U.S. lawmakers have reintroduced the Help Our Kelp Act, legislation that would provide financial support for America’s kelp forest ecosystems.
“Healthy kelp ecosystems are essential not only to the stability and survival of hundreds of marine species but also to protecting coastlines, generating income for coastal communities, and supporting sustainable fisheries,” U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) said in a statement. “As we continue to see the decline of these ecosystems due to climate change, it’s urgent that Congress steps in and passes much-needed federal assistance to help counter these challenges in our oceans. With this bill, we can take an important step toward improving and recovering conditions for kelp and other marine life before it’s too late.”
If passed, the Help Our Kelp Act would create a NOAA grant program to conserve and restore kelp forest ecosystems. The program would authorize USD 5 million (EUR 4.6 million) in grant funding from fiscal year 2026 through 2030.
“Oregon’s kelp forests provide critical habitats and food sources for the marine mammals, birds, and many fish species that support Oregon’s commercial fishing industry, Tribes, and coastal economies,” U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) said in a statement. "As these forests vanish, the wildlife that depends on kelp forests will struggle, throwing nature out of balance and leaving coastal and Tribal communities in uncharted waters. The Help Our Kelp Act will get us back on track and protect our ecosystems, our local economies, and our fishing industry."
First introduced in 2023, the legislation did not pass out of committee before the end of the 118th Congress.
The legislation is supported by several conservation groups, including Monterey Bay Aquarium, Center for the Blue Economy, Seattle Aquarium, Blue Frontier, Noyo Center for Marine Science, Ocean Conservancy, Greater Farallones Association, Oregon Kelp Alliance, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, American Sportfishing Association, Surfrider Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and The Bay Foundation.
“The health of Columbia River salmon is tied to the health of the ocean ecosystem where they spend a large portion of their lives,” Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Executive Director Aja DeCoteau said in a statement. “Our member Tribes support efforts to protect or restore salmon habitat wherever these far-traveling fish journey. Juvenile salmon especially depend on the kelp forests off the Oregon and Washington coasts, an ecosystem that has been struggling in recent years. Senator Merkley’s Help our Kelp Act has our support, and we look forward to working together to protect this dynamic and important marine ecosystem that provides habitat for not only salmon but an entire community of wildlife, provides carbon sequestration, acts as a buffer for coastal erosion, and provides important ecological balance to the marine system.”
