Bonamici Introduces Bill to Preserve, Restore Coastal Habitats

Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve coastal ecosystem conservation and bolster federal research on blue carbon.

In coastal areas mangroves, tidal marshes, seagrasses, and kelp forests serve as habitat for marine wildlife and can help protect coastal communities from flooding and storms. Importantly, they also help remove and store climate-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for centuries to millennia. The bipartisan Coastal Restoration Act will tap into the power of these coastal ecosystems by expanding conservation efforts and establishing a federal interagency blue carbon research initiative.

"Ocean and coastal ecosystems have immense potential to address the climate crisis," said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. "Unfortunately, the health of these blue carbon ecosystems is under threat from ocean acidification and sea level rise driven by global warming. The bipartisan Coastal Restoration Act will help monitor, protect, and restore coastal blue carbon ecosystems and strengthen research on this natural climate solution."

"Protecting, restoring and strengthening our coastal ecosystems to bolster resilience is key to mitigating the impacts of flooding and other extreme weather events on coastal communities," saidRep. Don Beyer. "Our legislation will facilitate research and restoration efforts to help us better understand and preserve these critical ecosystems while also fostering collaboration among local, state, federal, and Tribal governments and international partners. I thank my colleague Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici for her leadership on this issue so we can protect our coasts for generations to come."

The Coastal Restoration Act will create a national map and inventory of coastal blue carbon ecosystems and their sequestration potential, coordinate research and restoration efforts across the country, and improve data collection and sharing among local, state, federal, and Tribal governments and international partners to advance conservation of coastal blue carbon ecosystems. It will also create a Blue Carbon Inventory Program under NOAA to provide technical assistance and other support to coastal communities.

A summary of the legislation can be found hereand a copy of the bill can be foundhere. It is cosponsored by Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA) and Bill Posey (R-FL).

The Coastal Restoration Act is endorsed by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Restore America's Estuaries.

Bonamici is the Co-Chair of the House Oceans Caucus and Congressional Estuary Caucus, and a senior member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. As a member of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, she helped write the science-based Climate Action Plan that informed many provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act-the largest climate action investment in our nation's history.