From Legislation to Action: Nicole LeBouef on NOAA's Funding Boost for Coastal Communities | Capitol Beach

May 14, 2023

NOAA's LeBoeuf on sustaining coastal resilience investments.

On The Capitol Beach, Derek Brockbank speaks with Nicole LeBouef, the assistant administrator for NOAA’s National Ocean Service, about NOAA’s recent announcement of $562 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to make coastal communities resilient to climate impacts. Funding 149 projects across 30 states and territories, this is the first major announcement of NOAA funds coming from these landmark pieces of legislation. Nicole explains how the BIL and IRA funds complement each other, what lessons NOAA has learned from the first year of funding, and how communities should talk about their funded projects to help ensure this investment is not once-in-a-generation, but a paradigm shift for how we invest in coastal resilience in an era of sea level rise and other climate impacts.  You can learn more about the funded projects on an interactive map on NOAA’s website, and learn more about BIL and IRA funding – including upcoming funding opportunities - at: https://www.noaa.gov/infrastructure-law

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Derek Brockbank

Derek Brockbank is Executive Director of Coastal States Organization (CSO), which represents the nation’s Coastal States, Territories, and Commonwealths on ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes issues. With two decades of experience in Washington DC on coastal adaptation policy and organizational development, Derek is connecting state coastal management programs with federal agencies and resources in order to address the greatest coastal challenges facing society. He previously served as executive director for the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) where he led the strategic planning and outreach, government affairs, and development goals of the nation’s leading organization advocating for beach and coastal restoration. Prior to starting with ASBPA, Derek worked as campaign director for a coalition effort to restore the Mississippi River Delta and Coastal Louisiana, and was part of a gulf-wide campaign to pass the RESTORE Act, securing billions of dollars for Gulf Coast restoration. This followed up on his work with National Wildlife Federation on climate adaption. Derek grew up in New York City and got his coastal education from an early age playing on the beaches of Long Island, and kayaking and fishing in Peconic Bay.