A Message from the President

One of the joys of working at Restore America’s Estuaries is the opportunity to travel across the country and feel the commitment of so many people to our coasts, bays, and estuaries. This work spans connecting tidal flow to marshes, restoring cranberry bogs to wetlands, helping a low-resource community develop plans to address flooding, and creating opportunities for the next generation of practitioners to join our events and feel a sense of community that we all cherish. It’s very easy to focus on the differences across our country, but also inspiring to see the shared commitment to our coastal resources whether you are fisher, bird watcher, beachcomber, farmer, or longshoreman. These are resources for all people, and together we can work to protect and restore them.

2024 was a year of growth and significant milestones for Restore America’s Estuaries. We hosted our 12th Coastal & Estuarine Summit, we expanded our grant program to restore and protect more of our coasts than ever before, and we forged new partnerships with federal partners. These achievements and many more could not have been done without the hard work of RAE’s incredible staff, our network of members, partners, and funders, and the support of professionals and communities across the country working with us to make our coasts safer, more inclusive, and healthier.

As the hosts of the 2024 Coastal & Estuarine Summit, RAE was proud to bring together a wide range of passionate experts for five days full of sessions, workshops, lunch programming, field sessions, and networking opportunities. This year’s Summit asked us to “Capitalize on Our Coasts” in order to solve some of the most pressing issues facing coastal and estuarine communities while reminding us that these ecosystems are also economic engines that can offer much in return if they remain healthy.

In addition to the over 1,100 professional that participated in the Summit, we were also honored to have received support from more than 55 sponsors and exhibitors which allowed us to grow the agenda to include more than 600 presenters and more than 100 sessions. The Summit also hosted more than 120 poster presenters and with the help of our sponsors we were able to provide financial support for more than 25 early career professionals and people from traditionally underrepresented communities to attend.

RAE continues to grow by partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to facilitate a new grant program: the Great Lake Environmental Justice Grant Program. This program marks the largest investment in RAE’s history for the Great Lakes Region and expands the benefits of healthy estuaries and coasts. In the Long Island region, the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund announced the first-ever round of grants in the program’s history, bringing underserved communities in Connecticut and New York closer to their water.

As the challenges we faced this year will continue to grow and change, so too must we adapt our strategies for protecting our coasts and the people who live there. In addition to encouraging a greater focus and investment in coastal restoration to mitigate storm damage, RAE also envisions a more inclusive environment where resources and funding are more equitably distributed to protect and support all members of the coastal community.

2024 has been a year of growth for Restore America’s Estuaries. All of us at RAE look forward to carrying that momentum into 2025 and beyond. With our newest federal grant program, connections forged at our biennial Coastal & Estuarine Summit, the passage of vital legislation, and the continued support of the coastal conservation networks, RAE is excited to advance thriving coasts and thriving coastal communities in 2025.

Sincerely,

Daniel Hayden
President & CEO
Restore America’s Estuaries