Carper, Graham, Kiggans, Blunt Rochester Applaud Unanimous Senate Passage of Legislation to Protect Coastal Ecos... ➞

Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) celebrated final unanimous Senate passage of their legislation to amend and reauthorize the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) and codify maps to update and add units to the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS). The legislation is known as the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act in the U.S. Senate and the Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The House passed the legislation unanimously in September.

The CBRA, which was originally authored by Delaware Congressman Tom Evans in 1981, protects 3.5 million acres of our nation's coastal barrier islands and wetlands by prohibiting most federal financial assistance and development on designated coastal areas. By preventing taxpayer funds from being used to develop these pristine areas, CBRA has saved the taxpayer $9.5 billion, protected coastal communities from deadly storms, and protected habitats that support important economies and wildlife.

This legislation will enlarge the CBRA System by adding more than 290,000 acres to it. This will further save taxpayers money, expand flood protections for today's coastal communities, and conserve important habitat. This bill also adopts comprehensive revised maps prepared through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Hurricane Sandy Remapping Project to right size the program. Specifically, it will codify 195 updated or new maps that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has transmitted to Congress for the CBRS.

The bill includes a provision to support sustainable aquaculture operations and authorizes $1.9 million in annual appropriations to implement CBRA through fiscal year 2031. This legislation is slated to go to the President's desk next.

"Low-lying states, like my home state of Delaware, are particularly vulnerable to the devastation wreaked by extreme weather and storms. As climate change continues to fuel stronger hurricanes and other extreme weather events, we must do more to protect our coastal communities from its costly impacts," said Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Carper. "These updates to the Coastal Barrier Resources Act will save taxpayers money by curbing new development in low-lying areas, while also preserving critical wildlife habitat and protecting our coastal communities. I'm thankful to each of my colleagues - on both sides of the aisle and on both sides of the Capitol - who helped write, pass and deliver this bill to the President's desk."

"I am glad this legislation is headed to the President's desk. It makes important updates to Coastal Barrier Resources Act maps impacting South Carolina and allows for increased local input as additional maps are considered," said Senator Graham. "I was proud to work with my colleagues and Chairman Carper to pass this legislation in the Senate and protect vulnerable land from coastal hazards such as flooding and storm surge."

"I am incredibly proud to see the BEACH Act become law," said Congresswoman Kiggans. "We owe it to ourselves and the generations after us to take care of the world we live in, and my bipartisan legislation does exactly that. For 40 years, the Coastal Barrier Resources Act has not only protected millions of acres of beaches and wetlands, but also prevented billions of dollars in property damage from natural disasters and undoubtedly saved lives. With the BEACH Act as law of the land, I am confident Americans can continue to be good stewards of both our environment and taxpayer dollars."

"Since my first term in Congress, I have been a steadfast champion for Delaware's coastal communities, leading and securing passage of legislation like the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act," said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "I am so pleased to have been able to build on that work with the bipartisan BEACH Act and I wholeheartedly celebrate its passage in the Senate. As extreme weather becomes more frequent due to the climate crisis, this legislation will protect Delawareans and our natural resources from hazards including flooding, storm surge, wind erosion, and sea level rise. It also includes policies I authored to extend disaster loan eligibility to aquaculture businesses and improve our understanding of how extreme weather is affecting our coastal barrier areas. I am proud that the BEACH Act now heads to President Biden's desk for his signature and grateful for the across-the-aisle collaboration it took to get it there."

You can view the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's proposed changes to the CBRA System in Delaware here.

You can read the full text of the BEACH Act here and a one pager on the bill here.