News & Views
NOAA recommends $220M for restoration projects

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is recommending about $220 million for 32 transformational habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects in 2024, and an additional $66 million for future years. 

These projects will help protect coastal communities and ecosystems from climate change and will aid in the recovery of threatened and endangered species.

Some of these projects include The California State Coastal Conservancy to restore high-priority salmon habitat in northern Humboldt County, The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition to assess and design restoration projects on the Mendenhall River, The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to restore the Chandeleur Islands to improve the function, resilience, and longevity of the island chain.

“This is a historic investment in strengthening the climate resilience of our nation’s coastal ecosystems and communities,” an article from NOAA reads.

One of the largest obstacles to recovering threatened and endangered species is degraded habitat. Many of the projects will make progress in recovering these species by restoring the habitats they depend on for food, protection, spawning, and rearing. 

According to NOAA, many of these projects will restore habitats in urban areas and benefit tribes and historically underserved communities that live close by. The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians will reconnect the Boardman-Ottaway River, which flows through downtown Traverse City, to Lake Michigan.