Hillsborough River Board Recommends Restoration Project Coordination 

At the March meeting of the Hillsborough River Board’s Technical Advisory Council (TAC), Tom Ries of the Ecosphere Restoration Institute shared an exciting update: efforts are underway to revive a group that could fast-track environmental restoration projects across the region. Despite the benefits of these environmental restoration projects, there are no expedited pathways for their permitting, causing delays. That’s where the Multi-Agency Review Team (MART) comes in.

Now operating under the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s Resilient Shorelines and Spaces Work Group, MART hopes to bring together key agencies like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to streamline and support the review of large-scale restoration projects.

The TAC unanimously recommended that the Hillsborough River Board back the effort. On April 15, the Board did just that, voting to issue a formal letter of support.

The letter states:

“Environmental restoration projects are critical to healthy environments and residents’ quality of life. For that reason, the Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board supports the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s efforts to revitalize a Multi-Agency Review Team (MART) for the Tampa Bay region.”

It goes on to encourage full participation by regulatory agencies to help move these vital projects forward:

“The Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board encourages regulatory agencies to participate in MART and work together to help expedite the permitting of needed environmental restoration projects.”

The goal? Healthier shorelines. More vibrant habitats. Cleaner air and water for all.

As Tom Ries put it:

“In my point of view, if you were really doing a true restoration project, not for compensation for unavoidable impact, but just I’m planting 100 acres of seagrass we should be expediting, right? I mean, why not?”