Posted by National Wildlife Federation

Yesterday afternoon, the Senate passed the RESTORE Act amendment with an overwhelming show of bipartisan support—the final vote was 76 to 22. This legislation would dedicate 80 percent of the Clean Water Act fines from the oil disaster to restoring the Gulf’s economies and ecosystems.

“Today, the Senate has taken a big step to make the coast of Louisiana whole again. We still haven’t brought this over the finish line, but a thunderous chorus of duck and goose wing beats and the tails of redfish can be heard spurring us on. This is our time and our conservation issue. Coupling the RESTORE Act with two years of significant funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund—a measure that ensures public access for hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities across America—is a great day for anyone who hunts or fishes,” said Land Tawney, National Wildlife Federation’s senior manager for sportsmen leadership.

While this vote is a positive development, it’s not over yet. A vote on the overall Senate transportation bill could come early next week. The House has already passed a “lite” version of the RESTORE Act as an amendment to their transportation bill, but has not passed a transportation bill itself. Once both transportation bills pass, the differences between the two will need to be worked out in conference.

Vanishing Paradise will be working hard to make sure the Senate version of the RESTORE Act is included in whatever the final package is, but yesterday’s win and the recent show of support for RESTORE on the House amendment puts us in a strong position to ensure that money from BP’s oil spill fines ends up dedicated to restoration.

There is also the possibility that BP and the Department of Justice will settle the case before it goes to trial. Read Vanishing Paradise’s take on what any settlement agreement needs to include here.

This vote would not have turned out as well as it did without strong support from the sportsmen community. Most of the major sportsmen’s conservation groups in the country were actively supporting the RESTORE Act.

The principles behind the RESTORE Act have wide public support. A nationwide poll of 1,006 likely general election voters showed that 83 percent of U.S. voters support dedicating BP’s oil spill fines to the region affected, while only 7 percent opposed.

“The damage was done in the Gulf, and that’s where the penalty money from the spill belongs. It’s only fair that the fines come back to the area to help repair damage to the environment and the economy,” Tawney concluded.