DC Download: March 2026

Last week in DC, the NERRA Board came out in a full court press to thank Congress for their support of the NERRS FY 2026 budget and rally momentum for increased funding for FY 2027. Encouragingly, Representative Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Representative Larsen (D-WA) are urging fellow House members to sign a Dear Colleague letter that champions funding for the NERRS, Coastal Zone Management Programs, and NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management at our requested levels. This is critical for our System as we prepare to welcome two new Reserves at the Atchafalaya site in Louisiana and the Green Bay site in Wisconsin. 

Also last week, the Congressional Estuaries Caucus hosted a briefing about Harmful Algae Blooms during which NERRA Board Member Katherine Schake gave an inspiring presentation. She highlighted how NERRS monitoring in Kachemak Bay helps keep community members and fishermen informed of toxins that could cause them and their livelihoods harm. The panel was chaired by Board Member Mike De Luca and our partners at Restore America’s Estuaries and the Association of National Estuary Programs. NERRA is excited to support this caucus! We hope it will be instrumental in educating congressional members about the importance of estuaries and the work of Reserves and partners.

In other good news: the Digital Coast Reauthorization Act S. 2245 passed the Senate! NERRA thanks senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) for their leadership of this important bipartisan bill. Members of the Digital Coast Partnership and the networks they represent (like the NERRS) rely on this critical resource to help protect people, places, and economies along America’s coasts. In the House, a companion bipartisan bill led by Representatives Dave Min (D-CA), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), and Buddy Carter (R-GA) has passed through the Natural Resources Committee, and awaits passage by the full House. 

As Reserve Friend groups and partners raise their voices in support for full funding of the NERRS, we continue to be grateful for the many stories and testimonies of the value Reserves hold for coastal communities. This year—like every year—we must ensure that these stories reach Capitol Hill.