Defend NOAA's Budget

The Trump Administration is seeking major cuts to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the lead federal agency responsible for managing our nation's ocean and coasts, as well as monitoring weather and climate. The proposed cuts run deep and would strike at numerous programs that benefit all Americans. Specifically, the administration has proposed eliminating funding for coastal management, estuary reserves and coastal resilience - programs that go to the heart of Surfrider's mission.

Given the major threat to its funding, it's worth reviewing the enormous benefits that NOAA provides as a federal agency. These go well beyond environmental protections (important as they may be) and impact our nation's safety, security, and economic well-being. Below is a summary of just some of NOAA's functions and benefits:

Managing our nation's coasts in partnership with states, tribes, and communities to protect these vital resources for public use and enjoyment.

• Providing weather forecasts and related data that serve the needs of millions of people every day.
• Researching the effects of climate change so we can better understand the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on our planet.
• Ensuring sustainable fisheries that support jobs and help keep our seafood safe.
• Protecting marine ecosystems through a variety of programs including National Marine Sanctuaries.
• Collaborating with partners to conduct research that improves our understanding of the marine environment.
• Supporting community efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change including sea level rise and coastal flooding.
• Addressing plastic pollution through research, education, and marine debris removal.  

Fortunately, any budget cuts to NOAA will ultimately need to be approved by Congress as part of the federal budget for 2021. This means that all of us who support and benefit from the agency's efforts can play an important role in defending NOAA's work by contacting our federal representatives.

Take Action to Protect our Coasts!

Please call your Congressional Representatives in Washington D.C. and ask them to reject any budget proposals that will interfere with NOAA's ability to meet its mission. While you're at it, please also express support for the important work of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which is also a target of the Administration and Congress (more background here). Find your members' phone numbers here: Senate and House.

You can also participate in our action alert to express support for NOAA and EPA funding.