The US government has announced the recommendation of $123 million in funding across state and territorial coastal management programs and national estuarine research reserves. The funding will support habitat restoration and conservation, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.

These recommended funds will support:

• $59.8 million for state and territory coastal zone management programsfor 22 projects.
• $15 million for national estuarine research reserves for eight projects.
• Within this $75 million investment, $36 million will be designated for projects being carried out in partnership with or directly by tribes and Native Hawaiians, including reacquisitions and restoration of ecological and culturally significant ancestral lands.
• This funding will also leverage $48 million in non-competitive funding to the 34 state and territorial coastal management programs and 30 national estuarine research reserves for essential planning, policy development and implementation, collaborative engagement, and implementation of adaptation strategies to help increase the resilience of coastal communities and their economies.

Photo: Nathan Anderson

These recommended projects aim to increase community resilience to climate change and extreme weather events through habitat restoration and planning, engineering, and design and ecosystem conservation.

“These transformational projects will not only bolster community resilience, but also ensure that innovations are fairly and broadly accessible,” said Jainey K. Bavishi, assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy NOAA administrator. “This significant increase in resources from NOAA will be essential in helping to build local infrastructure that is climate resilient, while providing essential benefits to businesses.”

The full news release can be read here.