The conservation of coastal habitats has never been more important to Florida and other coastal states seeking to build climate resilience. Bonefish & Tarpon Trust commends the Biden Administration for including a significant funding increase for NOAA’s National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF) in the President’s FY22 budget request. The proposed $68 million represents a doubling of the FY21 appropriation.
“We applaud the Biden Administration for its steadfast commitment to coastal habitat restoration, natural infrastructure, and the greater resilience they provide for our communities,” said BTT President and CEO Jim McDuffie. “This additional funding for NCRF will greatly expand important coastal projects while also making a real difference for fish and wildlife habitat.”
BTT has been worked diligently with the Biden Administration over recent months to highlight the importance of the NCRF and to secure an increase in program funding.McDuffie said that BTT will continue the effort with outreach to Congress through the appropriations process to ensure this funding increase can be put to use.
NCRF grants, which are managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), match non-federal funds to support natural infrastructure and conservation projects that provide dual benefits – protection for coastal communities and the restoration and expansion of coastal habitats. These two tandem benefits promise to create a level of climate change resiliency that is unmatched by many other federal grant programs.
