Giving Compass' Take:

· The Surfrider Foundation reports that Congress has saved funding for environmental, coastal management, and climate change programs under the Trump administration, but there are a number of ongoing threats to our coastlines.

· How can donors support efforts to clean up our coasts and protect the environment? 

· Check out this environmental issues guide for donors to learn more about this topic and how you can get involved. 

On the heels of the longest government shutdown in U. S. history, Congress finally passed a spending bill to keep the federal government operating until September 2019.  Advocates for clean water and healthy beaches had been watching the federal appropriations process closely as the President’s FY 2019 budget proposal included massive cuts for two key agencies responsible for protecting clean water and healthy coastlines – the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Critical federal programs administered by these agencies protect the health of swimmers and other beachgoers and help support resilient coastlines that are prepared for extreme weather.

With the passage of the spending deal in both chambers, Congress rejected the debilitating and sweeping cuts proposed by the President’s administration, and both agencies received funding allocations above 2018 enacted levels. At EPA, the budget deal saved funding for many important programs critical for protecting clean water and public health like the BEACH Act, the National Estuaries Program, the Non-Point Source Pollution Control Grants, and a funding source established to deal with sewage infrastructure needs at the U.S./ Mexico Border.

Read the full article about funding for environmental, coastal management, and climate change programs by Mara Dias at the Surfrider Foundation.