Biden-Harris Administration recommends funding of $32 million for projects in Texas to strengthen Climate-Ready Coasts as part of Investing in America agenda

Today, Vice President Harris announced that the Department of Commerce has recommended $32 million for projects across Texas to make communities and the economy more resilient to climate change, as part of the Investing in America agenda. Across Texas, five projects will create jobs and boost economic and environmental outcomes for coastal communities. The awards are made under the Biden Administration’s Climate-Ready Coasts initiative funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) with additional funds leveraged from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). 

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to preserving and protecting our nation’s most sensitive coastal habitats, including in Texas,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, these investments will ensure that the Gulf of Mexico remains a vibrant habitat for diverse wildlife, strengthen resiliency against climate hazards, and create jobs for Texans.”

Administered by the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Climate-Ready Coasts initiative is focused on investing in high-impact projects that create climate solutions by storing carbon; build resilience to coastal hazards such as extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris; restore coastal habitats that help wildlife and humans thrive; build the capacity of underserved communities and support community-driven restoration; and provide employment opportunities.

“The historic funding made available by this legislation is critical to helping Texans prepare for and respond to extreme weather events,” said Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA administrator. “The projects and partnerships advanced through this effort will also help address key challenges related to marine debris, and preserve habitat to benefit people and wildlife.”

These projects are part of NOAA’s nearly $6 billion total investment under BIL and IRA. Recommended projects and funding amounts in Texas include:

• High-Impact and Large Marine Debris Removal throughout the National Marine Sanctuary System
  National Marine Sanctuary Foundation: $14.9 million
  Funding Source: Marine Debris Removal Competition
  This project will remove large marine debris from five national marine sanctuaries and two Tribal ancestral waters located off the coasts of Washington, California, Texas and Louisiana including the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary located off the coast of Texas and Louisiana. 
• Coordinated Large Marine Debris Removal in the Gulf of Mexico
  Gulf of Mexico Alliance: $7.7 million
  Funding Source: Marine Debris Removal Competition
  This grantee will administer a regional competitive grant program for large marine debris removal in the Gulf of Mexico. The project will also remove previously identified abandoned and derelict vessels across Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama. Projects in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas are potentially eligible for future funding under this grant program.
• Gulf of Mexico Community-based Oyster Recycling and Reef Restoration Network
  Restore America’s Estuaries: $4.9 million
  Funding Source: Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants
  This project will restore oyster reef habitat at sites across the Gulf of Mexico region. Restaurants from around the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas will participate in a comprehensive oyster shell recycling program to help build oyster reefs that provide habitat for a diverse group of species, including recreationally and commercially important fish and their prey. Shell recycling programs and oyster reef restoration sites will be designed to serve local ecosystem and community resilience needs, with an emphasis on tribes and underserved communities.  
• Protection and Restoration of a Bird Nesting Island in Aransas Bay
  The University of Texas at Austin: $4 million
  Funding Source: National Estuarine Research Reserve System Habitat Protection and Restoration Grants
  This project will protect and restore a three-acre island in Aransas Bay that provides critical nesting habitat for hundreds of pairs of colonial nesting waterbirds, such as pelicans and egrets, important to the ecological resilience of the bay. The project will also support the recruitment and growth of oyster larvae, resulting in the development of an oyster reef complex that will create habitat for recreationally and commercial fish species.
• Building Organizational Capacity to Enhance and Supplement Coastal Conservation and Resiliency Efforts in the Matagorda Bay Ecosystem
  The Matagorda Bay Foundation: $534,000
  Funding Source: Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Underserved Communities 
  The Matagorda Bay Foundation will conduct restoration and resilience planning for Matagorda Bay, one of the largest estuaries on the Texas coast, with the support of new and current staff. The staff members will help connect with and empower local communities in Calhoun and Matagorda Counties, collect information for use in strategic conservation planning, and identify priorities for future restoration projects.