Escambia County has secured more than $61.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, using the funding to move forward with a variety of projects and initiatives to benefit Escambia County residents. Many of the Escambia County Universal Access projects on Pensacola Beach which were funded, are already complete. For more information about each project, view the county's plan and performance report here.

On January 6, the Biden administration announced the withdrawal of the eastern Gulf of Mexico from future offshore oil and gas leasing under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA). This critical action protects Florida’s Gulf Coast beaches and marine ecosystems, a step welcomed by Healthy Gulf.

Santa Rosa Island Authority recently launched a new, content-rich website showcasing the many unique creatures and features of the barrier island. PensacolaBeachEcoTrail.com is an extension of the physical Pensacola Beach Footprints in The Sand Eco Trail, which consists of informative, educational signs posted across the island. An interactive map hosted on the website guides visitors along the trail which stretches from just outside the Gulf Islands National Seashore Fort Pickens gate to Park East - just before the Opal Beach area.