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EPA Administrator to Head Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Taskforce Meeting in Pensacola, Fla.

Release Date: 05/26/2011
Contact Information: EPA Press Office, [email protected]

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, June 1, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson will convene an official meeting of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Taskforce in Pensacola, Florida. The meeting is the fourth in a series taking place across the gulf and will further the task force’s ongoing commitment to supporting the conservation and restoration of resilient and healthy ecosystems in the gulf. It will be held at the Saenger Theatre from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and is open to the public.

Administrator Jackson, who chairs the task force, will hold a press availability at 11:15 a.m.

During the meeting, the task force will review progress on the group’s restoration strategy and provide ongoing guidance to intergovernmental teams on the timeline of actions and the objectives of the president’s executive order. It will be followed by a public listening session from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

At the previous meeting of the task force, held in Mobile, Ala. on May 6, Jackson announced that EPA is creating a citizen advisory council to advise her on gulf restoration issues, and the task force released a strategy background document for public review. This is the second time the task force has met in Pensacola. The group held its first official meeting there on November 8, 2010.

President Obama issued an executive order in October to create the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, continuing the administration’s ongoing commitment to the gulf region. The task force works to integrate federal restoration efforts with those of local stakeholders and state and tribal governments, and to facilitate accountability and support throughout the restoration process.

Members of the public seeking to pre-register for this meeting should email [email protected].

WHO: EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson

WHAT: Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Meeting

WHEN: June 1, 2011 – 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CT
(Public Listening Session 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT)
Press Availability – 11:15 a.m. CT

WHERE: Saenger Theatre, 118 South Palafox Place, Pensacola, Fla.

For more information on the Task Force or to pre-register for this meeting, visit www.epa.gov/gulfcoasttaskforce.

More information on the president’s executive order: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/10/05/executive-order-gulf-coast-ecosystem-restoration-task-force.