Following passage in the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 5 in a 228-206 vote, President Biden today signed H.R. 3684 (“Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act”) into law. Among other things, between FY 2022 and 2026, the bill provides $492 million for National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund grants, $284 million for habitat restoration projects, $56 million for regional ocean partnerships to coordinate interstate and intertribal ocean and coastal resource management and implement their priority actions, and $20 million for Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Essential Fish Habitat consultations and permitting.
In a statement following the President’s signature, NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said that the bill “will improve and significantly expand equitable access to our weather and climate prediction capabilities and services; enhance coastal resilience and habitat restoration efforts, including Pacific salmon recovery; and improve our modeling capacity through investments in supercomputing infrastructure.”
As to the ocean-specific provisions, NOAA said that the $492 million in National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund grant funding “supports climate-resilient adaptation for industry and communities, and promotes sustainable job opportunities” and “will help restore and strengthen natural infrastructure to protect coastal communities, including those who have historically lacked investment and access to resources, while also enhancing habitats for fish and wildlife.”
Regarding the $56 million in Regional Ocean Partnership funding, NOAA called the Partnerships “an effective means of fostering best practices of interagency coordination, data-informed ocean and coastal management, and thoughtful engagement with regional constituents.”
As to the $20 million for ESA, MMPA, and EFH consultation and permitting, NOAA said that the funding “will allow NOAA to provide more efficient, accurate, and timely permit reviews, through the training of personnel, development of programmatic documents, procurement of technical or scientific services, development of data and information systems, stakeholder and community engagement, and the development of analysis tools, techniques, and guidance.”
