Funding / Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Awards

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Awards

With funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is awarding $832 million over a five-year period (2022 to 2026).

The focus is on making America’s coasts more resilient to climate change and other coastal hazards through natural infrastructure projects that conserve, restore, and acquire coastal lands to increase flood protection for communities. These same projects also support other priorities, including recreation, plant and animal habitat, coastal economies, community engagement—particularly with historically underserved communities—and a regional approach for the wise management of ocean and coastal resources. Long-standing national coastal management programs provided the foundation needed to successfully implement these resilience-building projects.

See Project Examples

Virginia

Tribe preserves 853 acres of culturally significant land.
Ohio

Preserved 105 acres along the Chagrin River.
Washington

Added 74.5 acres to Padilla Bay Research Reserve.
Florida

Living shoreline installed at Pensacola Bay Naval Air Station.
Alaska

Coastal wetlands restored in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
U.S. Virgin Islands

Used $800,000 in grants to protect the Coral Bay community watershed and coral reefs.

About the Grant Programs

Coastal Zone Management Programs and National Estuarine Research Reserve System

For these two funding programs, the focus is on habitat protection and restoration. See funded projects: coastal zone management programs and research reserves.

National Coastal Resilience Fund

Partnership between National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and NOAA. Funded projects enhance fish and wildlife habitat and have a direct benefit to human communities, often in the form of protection from flooding. See funded projects: August 2022, November 2022, October 2023, and November 2023.

Regional Ocean Partnerships

Coordinate interstate and intertribal management of ocean and coastal resources and implement priority actions, including data sharing and integration. Includes annual funds awarded competitively to federally recognized tribes. See funded projects.

Additional Information
Quick Links
Announcements

On June 17, 2024, NOAA announced the availability of approximately $44.6 million for state and territory coastal management programs and almost $13 million for national estuarine research reserves to support coastal habitat restoration and conservation under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through a competitive grant process.


On April 1, 2024, NOAA recommended approximately $755,000 in funding to support federally recognized American Indian tribes’ participation with regional ocean partnerships under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.


On April 22, 2024, NOAA recommended approximately $75 million in funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support coastal habitat restoration and conservation in partnership with state coastal management programs and national estuarine research reserves. An additional $48 million was recommended to support essential planning, collaborative engagement, and policy development and implementation.

See the Projects in Your State
Understanding Resilience
The Risk
  • The coast is home to approximately 40 percent of the population.
  • Twenty-eight billion-dollar disasters happened in 2023, costing over $93 billion.
  • Flooding caused nearly $7 billion in damages.
  • By 2050, up to $106 billion in coastal property likely will be below sea level.
The Benefits
  • Coastal wetlands are estimated to provide $23.2 billion in storm protection services every year in the U.S.
  • Collectively, mitigation programs save the American public about $3.4 billion every year.
  • For every dollar invested in mitigation strategies, the nation saves about $13 in future costs.
  • Natural infrastructure improves water quality and can reduce water treatment costs by more than 25 percent.
Funding Numbers

The total amount of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding administered by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023 was $223.6 million.

  • $74.4 million was awarded to state and territory coastal management programs, including $50.1 million for 20 projects and $24.3 million to support capacity-building.
  • $35 million was awarded to national estuarine research reserves, including $20.2 million for 13 projects and $14.8 million to support capacity-building.
  • $93.7 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding was awarded through the National Coastal Resilience Fund, for a total of $144 million through that program.
  • $20.5 million was awarded to regional ocean partnerships and tribal partners.