Expand the Coastal Barrier Resources Act

Surfrider Foundation is celebrating the enactment of the the Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act (HR.5490) expanding the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA). This federal legislation aligns with Surfrider’s goal to protect U.S. beaches, coastal habitats, coastal recreation areas, and communities through rigorous coastal management and proactive planning for sea level rise. Expanding CBRA will ensure that federal funding for development is removed from sensitive coastal and upland areas, protecting barrier islands, bluffs, wetlands, and other aquatic habitats, and allowing for migration of these habitats in light of sea level rise and climate change. 

CBRA was passed by Congress in 1982 with the intent to conserve storm-prone and dynamic coastal barriers by divesting their federal safety net. The current Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) encompasses 3.5 million acres along the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico coasts. HR5490 would incorporate more than 290,000 new acres into the CBRS, including upland areas to facilitate wetland migration, and expanding the definition of coastal areas included in the system, opening the door for the inclusion of acreage along the Pacific Coast in the future.  

Due to the overwhelming bipartisan support for this bill, HR5490 passed the House and Senate unanimously this fall, with President Biden signing and enacting this legislation on November 25, 2024. Surfrider Foundation has supported this bill for several years, signing letters of support and advocating for its passage in partnership with the National Audubon Society, meeting with bill sponsors and members of Congress to voice support, with our members sending messages to President Biden to sign this important coastal legislation into law. 

Surfrider Foundation looks forward to continuing to build on the bipartisan support and momentum of HR5490 to further expand the Coastal Barrier Resources System in the 119th Congress.