Help Our Kelp Act of 2025
The Help Our Kelp Act of 2025 would require the Secretary of Commerce, working through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to create and run a grant program aimed at conserving, restoring, and managing kelp forest ecosystems. The grants would fund eligible entities—such as fishing industry members, colleges, nonprofits, Indian Tribes, state agencies, and local governments—to carry out projects that restore native kelp and enhance long-term ecological and socioeconomic resilience. Projects may include kelp reseeding, connectivity, ecosystem monitoring, and restoring predator–prey relationships (e.g., targeted urchin removal and Sunflower sea star recovery), as well as incorporating Indigenous knowledge and co-management approaches. A key feature is that the funding is intended to support non-commercial, non-mechanized restoration rather than harvesting kelp for commercial use. Funding is authorized at $5 million per year for FY2026–FY2030, with at least $750,000 each year set aside for Indian Tribes. The bill also sets a standard 85% federal and 15% non-federal cost-sharing requirement for grants (with in-kind contributions allowed) but allows waivers under specific circumstances. The Administrator would issue guidelines and ranking criteria based on best practices, science, and community engagement. The act also emphasizes consultation with Indigenous communities and potential co-management, and would require periodic reporting and evaluation to monitor project effectiveness.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a NOAA-administered grant program to conserve, restore, and manage kelp forest ecosystems, prioritizing native kelp recovery and non-harvesting approaches.
- 2Eligible entities include fishing industry members, institutions of higher education, nonprofits, Indian Tribes, state agencies, and local governments; applicants must collaborate with other eligible entities and include plans for monitoring and evaluation.
- 3Eligible projects focus on regional kelp declines, ecosystem and socioeconomic resilience, kelp seeding/connectivity, predator–prey dynamics (e.g., urchin removal, sunflower sea star recovery), monitoring, Indigenous knowledge integration, and coordination with Tribes or co-management approaches.
- 4Matching requirement: generally 85% federal funding with up to 15% non-federal (in-kind contributions allowed); waivers available if no reasonable match is possible, public benefits justify a waiver, or lands are owned by/held in trust for an Indian Tribe.
- 5Funding authorization: reauthorizes $5,000,000 per fiscal year from 2026 through 2030; at least $750,000 annually must be available for Indian Tribes; if Tribes receive no grants in a year, funds are reallocated to other eligible entities and NOAA must conduct outreach to Tribes.