Kevin Walker, project manager for the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRLNEP), told the council that a three‑year NOAA cooperative agreement worth $9.4 million is funding coordinated restoration at 10 sites and with 10 subpartners across the lagoon.

Under the grant Walker presented, cumulative three‑year targets include 47 acres of seagrass restoration, 7 acres of oysters, roughly 21 million clams, 8,400 linear feet of living shoreline (including salt marsh and mangrove plantings), and three small fish reefs. The project also includes a volunteer program and a set of internships; Walker said partners already report more than 2,400 volunteer commitments so far and the project aims to sustain volunteer engagement across sites.

Walker reviewed implementation status by site and identified permitting and NOAA’s NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) phase‑2 review as the primary gating items. Several sites have completed early permits and have begun plantings or breakwater construction (Brevard Zoo at Scobie Park, Riverside Conservancy activities, and Indian River County seagrass deployment among them). Other sites — including UCF‑led efforts in the Canaveral area and projects requiring National Park Service concurrence — were delayed by permitting steps and by recent federal staffing and budget interruptions, Walker said.

Partners reported practical adjustments during implementation: some previously proposed planting locations are now occupied by naturally recovering seagrass and have been replaced with alternate sites; previous reef materials containing plastics were removed and replaced with biodegradable products; and some projects achieved cost savings through more efficient grading and GPS‑guided equipment, freeing funds to expand wetland reconnection in one case.

Walker emphasized that NOAA funds are being used to ‘‘convene a lagoon‑wide community of practice’’ across federal, state, local and nonprofit partners to share permitting, volunteer management, nursery stock and monitoring lessons. The council asked for continued status updates and timing for construction and clam releases at several sites; Walker said specific dates will follow NEPA completion and partner coordination.