Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act of 2025
The Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act of 2025 would overhaul and expand the Coastal Zone Management Act framework to boost coastal and estuarine resilience. It creates a Coastal and Estuarine Resilience and Restoration Program within the Secretary of Commerce (largely NOAA) that works with states, regional governments, the National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR) system, and eligible NGOs to protect high-value coastal lands, restore degraded areas to more natural states, and help communities adapt to climate change and sea-level rise. The bill emphasizes prioritizing lands that can be effectively managed, benefit economically disadvantaged communities, and contribute to climate resilience, including long-term carbon storage and inland migration of ecosystems. In addition, the bill significantly expands the NERR System: designates at least 5 new National Estuarine Research Reserves by eight years (with initial efforts within five years), and requires prioritized siting to ensure national geographic representation and state coverage. It broadens program elements to include system-wide data management, collaborative coastal research, living laboratories, and graduate fellowships; places a stronger emphasis on place-based programs at each reserve (research, monitoring, education, stewardship, training, and community engagement, including Tribal and Indigenous communities). The bill also creates new NGO grant requirements for land acquisition, reallocates funding, updates terminology to reflect “National Estuarine Research Reserves,” and authorizes annual appropriations of $47 million for 2025–2029 to support grants under the program.
Key Points
- 1Creation of the Coastal and Estuarine Resilience and Restoration Program within the Secretary of Commerce (NOAA) to protect and restore key coastal and estuarine lands and to support shoreline migration and community resilience.
- 2Expansion of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System: initiate designation of at least 5 new reserves by year 8, with priority on geographic representation and presence in each coastal state; annual reporting to Congress on progress.
- 3New system-wide and place-based program elements: centralized data management, collaborative coastal research, living laboratories, graduate fellowships, and reserve-wide place-based activities focusing on research, monitoring, education, stewardship, training, acquisition priorities, and engagement with Tribal, Indigenous, and Historic Heritage communities.
- 4NGO involvement and land acquisition: NGOs may apply for grants to acquire land or interests, but must meet specific criteria (government agency support, public access or approved restricted access for ecological reasons, and deed transfer provisions to ensure future stewardship).
- 5Funding and terminology updates: authorizes $47 million annually (fiscal years 2025–2029) for grants under section 315, and updates terminology from “National Estuarine Reserve” to “National Estuarine Research Reserve” throughout the act.