After the recent oil spill in the gulf, BP is going to give one billion dollars to help restore the effected areas lining the Gulf of Mexico.

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After Hurricane Katrina in 2005 it became clear that the significant decrease in wetland areas has endangered wildlife that rely on them for food and habitat. It also has damaged an economy reliant on fishing, tourism and other water-based industries and left coastal communities vulnerable to storms that are no longer slowed down by barrier islands.

BP was the majority owner of the well when it blew up on April 20, 2010, causing the spill. It agreed to put $1 billion toward a long-term effort to improve the environment.

The federal task force includes representatives from all five states that border the Gulf, and is helping distribute the money. Each state will get $100 million. The Department of Interior and the Department of Commerce will each get another $100 million, and the remaining $300 million will be distributed to other projects. The task force has to present Obama with a report and a long-term strategy for restoring the ecosystem in July.

The task force has already said one of the greatest challenges and top priorities for guaranteeing a healthy environment is ensuring sediment from upland waters, such as the Mississippi River, renew their natural flow to replenish wetlands and barrier islands in the Gulf.

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