Officials are expecting to kick off a new Apalachicola Bay restoration project this fall, paid for with a $6 million federal grant. The money will be distributed through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. DEO spokeswoman Jessica Sims says the dollars will help fund several restoration and education projects in the area.
“That money will go toward a variety of projects including oyster habitat restoration that will be done by hand and barge, depending on water depth. It will also go toward the monitoring of the wild Apalachicola oyster population to determine the success of those restoration efforts,” Sims says.
And Sims says about $500,000 dollars will be used to give oyster industry workers new skills. She says the training will help oystermen who are now out of work get jobs in areas like car repair and welding. She expects projects to get underway this fall.
