As part of the restoration projects, non-native soils will be removed from the former oil and gas pad sites and will be replaced with native materials. The sites will then be revegetated to restore the grasslands.
NPS Photo
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), is the largest investment in American history devoted to the restoration and protection of the environment and infrastructure. It is providing much needed funding to rebuild the country’s roads and bridges, tackle the climate crisis, and advance environmental justice.
In the National Park System, the law is funding projects that address environmental and infrastructure concerns in national parks, including wildland fire safety and restoration efforts, climate crisis intervention, legacy pollution eradication, and transportation enhancements.
At Padre Island National Seashore, the BIL is providing funding through the Ecosystem Restoration funding source to remove and restore ‘orphaned’ oil and gas well sites in the park.
BIL projects fall into one of five topic areas and complement key Department of the Interior initiatives. The projects listed below fall under the Protecting and Restoring Island & Coastal Ecosystems in the Face of a Changing Climate topic area. They also complement key Department of the Interior initiatives to foster native biodiversity in island systems AND rehabilitate and realign coastal salt marsh.
These projects within the national seashore are also part of the Energy Community Revitalization Program which provides funds to reclaim 'orphaned' wells throughout parks.
