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Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force

Looking Forward: The Strategy of the Federal Members of the Hypoxia Task Force

The federal agencies that are members of the Hypoxia Task Force (Task Force)—the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of the Interior (USDOI), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—have been able to provide new programs, funding, and technical tools to both lead federal efforts and support state efforts to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to the Gulf of Mexico. The primary priority of the 2013 Strategy, Looking Forward, consistent with Action Item 2 of the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008, was to provide focused and effective support for the development, refinement, and implementation of state nutrient reduction strategies. An appendix to the 2013 strategy, a document completed in September 2012, describes the assistance each agency can provide to HTF states for developing and implementing nutrient reduction strategies. 

In December 2016, the federal agencies released an updated Federal Strategy, reflecting the work that they have done and the progress that has been made since the release of the 2013 Strategy. 

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