Bipartisan House Bill Would Dedicate Funds to Essential Oyster Recovery Work

Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have introduced legislation to create a competitive grant program to support restoring and protecting oyster reefs. 

The Oyster Reef Recovery Act of 2024 would establish an Oyster Restoration and Conservation Program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and allow it to dedicate up to $15 million annually for the next five years to oyster recovery work. 

Grants could be used to identify priority reefs for restoration, evaluate the health of oyster reefs, ensure their resilience, build conservation partnerships, develop tools for monitoring the success of recovery work, collaborate on best management practices, and support workforce training, especially to benefit underserved communities. 

The federal government, state, local, or tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions, the shellfish industry, and private individuals or entities would be eligible to apply for the grants. 

Oyster reefs are vital to the health of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. They improve water quality, provide habitat for fish, crabs, and other aquatic species, and support a fishery at the heart of the regional economy. Restoring the native population, currently just a small fraction of its historical size due to disease, pollution, and overharvesting, is essential to restoring the Bay and its waterways. 

Virginia and Maryland are on track to successfully restore oyster populations and reef habitat in 11 Bay tributaries by the end of 2025. They committed to this ambitious goal a decade ago in the Chesapeake Watershed Recovery Agreement of 2014. 

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Federal Director Keisha Sedlacek issued the following statement: 

“Healthy oyster reefs are essential to a healthy Chesapeake Bay.  

“The Oyster Reef Recovery Act would ensure that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration prioritizes recovering these incredible living resources by creating a program explicitly focused on this goal.  

“The Chesapeake Bay Foundation applauds Rep. Kiggans for her bipartisan leadership on restoring this keystone species. We appreciate her efforts to further highlight the importance of a healthy oyster resource and expanding NOAA’s capabilities, which have been instrumental in guiding successful efforts in Virginia and throughout the Chesapeake Bay.”