parties agreed and now we are able to award $4.2 million to help the tourism and seafood industry continue to promote their respective industries.
In Alabama, 28 agencies and cities will split the $904,360, as follows:
- Coastal Alabama Business Chamber -- $74,980
- Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism bureau -- $74,980
- Alabama Restaurant/Hospitality Alliance -- $19,320
- Bayfest -- $37,720
- Bellingrath Gardens & Home Foundation Inc. -- $24,380
- City of Foley -- $37,720
- City of Gulf Shores -- $74,980
- City of Orange Beach -- $74,980
- Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce -- $3,220
- Dauphin Island Park and Beach Board -- $15,180
- Eastern Shore Art Center -- $1,840
- Friends of the Arts -- $37,720
- Gulf Coast Powerboat Association -- $37,720
- Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium (Dauphin Island Sea Lab) -- $3,680
- McWane Science Center (Museum) in Birmingham -- $18,860
- Mobile Museum of Art -- $37,720
- State of Alabama - Seafood and Marketing Commission -- $37,720
- Bayou La Batre Area Chamber of Commerce -- $18,400
- Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center in Mobile -- $37,720
- Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail in Orange Beach -- $37,260
- Mobile Convention & Visitors Bureau -- $37,720
- Mobile Bay Sports Authority -- $11,960
- Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of Commerce -- $6,440
- South Mobile County Tourism Authority -- $34,040
- The University of Alabama -- $35,880
- Town of Dauphin Island -- $37,720
- Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights Multicultural Center -- $14,720
- USS Alabama -- $19,780
According to the award letter to the city of Orange Beach, the funds must be spent between August 1, 2015 and July 31, 2016, and can only be used for advertising. The money cannot cover salaries, grant administration and management fees, travel and trade show expenses, or Internet or social media marketing.
In order to receive the awards, the grant applicants must submit a marketing proposal and a budget by August 15.
With the past award of $325,000, Bellingrath Gardens Executive Director Bill Barrick said the funds allowed 65-acre public garden in Mobile to expand its marketing efforts into Mississippi and Florida."
"Additionally these funds will be used to more aggressively promote the 20th anniversary of Magic Christmas in Lights in these markets," Barrick said of the new $24,380 grant. "We thank Mr. Juneau for his commitment to our area and the Gulf Region."
On Baldwin County's coast, Coastal Alabama Business Chamber President Ed Rodriguez said the some of the new marketing funds will be used toward a proposed beach cleanup initiative that will ramp up in 2016. Officials in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are working toward implementing a "Leave No Trace" program that will likely require all visitors to remove all personal belongings from the beach at night.