Historic Federal Investment in Official Georgia Marine Mammal
DECATUR, Ga. —The United States Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced this week $82 million in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding to protect North Atlantic Right Whales, Georgia's official marine mammal. This is part of the $2.6 billion framework the Biden-Harris Administration has proposed to invest in coastal resilience.
"We are grateful to NOAA and the Department of Commerce for investing in the survival of this sacred creature,” says Nancy Daves, board chair of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) and a former officer for NOAA Fisheries. "North Atlantic Right Whales calve off the coast of Georgia and it is critical we protect them from human-caused mortality, including collision with vessels."
The regulations for vessel speeds that NOAA has proposed previously are a critical adjunct to the technological and enforcement efforts funded by the IRA. We encourage Congress to support all these investments in marine life.
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Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that works across the state to mobilize people of faith toward environmental action. As part of the national Interfaith Power and Light movement, GIPL sees its response to global climate change, resource depletion, environmental injustice, and pollution as an extension of faith.
