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Congressman Posey introduced the Estuary Urgent Needs Priority Program Act, bipartisan legislation that helps restore our Indian River Lagoon by providing more resources to resolve its current ecological challenges. These imperative provisions were included in the National Estuary Program (NEP) reauthorization (H.R. 944), which passed the House on June 1, 2015 and signed into law on May 20, 2016.

Specifically, the legislation directs funding within the NEP to meet high priority needs across the nation’s 28 national estuaries, including our Lagoon. This legislation also: 1) guarantees estuary base grant funding and 2) reserves funds within the NEP account for estuaries experiencing urgent ecological challenges. Within amounts authorized for the NEPs, the legislation directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to administer competitive awards for projects in estuaries experiencing urgent and challenging ecological problems including sea grass loss, reoccurring harmful algal blooms, invasive exotic species or jellyfish proliferation. These awards will not deduct from the NEP’s estuary base grants, and the competitive allotment process will ensure they are awarded to highly qualified and thoroughly vetted organizations capable of making real strides towards restoring the health of our national estuaries.  

Read the Estuary Urgent Needs Program Act

Read the National Estuary Reauthorization Act (Signed into law)