Congress Preserves Critical Coastal Funding, Though Targeted Cuts Remain Possible
Washington, D.C. – The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have advanced two key funding bills – the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill (Senate / House) and the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill (Senate / House) – which collectively support many of the federal programs vital to coastal restoration and resilience.
The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Bill provides critical support for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This includes funding for the EPA’s Geographic Programs, which support estuarine restoration efforts led by Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) in regions such as Long Island Sound, Southeast New England, and the Great Lakes. The bill also funds the EPA’s National Estuary Program, for which RAE administers grant funding in the 28 National Estuary Program boundary areas.
The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Bill includes funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which directly administers many of the nation’s coastal restoration initiatives.
Earlier this year, the President’s proposed budget called for a 55% reduction in EPA funding, including significant cuts to critical coastal initiatives such as the EPA Geographic Programs and the National Estuary Program – both of which play essential roles in maintaining coastal health and safety.
Similarly, the proposed NOAA budget would have terminated several cornerstone programs, including the Office of Habitat Conservation and Restoration, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, and the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund.
Fortunately, both House and Senate appropriators have rejected many of these proposed cuts in their recently released bills. However, while the Senate version of the bills preserves and even modestly increases funding for these vital programs, the House proposals still includes significant reductions – most notably to NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation and the EPA’s San Francisco Bay Geographic Program.
“The marine sector contributes over $511 billion annually and supports 2.6 million jobs, driving local economies – all of which require that our coasts and estuaries be healthy,” said Daniel Hayden, President and CEO of Restore America’s Estuaries. “Investments in our coasts is an investment in future economic growth.”
Restore America’s Estuaries urges Congress to adopt the Senate’s version of these appropriations bills before funding expires on September 30, which better reflects the urgent need to strengthen and expand our nation’s coastal restoration efforts.
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