Our Coasts Are Stronger Than Ever Thanks to a Big Win for This Little-known Law

For over 40 years, the Coastal Barrier Resources Act has been a little-known bipartisan environmental law—quietly protecting critical bird habitat, providing coastal communities with a natural buffer against storms and sea-level rise, and saving taxpayers billions of dollars, all while staying under the radar. Audubon has long been a champion of this law, and now we have reason to celebrate! Last week, President Biden signed the Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm (BEACH) Act, updating the Coastal Barrier Resources Act and expanding its protected system of coastal areas that buffers people and birds from flooding on our coasts. 

Congress passed the BEACH Act with overwhelming bipartisan support just last month, adding nearly 300,000 acres of wetlands and beaches to the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) system, codifying its largest expansion since 1990. For years, Audubon has worked with a diverse coalition of partner organizations, multiple presidential administrations, and legislators on both sides of the aisle to massively expand the CBRA system, and the sweeping success of this bill is one of our most exciting accomplishments for the coast. 

Created in 1982, the CBRA protects coastal habitat and property while saving lives and federal taxpayer dollars in a distinctive way. Undeveloped beaches and coastal wetlands around our country provide vital habitat for birds and wildlife, especially in the face of climate change impacts such as sea-level rise and increased storm frequency and intensity. These coastal areas are also particularly prone to those climate impacts, endangering lives, property, and vulnerable species. The CBRA discourages development in these hazard-prone areas by removing most federal spending, including flood insurance, disaster recovery grants, and other federal expenditures on the CBRA’s system of protected areas. This market-based approach is working. A recent study demonstrates this in its finding that CBRA is highly effective at achieving its intended goals—reducing development by 85 percent compared to nearby areas, reducing flood damage by 25 percent, and adding ecologically important layers of protection to coastal areas. 

Currently, CBRA protects 3.5 million acres on the coasts of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These largely undeveloped areas are an ideal habitat for birds like American Oystercatchers and Piping Plovers to nest and rest well away from any human disturbance. Intact coastal beaches and wetlands like this also serve as a natural buffer for nearby communities from storms and sea-level rise. Beach dunes act as speed bumps to slow down wind and waves, and marshes act as sponges soaking up floodwaters. 

After Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012, causing severe coastal flooding on the Atlantic Coast, a study found that in the region, coastal wetlands alone saved over $625 million in additional property damage. With this in mind, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) then evaluated the nine states most impacted by the storm to identify new coastal areas that could be added to the existing CBRA system of protected lands, to better defend against future storms. In 2022, the USFWS released its final analysis on those states, recommending an additional 270,000 acres be added into the system from Virginia to New Hampshire. Following years of study and public input, the BEACH Act adds 294,000 acres on the Atlantic Coast, as well as in vulnerable states like Louisiana, South Carolina, and Florida.

The bill also includes a critical provision for future climate resiliency—directing the USFWS, in conjunction with other relevant agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey, to conduct a study on coastal ecosystem dynamics that will explore further expanding protected areas, potentially including upland areas that could help low-lying marshes "migrate" as sea levels rise. These marshes are squeezed between the encroaching ocean and human development on the coast, therefore without the space to shift inland, we risk losing many of our wetlands, and with them, our birds. The Saltmarsh Sparrow population has declined an estimated 80 percent in the last couple of decades, as their nests are more and more frequently flooded by rising seas. This study will evaluate what areas upland of the current CBRA system could be beneficial to add into the system to better prepare for imminent sea-level rise and corresponding wetland migration, which will in turn preserve vital future habitat for coastal birds like Saltmarsh Sparrows. 

In addition to the plethora of benefits for coastal and migratory sea bird habitat, nationwide, coastal wetlands provide $23 billion in storm protection services each year, reducing storm recovery costs for communities and taxpayers. A recent study revealed even more economic benefits that CBRA provides, including increased property values in adjacent properties, and approximately $112 million savings per year along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in National Flood Insurance Program claims. Furthermore, CBRA has already saved federal taxpayers nearly $10 billion, and is projected to save another $11-109 billion in the future. 

The wetlands and inlets protected by CBRA also support recreational and commercial fisheries that are essential to our economy and coastal heritage. Fish and shellfish depend on healthy estuaries and wetlands, utilizing these ecosystems for spawning grounds and nurseries. However, coastal wetland loss has reduced the size and diversity of fish populations, impacting the commercial and recreational fishing industry. NOAA found that in 2019, these industries supported approximately 1.8 million jobs and contributed $255 billion to the national economy in sales. By expanding the CBRA system, more critical estuarine fish habitat will be preserved, which is good for birds and the national economy. 

The BEACH Act passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate, showing that CBRA maintains its decades-long reputation as a bipartisan policy with widespread support. We would like to thank Senators Carper (D-DE) and Graham (R-SC), and Representatives Kiggans (R-VA) and Blunt Rochester (D-DE), whose strong leadership on this legislation got it over the finish line during a lame duck session. 

The BEACH Act is a major success for coastal birds and communities along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. As CBRA continues to quietly protect habitat and save federal dollars, Audubon will continue to work closely with our partner organizations and Congressional allies to explore new opportunities to utilize CBRA’s successful, bipartisan method. We are so excited to end the 118th Congress with such a significant win for the nation’s coasts and all the species and people that they protect.