Protect Climate Action Funding for our Coasts

In 2022, the Biden Administration signed two major pieces of climate action egislation into law; the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Between these two bills, there is over $5 billion earmarked specifically for advancing coastal resilience and planning for climate change impacts. 

Surfrider and our partners have been working diligently to ensure that these funds will actually help communities adapt to climate change and plan for sea level rise,  by encouraging municipalities, decisionmakers and other institutions apply for and use funding to:

• Update land use plans in order to prepare for climate change impacts and sea level rise.

• Support community-driven relocation for vulnerable infrastructure such as transportation, homes, businesses, hospitals, etc.

• Advance nature-based solutions, including:

• • Assisting communities with protecting & restoring coastal dunes, wetlands, and “blue carbon” ecosystems, and using nature-based solutions in disaster recovery,

  • Expanding financing to frontline communities for Nature-Based Solutions and habitat conservation easements; and

  • Partnering with communities, Tribal, and state/local governments to establish habitat and blue carbon migration pathways to ensure landward space for sea level rise. 

• Provide technical assistance for regional planning, with a focus on Tribes, marginalized, underserved and rural communities; and identify barriers and opportunities to integrate environmental justice principles into coastal resilience planning.

Surfrider and other NGOs, have worked to educate state and local entities on opportunities to obtain and apply these funds proactively, while tracking funded projects to ensure they are aligned with the principles above. In total, there is over $5 billion that explicitly goes toward coastal resilience planning and projects ($3 billion from BIL and $2.6 billion from IRA). There are also other IRA and BIL funding mechanisms that can be used for climate response planning. 

Surfrider has been working on the ground to help implement the following projects and policies; and will help connect tribes, state agencies, and local municipalities to funding sources.  

• In Oregon, we are working with local organizations to restore Ecola Creek and will help local communities identify grant opportunities for updating land use policies.

• In California, we are working to improve coastal resilience along the California coast by leading and participating in dune restoration, and working with local communities and state agencies to conduct long term planning, and identify solutions,  for vulnerable coastal infrastructure. 

• In Hawaii, Surfrider has been working in local communities to plan for climate change impacts such as chronic erosion on the state's beaches, and protecting or realigning critical infrastructure. 

• In Puerto Rico, we have been restoring mangroves and dunes, working to fund and scale these nature-based solutions throughout the island. 

Check out this resource for a current list of federal funding opportunities provided by the BIL and IRA to advance these coastal resilience priorities. Surfrider will continue to advocate for funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to flow from Congressionally authorized and obligated grant programs to states, local governments, Tribes, and NGOs to support coastal resilience measures from the Pacific Northwest to Puerto Rico, and every stretch of coast in between.