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Creates a NOAA grant program to conserve, restore, and manage native wild kelp forest ecosystems and authorizes $5 million per year for FY2026–FY2030. Grants go to fishing-industry entities, colleges, nonprofits, Tribes, and state/local governments and must fund projects like kelp reseeding, targeted sea urchin removal, trophic restoration, monitoring, and integration of Indigenous knowledge; NOAA must set program rules within 180 days and reserve at least $750,000 per year for Indian Tribes.
The bill directs targeted, accountable federal grants and a Tribal set-aside to support kelp and coastal restoration, but overall funding is modest and matching/collaboration requirements may exclude cash‑strapped or small applicants and leave many projects underfunded.
Local governments, nonprofits, tribes, universities, and coastal communities receive predictable federal grants (up to $5M/year, FY2026–2030) to support kelp and coastal restoration, monitoring, and resilience planning.
Fishing communities and coastal ecosystems benefit from funded restoration activities (kelp recovery, urchin removal, sea star recovery), which can help rebuild fisheries and improve coastal ecosystem health.
Indigenous and Tribal communities gain a dedicated Tribal set‑aside of at least $750,000 per year for Tribal-led kelp restoration and co-management, supporting tribal stewardship and opportunities for Tribal-led projects.
Coastal communities, fishing groups, tribes, and local governments may still see many projects go unfunded or underfunded because $5M/year nationwide is a modest amount relative to the scale of kelp and coastal restoration needs.
Local governments, nonprofits, tribes, and small fishing businesses with limited cash may be unable to participate because grants cover at most 85% of project costs, requiring matching funds or in‑kind contributions.
Smaller organizations and businesses may face additional administrative burden and delays because eligible applicants must consult or collaborate with multiple listed entity types, which can slow project starts.
Introduced February 7, 2025 by Jared Huffman · Last progress February 7, 2025