Bipartisan ESTUARIES Act Introduced in both House and Senate
ESTUARIES Act would reauthorize the National Estuaries Program through 2031, provide certainty and stability for vital program
Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Shomari C. Figures (AL-02), Mike Haridopolos(FL-08), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), and Brian Mast (FL-21) along with Senators Cassidy (R-LA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), introduced the Enhancing Science, Treatment, and Upkeep of America’s Resilient and Important Estuarine Systems (ESTUARIES Act) on Friday, June 13.
The National Estuary Program is a non-regulatory program that supports locally driven efforts to restore and protect the environmental and economic health of 28 estuaries of national significance where rivers meet the sea. The reauthorization ensures continued federal support for this critical program, which has protected vital habitats, improved water quality, and fostered regional resilience since its creation in 1987.
Since 2019, Restore America’s Estuaries has managed the National Estuary Program Watershed Grant Program with funding from and in close coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Program is a nationally competitive grants program designed to support projects that address urgent, emerging, and challenging issues threatening the well-being of estuaries within the 28 NEP boundary areas.
This grant program funds projects aimed at addressing the following Congressionally set priorities, including loss of key habitats, coastal community storm preparedness, recurring harmful algal blooms, and stormwater runoff.
“Our 28 National Estuary Programs all preserve an estuary that is vital to their community’s health, safety, and economy,” said Daniel Hayden, President and CEO of Restore America’s Estuaries. “We strongly urge Congress to pass this legislation and continue to protect our coastal treasures.”
The National Estuary Program was previously reauthorized in 2021 by the Protect and Restore America’s Estuaries Act when it was signed into law by President Trump.
If you’d like to learn more about the NEP Watershed Grant Program, visit our page HERE.
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Restore America’s Estuaries was founded in 1995 with the mission to protect and restore our bays and estuaries as essential resources for our nation
