Federal action needed to protect coastal recreation from climate change

Our coasts and ocean are under siege due to climate change. Sea level rise, extreme weather events and ocean acidification are already putting our nation’s coastlines at risk. Climate change impacts are also taking a devastating toll on coastal economies and local communities.

It’s increasingly clear that our ocean and coasts are on the front lines of the climate crisis emergency. Our ocean has absorbed 90 percent of the heat and 30 percent of carbon dioxide trapped in our atmosphere from fossil fuel emissions. As a result, the ocean is warmer, more acidic, and rising at an alarming rate.

Sea level rise is washing away our nation’s beaches. For every inch of sand lost, the public’s opportunity for enjoyment — and the economic benefits that result — decrease. The latest predictions are bleak, estimating as much as a 6-foot rise by 2100. This will shrink or eliminate beaches on every U.S. coastline.

Just within the past few years, a slew of scientific reports has indicated that we have little time to tackle the problem for future generations. Recently, 11,000 scientists issued a statement stating that unless there are major transformations to our global society, humans will face “untold suffering due to the climate crisis.”  

By 2050, scientists estimate that 90 percent of coral reefs will die off from ocean warming and acidification due to climate change. A recent study revealed that sea-level rise will impact 300,000 homes and commercial properties in the U.S. over the next 30 years, costing nearly $136 billion. Rising seas and more powerful storms are already destroying community infrastructure, shrinking coastlines, and diminishing the public’s ability to enjoy our favorite beaches. 

These climate change impacts pose a grave threat to our coastal recreation and tourism industries. Every year, millions of Americans visit the coast to enjoy our nation’s beaches, surf spots and nearshore waters.

From Maine and Florida to California and Hawaii, these activities keep coastal economies humming. In fact, recreation and tourism constitute 2.4 million jobs and more than $124 billion in GDP every year.

But the coastal recreation industry is just a small piece of what’s at risk. Local governments are struggling to plan for rising seas and extreme weather events that flood communities and damage coastal infrastructure. Sea level rise also impacts public access to the coast — fewer people can visit the beach when fewer beaches exist at all.

Coastal property owners often exacerbate the problem by “armoring” the coast, speeding up erosion, sacrificing our collective playground and discounting the shifting tide line that defines where public property begins.

We must do everything we can to preserve our nation’s coasts and the public’s ability to enjoy these places. The federal government is neglecting its responsibility to protect these resources, which drive our economies, businesses and communities for this and future generations. 

That’s why our organizations, the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association and the Surfrider Foundation, are joining millions of people across the country in demanding that our federal leaders take bold action on climate change.

This week, more than 150 coastal recreational leaders are meeting with over 100 congressional offices and the Trump administration to demand immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help communities to adapt to impacts from climate change. 

Specifically, legislation that the federal government can support to proactively prepare for climate change impacts to our coastlines includes:

1. The National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization and Reform Act to discourage building in flood zones, ensure natural adaptation measures, and improve affordability.

2. The Coastal Climate Preparedness Act of 2019 (H.R. 3541) to promote climate-resilient shorelines that protect coastal communities and ecosystems, and to establish a coastal climate change preparedness program.

3. The Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act (H.R. 3195, S. 1081) to protect coastal resources and help coastal communities prepare for climate change.

4. The Clean Economy Act (H.R. 5221, S. 3269) to establish a national goal of having 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.

Clean water and healthy beaches are critical to the nation’s coastal economies, communities, and recreation industries. We must act now to protect our coasts from the impacts of climate change for the future. 

Dr. Chad Nelsen is CEO of the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to the protection of clean water and healthy beaches. Sean Smith is the executive director of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA).