Living Shorelines Act

Living Shorelines Act

This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish grant programs to support living shoreline projects and research on nature-based infrastructure.

NOAA must award grants to state or local governments, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes to (1) implement climate-resilient living shoreline projects; and (2) encourage innovation in the use of natural materials to protect coastal communities, habitats, and natural system functions.

NOAA shall establish an engineering standard applicable to living shoreline projects for each region of the United States and use such standard to select eligible entities to receive such grants.

A grant to carry out a living shoreline project may be used only to

• carry out the project, including administration, design, permitting, entry into negotiated indirect cost rate agreements, and construction;
• monitor, collect, and report data on the performance of the project, in accordance with the engineering standard; or
• incentivize landowners to engage in such projects.

NOAA shall award competitive research grants to eligible entities, including U.S. territories, to carry out projects focused on developing and assessing the effectiveness of innovative approaches to nature-based infrastructure for specified climate-related purposes. NOAA shall award grants to such entities for projects that focus on, among other things

• assessing the effectiveness of installed nature-based infrastructure, or
• novel approaches to nature-based infrastructure and living shorelines.

The Living Shorelines Act, also known as Bill 117 hr 4235, is a piece of legislation currently being considered by the US Congress. The purpose of this bill is to promote the use of natural infrastructure, such as marshes, reefs, and dunes, to protect coastal communities from erosion and storm damage.

The bill aims to provide funding and support for the implementation of living shorelines projects across the country. These projects would involve the restoration and creation of natural coastal habitats that can help to reduce the impact of storms and sea level rise on coastal communities.

The Living Shorelines Act also includes provisions for research and monitoring of living shorelines projects to assess their effectiveness and inform future decision-making. Additionally, the bill seeks to promote public education and outreach on the benefits of living shorelines for both coastal communities and the environment. Overall, the Living Shorelines Act is a bipartisan effort to address the growing threat of coastal erosion and storm damage by promoting the use of natural infrastructure to protect coastal communities. If passed, this legislation could have significant benefits for both the environment and the economy of coastal regions in the United States.