Biden-Harris Administration Archives

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA designate 18th national marine sanctuary

January 17, 2025 — NOAA is designating the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a 582,570 square-mile area in the Pacific Ocean, as America’s 18th national marine sanctuary. Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary will be the largest sanctuary in the National Marine Sanctuary System, and is one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world.

Located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary will provide additional ways to manage and protect the area’s nationally significant biological, cultural and historical resources.

Sanctuary designation will not change the area’s status as a marine national monument. The sanctuary designation advances President Biden’s ocean conservation legacy and his America the Beautiful initiative, which supports locally-led, collaborative conservation efforts across the country.

“National marine sanctuary designation will bring a stronger framework for marine conservation and protection to the waters of Papahānaumokuākea,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “The Sanctuary will also facilitate scientific research, resource monitoring and coordinated efforts to ensure the long-term health of this natural, cultural and historically significant area.”

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries will co-manage the sanctuary with the State of Hawaiʻi and in partnership with NOAA Fisheries, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, consistent with the existing management of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Biden-Harris Administration Approves Eleventh Offshore Wind Project in U.S. History

December 20, 2024 — The following was released by the BOEM:

The Biden-Harris administration today announced the approval of the SouthCoast Wind Project – the nation’s 11th commercial-scale offshore wind energy project approved under President Biden’s leadership. With today’s approval, the Department and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management have approved over 19 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy from offshore wind energy projects – enough to power more than 6 million homes.

“When we walked in the door of this Administration, there were zero approved, commercial-scale offshore wind projects in federal waters. Today, I am proud to celebrate our 11th approval, a testament to the commitment and enduring progress made by the hardworking public servants at the Department of the Interior.,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “With President Biden’s leadership through the Investing in America agenda, we are addressing the climate crisis, creating jobs, and building an enduring economy that supports all communities.”

Biden signs Coastal Habitat Conservation Act

December 13, 2024 — U.S. President Joe Biden has signed the Coastal Habitat Conservation Act, which codifies the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Coastal Program and provides funding to protect, enhance, and restore priority habitats along the nation’s coasts.

“Coastal ecosystems are an integral part of our nation’s economy and well-being, but climate change, pollution, and unsustainable development are rapidly deteriorating these critical resources,” U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) said of the bill when he introduced it more than a year and a half ago. “This collaborative bill is a bipartisan solution to preserve the health and resilience of coastal habitats, benefiting the wildlife, communities, and economies that depend on them.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA Announced $147.5 Million to Transform NOAA Data Collection and Analysis

November 29, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced its $147.5 million Inflation Reduction Act investment to strengthen NOAA’s science and management capabilities that support climate-ready fisheries. This funding will enable NOAA to modernize its science enterprise, delivering critical information and tools to support decision-making and adaptation strategies for rapidly changing marine ecosystems.

“This funding, made possible thanks to President Biden’s historic Inflation Reduction Act, will make our nation’s fisheries, protected species, and coastal communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “By strengthening NOAA’s scientific efforts to help us better understand and plan for changing marine conditions, we are making smart investments in the economic and climate resilience of communities across our entire country.”

NOAA Fisheries will use $107.5 million to enhance science and data collection to account for the effects of climate change and improve fish and marine mammal stock assessments. This funding will modernize and transform the agency’s technological capabilities, and broaden the scope of observations that NOAA collects using innovative methods like uncrewed systems, remote sensing and environmental DNA collection.

Another $40 million will fund the Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative to provide resource managers and fishing communities with the information they need to build resilience and adapt to changing marine ecosystems. This initiative will establish an operational decision-support system to track changes in marine ecosystems, and assess risks to valuable resources and the communities who depend on them. It will also identify options for reducing risks and bolstering resilience in the face of changing climate and ocean conditions.

To implement the initiative, NOAA will allocate $20 million to NOAA Fisheries and $4 million to NOAA’s National Ocean Service to enhance regional capacity to forecast future ecosystem conditions, evaluate risks and provide actionable advice for climate-informed resource management and community adaptation. To support these efforts, an additional $16 million will go to NOAA Research to develop the state-of-the-art forecasts and long-term projections of ocean and Great Lakes conditions needed to evaluate risks and identify strategies for adaptation and resilience.

“The climate crisis means warming oceans, rising sea levels, diminishing sea ice and increasing acidification — all profoundly impacting coastal ecosystems and every aspect of NOAA’s mission,” said Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries Janet Coit. “We have an unprecedented opportunity to advance our scientific understanding of our rapidly changing ocean and deliver critical information to communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems.”

This funding is part of the historic $3.3 billion in Inflation Reduction Act investments that NOAA first announced in June 2023, which is focused on ensuring America’s communities and economies are ready for and resilient to climate change. It complements other Inflation Reduction Act priority areas and NOAA Fisheries mission efforts, including the revised Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Road Map.

Learn more about NOAA Fisheries’ Inflation Reduction Act priority investments in climate-ready fisheries and coasts.

Fishing industry to Biden: No last-minute marine monuments

November 26, 2024 — Fishing and seafood industry groups are telling President Joe Biden that he shouldn’t create or expand marine national monuments during the final weeks of his administration, saying any such move “will be met by significant opposition.”

In a Nov. 18 letter, roughly 150 organizations and elected officials warned that “any action of this kind before January 20 would come at an especially difficult time” and “would further harm our sector, needlessly constraining fishing activity despite U.S. fisheries delivering enormous public benefits and complying with the most rigorous management system in the world.“

“Against this backdrop, the mere threat of Marine National Monuments creates harmful business uncertainty,” the industry groups wrote, adding that marine monument designations lack “rigorous impact review required by the normal rulemaking process,” resulting in outcomes that “more often prove ill-suited to the dynamic ocean management challenges that lie ahead.”

Read the full article at E&E News

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA announce $147.5 million to transform NOAA data collection and analysis

November 26, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration and NOAA announced a $147.5 million Inflation Reduction Act investment to strengthen NOAA’s science and management capabilities that support climate-ready fisheries. This funding will enable NOAA to modernize its science enterprise, delivering critical information and tools to support decision-making and adaptation strategies for rapidly changing marine ecosystems.

“This funding, made possible thanks to President Biden’s historic Inflation Reduction Act, will make our nation’s fisheries, protected species and coastal communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “By strengthening NOAA’s scientific efforts to help us better understand and plan for changing marine conditions, we are making smart investments in the economic and climate resilience of communities across our entire country.”

Learn more about NOAA Fisheries’ Inflation Reduction Act priority investments in climate-ready fisheries and coasts.

Fishing industry to Biden: don’t expand marine monuments

November 25, 2024 — Fishing industry leaders are urging President Biden to resist pressure for creating or expanding Marine National Monuments in U.S. ocean waters before he leaves office in January 2025.

“Prohibiting the sustainable utilization of our nation’s waters via unilateral presidential action will harm the Americans we represent, employ, and feed while failing to advance effective and durable marine conservation,” a coalition of more than 150 fishing and seafood industry associations, businesses, and community leaders wrote in a Nov. 21 letter to the White House.

The letter, circulated by the fishing industry advocacy group Saving Seafood, stressed the federal government should stick with the proven national fisheries management system of the Magnuson-Stevens Act law and eight regional fishery management councils.

The law and the regional councils “provide a proven, science-based approach to ocean conservation,” the letter contends, and “offer the flexibility and stakeholder engagement necessary to address dynamic ocean management challenges, which are essential as ocean ecosystems undergo rapid changes.”

Donald Trump’s win in the presidential election could portend a huge upheaval in U.S. government policy, from his campaign promise to kill offshore wind energy projects, to conservative legal activists’ drive to sharply curtail the power of federal regulatory agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Seafood groups urge Biden to avoid naming new marine monuments in final days of presidency

November 25, 2024 — A new letter written to U.S. President Joe Biden is urging him to avoid naming any new marine national monuments in the final months of his presidency.

The letter, signed by seafood companies, fishermen, government officials, and groups representing the seafood industry, calls on Biden to “resist all proposals” to either create a new marine national monument or expand an existing one inside the U.S.’s exclusive economic zone. Biden is currently in the “lame duck” period of his presidency, with just 56 days left before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

U.S. Fishing and Seafood Leaders Urge President Biden to Avoid Marine National Monument Designations in Final Days of His Administration

November 21, 2024 – A coalition of more than 150 fishing and seafood industry associations, businesses, and community leaders has sent a letter to President Joseph R. Biden, urging him to resist creating or expanding Marine National Monuments in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) during the final months of his administration. The letter warns of the potential negative impacts such actions could have on the fishing sector and highlights the significant contributions of U.S. fisheries to the economy, environment, and food security.

The signatories emphasize that the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) and the Regional Fishery Management Councils provide a proven, science-based approach to ocean conservation. These processes, they argue, offer the flexibility and stakeholder engagement necessary to address dynamic ocean management challenges, which are essential as ocean ecosystems undergo rapid changes.

The letter also highlights the economic importance of U.S. fisheries, which “generate $321 billion in sales, support nearly 2.3 million jobs, and are vital to countless American communities where alternative employment opportunities may be limited.” It continues, “the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) requires U.S. fisheries to be managed to sustainable harvest rates and to achieve broader marine biodiversity goals.”

The letter is also concerned about use of the Antiquities Act to designate Marine National Monuments. According to the letter, “Marine National Monuments are created using static area-based protections and without the rigorous impact review required by the normal rulemaking process. They are a tool that will more often prove ill-suited to the dynamic ocean management challenges that lie ahead.”

The signatories argue that the unilateral establishment of prior Marine National Monuments “has also alienated stakeholders in ways that have fundamentally undermined legitimacy and thus durability.”

The letter references a March 2021 statement from Chief Justice John Roberts, which raised concerns about the Antiquities Act:

“A statute permitting the President in his sole discretion to designate as monuments ‘landmarks,’ ‘structures,’ and ‘objects’—along with the smallest area of land compatible with their management—has been transformed into a power without any discernible limit to set aside vast and amorphous expanses of terrain above and below the sea. … The scope of the objects that can be designated under the Act, and how to measure the area necessary for their proper care and management, may warrant consideration [by the Supreme Court]—especially given the myriad restrictions on public use this purely discretionary designation can serve to justify.”

The coalition concludes its letter by urging President Biden to avoid further designations:

“We believe that the negative impacts Antiquities Act designations threaten to coastal communities, fishery participants and U.S. seafood producers—together with the important concerns raised by Chief Justice Roberts—are compelling reasons to avoid any such designations during the remainder of your time in office.”

The letter is signed by a diverse group of associations, businesses, and community leaders representing the U.S. fishing and seafood sectors.

Read the full letter here

Biden-Harris Administration announces plans to support seven multi-year projects to advance climate resilience in remote Alaskan communities

November 14, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced it will award $1 million for seven recommended multi-year projects supporting remote Alaska communities through the Alaska Fisheries Science Center Indigenous Engagement Program. This investment is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a crucial part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.

The recommended projects will advance NOAA Fisheries’ ability to support climate resilience and food security in remote Alaska communities, engage Indigenous Knowledge holder voices in NOAA Fisheries’ science and management and strengthen collaborations with tribal governments and Indigenous communities. The first year of funding will be distributed in 2025 and totals approximately $500,000.

“Just treatment, respect for tribal sovereignty and climate resiliency benefits all people and communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Department of Commerce and NOAA will continue to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into our existing science and form partnerships, internships and educational opportunities that create equitable exchanges and help communities take action against climate change.”

NOAA Fisheries is recommending funding for the following projects:

The University of Alaska Fairbanks plans to support the Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub’s development of new education, outreach and communication strategies and products—such as a multimedia StoryMap—around Indigenous Knowledge and marine resources in a rapidly-changing Arctic. The project aims to facilitate knowledge-sharing workshops with Hub observers to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge in NOAA Fisheries’ management of marine resources. The University is expected to receive approximately $89,000 for the first year of this project.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks also plans to elevate Indigenous Knowledge and perspectives from underserved Alaska Native communities in ice seal co-management and recovery planning for ringed and bearded seals through the Ice Seal Committee and Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub. The project will leverage existing Indigenous Knowledge networks and build partnerships to guide NOAA Fisheries in the equitable engagement of Indigenous partners, and advance understanding of the climate resilience of ice seals. The University is expected to receive approximately $99,000 for the first year of this project.
Sealaska plans to use Indigenous Knowledge to document changes in the oceanographic processes and marine ecosystems from human and climate-related impacts, in order to understand their effects on subsistence resource systems in Native communities in Southeast Alaska. This knowledge could be used to develop a mapping and monitoring methodology and form a cohort of Indigenous Knowledge experts for future collaborations. Sealaska is expected to receive approximately $110,000 for the first year of this project.
The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska intends to add a relationship building and knowledge sharing component to their Southeast Tribal Environmental Forum and will be using funding to address several common barriers faced by tribal environmental professionals across Southeast Alaska. This will help encourage tribal support and representation in the Forum and work towards the goal of collectively addressing marine and coastal concerns and priorities. The Council is expected to receive approximately $67,000 for the first year of this project.
The Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association plans to implement a network of river water monitoring stations along the lower Yukon River to collect data important to the management of Pacific salmon and for the health and well-being of people in lower river communities. This research will document the winter habitat use of juvenile Chinook salmon. The Association is expected to receive approximately $54,000 for the first year of this project.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks plans to work with Indigenous partners to build their use of environmental DNA as a resource management tool. This will strengthen the existing research partnership in the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim region, support autonomy for Indigenous communities engaging with NOAA Fisheries and help with salmon research. The University is expected to receive approximately $47,000 for the first year of this project.
Kawerak, Inc and the Caleb Scholars Program intends to support an annual gathering so program participants can share insights related to conservation advocacy and facilitate engagement with peers, mentors, guest speakers and members of the community. The advocacy work of Caleb Scholars helps ensure Indigenous input is part of creating policy, management practices, climate-informed studies and research in the Arctic. This gathering is an opportunity for participants to strengthen and rejuvenate vital connections to their families, community and land. The program is expected to receive approximately $34,000 for the first year of this project.

“We are excited to support these important research projects, which advance equity and environmental justice while enabling NOAA Fisheries to meet our research mission,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to building climate resilience in communities on the front lines of climate change in the Arctic, and Indigenous Knowledge is essential to this effort.”

Allocation of this funding is planned for fiscal year 2025. NOAA Fisheries first announced this funding opportunity in February 2024, stating there would be funding initially available and the remaining funding could potentially be available in future years for continuing work. This funding is part of the historic $3.3 billion in Inflation Reduction Act investments first announced in June 2023, which is focused on ensuring America’s communities and economies are ready for and resilient to climate change.

Visit the Inflation Reduction Act website to learn about current and future funding opportunities.