Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States (21.015)
Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States (Assistance Listing 21.015) is run by the Departmental Offices, part of the Department of the Treasury. It awarded $520 million in 129 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $4.0 million per award on average. 5 funding opportunities are open or forecast now.
The typical award was $1.5 million. Half of the 129 awards fell between $500,000 and $4.1 million, and they ranged from $28,224 to $122 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$520 million
- Grant awards129
- Typical award$1.5 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$202 million
- Size rank362 of 1824
- Type of assistanceFormula grants
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $42.3 million in fiscal 2021 to $202 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 362nd largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 99% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 5 states and territories.
What the program funds
Treasury administers the Direct Component program and Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program. The primary objective of the Direct Component program is to provide funds to eligible entities for the ecological and economic restoration of the Gulf Coast Region. For the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program, the primary objective is for the establishment of Centers of Excellence that focus on science, technology, and monitoring in one or more of the five eligible disciplines in the Gulf Coast States.
Open opportunities
- RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program
- RESTORE Act Direct Component - Non-Construction Activities
- RESTORE Act Direct Component – Construction and Real Property Acquisition Activities
- RESTORE Act Direct Component - Non-Construction Activities
- RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
The RESTORE Act identifies the entities that are eligible to apply for grants under the Direct Component program. Treasury's implementing regulations at 31 CFR 34.302 list the eligible states, counties, and parishes under the Direct Component as follows: in Alabama, the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council or such administrative agent as it may designate; in Florida, the Florida counties of Bay, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Monroe, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Taylor, Wakulla, and Walton; in Louisiana, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board of Louisiana through the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana; in Louisiana, the Louisiana parishes of Ascension, Assumption, Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, and Vermilion; in Mississippi, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; and in Texas, the Office of the Governor or an appointee of the Office of the Governor. The RESTORE Act and Treasury's implementing regulations at 31 CFR 34.702 also identifies the entities that are eligible to apply for grants under the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program.
What the money can and cannot pay for
For the Direct Component, the RESTORE Act specifies the types of eligible programs, projects, and activities which includes the following: (1) Restoration and protection of the natural resources, ecosystems, fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches and coastal wetlands of the Gulf Coast Region; (2) Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife and natural resources; (3) Implementation of a Federally approved marine, coastal, or comprehensive conservation management plan, including fisheries monitoring; (4) Workforce development and job creation; (5) Improvements to or on state parks located in coastal areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; (6) Infrastructure projects benefitting the economy or ecological resources, including port infrastructure; (7) Coastal flood protection and related infrastructure; (8) Planning assistance; (9) Promotion of tourism in the Gulf Coast Region, including promotion of recreational fishing; (10) Promotion of the consumption of seafood harvested from the Gulf Coast Region; and (11) Administrative costs. Not more than 3 percent of the amounts received by the eligible entity may be used for administrative costs, as defined in Treasury’s implementing regulations at 31 CFR 34.204(a)(1).
Matching requirements
Statutory Formula: Title 31, Part 34, Subpart B,Public Law Public Law.Statutory Formula: Title 31 Chapter Department of the Treasury Part 34 Subpart B Public LawMatching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Treasury is only able to provide information on obligations for past fiscal years. The amount of funding available in FY 2025 will depend on the trust fund allocated to each eligible entity and the amount of funding obligated in FY 2025 will depend on the amount requested by each eligible entity for their respective projects. This program does not have pre-established award amounts or total obligation amounts. Instead, Treasury obligates funding based on the requests received from eligible entities, as long as that amount does not exceed the net allocation amount available in the Trust Fund to the respective entity. Past projects have ranged from $40,000 to over $20,000,000. Under no circumstances will award amounts exceed the amount available in the entity’s Trust Fund account.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: An example of a Direct Component-funded project is a multi-phase, multi-year interdisciplinary construction and restoration effort along the southeastern edge of Calcasieu Lake. This initiative entails building seven lake-rim gravity drainage structures with backflow prevention systems designed to enhance hydrologic connectivity and reduce flooding in surrounding wetlands. By creating up to 2,000 acres of new marsh, the project supports long-term coastal resilience and infrastructure strength, helping to protect critical habitat and nearby communities, reduce land-loss, and maintain the region’s economic vitality. An example of a Centers of Excellence Research Grants project is repurposing offshore oil and gas infrastructure (such as, platforms, wells, pipelines, and power transmission) for energy transition uses (such as, power from wind, solar and wave energy sources, green hydrogen generation, and storage). The project goal is to extend the life of offshore infrastructure for two decades or more in order to influence the preparation and planning for future marine energy and effluent storage in the Gulf.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States (21.015) awarded$520 million across 129 grant awards, an average of $4.0 million per award.
Who usually wins
State and local governments received 97% of the money, colleges and universities 3.3%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 127 | $504 million | 97% |
| Colleges and universities | 2 | $17.0 million | 3.3% |
By state
Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 23 | $153 million |
| Mississippi | 33 | $122 million |
| Alabama | 16 | $119 million |
| Florida | 49 | $89.7 million |
| Texas | 8 | $36.4 million |