On December 18th 2015, Congress passed its federal budget bill for 2016. which included funding for NOAA's coastal resilience program to support regional ocean planning and other National Ocean Policy activities. In addition, the final bill removed three bad amendments passed by the House of Representatives that would have restricted implementation of the policy. This decision advances Surfrider's mission by supporting federal leadership to "advance the stewardship of our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes", and providing for the completion of regional ocean plans in the Northeast and Mid-Atantic that will protect the marine ecosystem and recreational uses. Surfrider members advocated for this decision through outreach to their federal representatives and on-the-ground support for regional ocean planning. Thanks to the Healthy Ocean Coalition, the Ocean Conservancy, and other partners who we worked with on this effort.
