GulfCorps - Year One Update Connecting People and Nature

Jeff DeQuattro GulfCorps Program Director The Nature Conservancy Gulf of Mexico Whole Systems Program

Photo by John Stanmeyer © TNC •Background •GulfCorps Model •The People •The Projects •The Results •Moving Forward

Photo by John Stanmeyer © TNC GulfCorps Overview Video Quick Rundown on GulfCorps • $7 million, 3 year – RESTORE Act, Bucket 2 Project from FPL #1 • NOAA Administered • The Nature Conservancy’s Gulf Program – Prime Awardee • Subawards with Student Conservation Association and The Corps Network • State RESTORE Representatives choose projects • Hire 501(c)3 organizations working in Gulf communities to operate GulfCorps crews • Best available training • Project types fit with RESTORE Comprehensive Plan • Rigorous monitoring and reporting metrics • 8-10 person crews recruited locally from largely urban, low- wealth populations in the Gulf. • 5 crews per state in year 1 • 10 crews per state in year 2 • 15 crews per state in year 3 • Year 3 ends July 2020 GulfCorps Background State RESTORE Representatives What does GulfCorps do? • Native Species • Wetland Restoration • Management • Living Shoreline Installation • Protect and Improve Habitat for Endangered Species • Prescribed Fire Prep and Burning • Debris Removal • Recreational Facility Enhancement • Performance Monitoring

Photo by John Stanmeyer © TNC GulfCorps Training

• Wilderness First Aid Certification w/CPR • Basic First Aid / CPR Certification OSHA 10 Hour Certification • S-212 Chainsaw Training • S-130/190 Prescribed Fire Training • Pesticide applicator certification • Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training • Applicators Training • GPS and survey techniques • Native and invasive species identification • Soft Skills Photo by John Stanmeyer © TNC Year 1 GulfCorps Crew Locations

Student Conservation Association (Mobile) Limitless Vistas, Inc. (New Orleans)

Conservation Corps of CLIMB Conservation the Forgotten Coast Texas Conservation Corps (Gulfport) (Apalachicola) Corps (Galveston) Year 2 GulfCorps Crew Locations

Student Conservation Association (Mobile) Texas Conservation Limitless Vistas, Inc. Conservation Corps of Corps (Galveston) (New Orleans) the Forgotten Coast (Apalachicola)

Conservation Corps of the Louisiana Emerald Coast (Pensacola) Conservation Corps (SW Louisiana) CLIMB Conservation Corps (Gulfport)

American Conservation Experience (Corpus Christi) Year 1 Crews - 60-mile Range Year 1 GulfCorps Projects Conservation Corps of the Forgotten Coast (Apalachicola) FL1-1: Little St. George Island Living Shoreline – ANERR FL1-2: St. George Island Living Shoreline – ANERR Limitless Vistas, Inc. (New Orleans) FL1-3: St. Joe Bay State Buffer Preserve Stewardship LA1-1: Bayou Sauvage NWR FL1-4: ANERR Stewardship Project LA1-2: Big Branch Marsh NWR

Texas Conservation Corps (Galveston) TX1-1: Armand Bayou Nature Center Student Conservation Association (Mobile) TX1-2: Coastal Heritage Preserve – Artist Boat AL1-1: Weeks Bay NERR TX1-3: Virginia Point Marsh Restoration – Texas Parks AL1-2: Weeks Bay Foundation and Wildlife AL1-3: Three Mile Creek Apple Snail Removal – AL Freshwater Fisheries CLIMB Conservation Corps (Gulfport) AL1-4: Grand Bay Savanna Complex - ADCNR AL1-5: Intertidal Oyster Reef Mapping – AL Marine MS1-1: Round Island Planting Resources MS1-2: De Soto National Forest AL1-6: Bon Secour NWR MS1-3: Sandhill Crane/Grand Bay NWR MS1-4: Pascagoula River Apple Snails MS1-5: Old Brick House Living Shoreline Program Metrics and Targets

Project Classification Overall Program Targets Year 1 Targets

Invasive Species Mgmt. 100 acres 15 acres

Wetland Planting 100 acres 15 acres

Wetland Restoration 100 acres 15 acres

Upland Restoration 60 acres 5 acres

Monitoring 100 acres 0 acres Program Metrics and Targets

Project Classification Year 1 Targets Year 1 Actuals

Invasive Species Mgmt. 15 acres 61.94 acres

Wetland Planting 15 acres 23.98 acres

Wetland Restoration 15 acres 366.44 acres

Upland Restoration 5 acres 128.21 acres

Monitoring 0 acres 0 acres Project Breakdown – Invasive Species Management

• Florida: • Chinese ( sebifera) Chinese tallow (4 States) • Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) • Catbriar (Smilax bona-nox) 38.08 acres • Alabama: • Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) • Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) • Coral ardisia (Ardisia crenata Sims) Cogon grass (1 State) • Apple snails (Pomacea insularum) • Mississippi: • Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica) 4.81 acres • Apple snails (Pomacea insularum) • Louisiana: • Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) Apple snails (2 States) • Texas: • Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) 20 miles of shoreline • False willow (Baccharis neglecta) • Texas persimmon (Diosphyros texana Scheele) 8.12 acres Chinaberry (Melia azedarach) • 758 Snails; 6,249 Egg Masses Project Breakdown – Wetland Planting

• Florida: • Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) Smooth cordgrass (2 States) 6.12 acres • Texas: • Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora

• Mississippi: Sea (1 State) • Sea oats (Uniola Paniculata L.) 17.86 acres Project Breakdown – Wetland Restoration and Conservation • Florida: Living Shorelines • Living Shorelines 725 feet • Brackish Marsh • Alabama: • Pitcher Bog Restoration Pitcher Plant Bog • Sandy Beach and Dunes 31.34 acres • Mississippi: • Pitcher Plant Bog Restoration • Wet Pine Savanna Restoration Wet Pine Savanna • Living Shoreline 129.2 acres • Texas: • Texas Coastal Prairie Restoration Coastal Prairie 14 acres Project Breakdown – Upland Restoration and Conservation

• Florida: • Brush/Fuels Management • Alabama: Fuels Reduction and • Brush/Fuels Management • Mississippi: Upland Brush • Brush/Fuels Management on Management Longleaf Pine Savanna • Louisiana: • Red cockaded woodpecker tree 128.21 acres clearing – Longleaf Pine Savanna Year 2 Crews - 60-mile Range People of GulfCorps

Quantavious Fuller Conservation Corps of the Forgotten Coast in Apalachicola, FL