Healthy Oceans Blog

We all depend on clean air and clean water to survive. The health of our natural environment is not a partisan issue.

Yet, somehow, the health of our environment is increasingly politicized – passing policy that protects the planet continues to divide decision-makers. It is time to push back against this divisive narrative and stand for healthy oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes and work together.

The Healthy Oceans Coalition, therefore, calls on the United States Congress to reject the President's misguided, slash and burn federal budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2020.

If Congress adopted the President's budget:

• The United States Environmental Protection Agency would lose more than $2 billion, translating to a 31 percent decrease in its current budget;
• The National Science Foundation, the agency that funds ocean science would lose over $1 billion, or about 12 percent of its operating budget;
• And the Department of Interior, which is charged with managing everything from our National Parks to permitting offshore oil and gas exploration, would lose $2 billion, a decrease of 14 percent

While only the overarching Department of Commerce numbers are available (until the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Blue Book comes out next week), we already know several of the cuts planned for the NOAA, our nation's premiere ocean agency housed within The Department of Commerce. These cuts include:

• Eliminating the National Sea Grant College program;
• Eliminating the Coastal Zone Management grant program;
• Eliminating the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund;
• Slashing 90 percent of funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative from $300 million to $30 million

It is important that federal agencies are fully funded to ensure their work to protect and manage our ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes continues.

President Trump’s budget is named “A Budget for a Better America”, but if we do not stand up for our nation’s ocean wildlife and coastal ecosystems we are going to end up with a Budget for an Environmentally Broken America.