Looming CR or Federal Government Shutdown —What That Means for Our Coasts & Ocean

Update: In the early hours of October 1, 2025, the US Federal government officially shut down. Federal agencies have begun implementing their shutdown protocols and an estimated 750,000 government workers are expected to be furloughed. The National Park Service announced that open air sites will remain publicly accessible but visitor centers and areas that require staffing will be closed, and emergency services will be limited. Surfrider will continue to follow Congressional negotiations as lawmakers strive to come to a responsible stopgap funding agreement and an eventual FY2026 federal budget.

If Congress fails to reach an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) federal budget by tomorrow, September 30, portions of the federal government will shut down indefinitely. The duration could be days, weeks, or longer. Many agencies and programs that we rely on for clean water, ocean protection, coastal management, pollution prevention, disaster recovery response, and safe outdoor recreation will be forced to close until a budget agreement is reached.

Our lawmakers are attempting to avoid a government shutdown by passing a Continuing Resolution, also referred to as a stopgap funding bill or "CR", to buy more time for them to agree upon and finalize the complete budget. However, even a Continuing Resolution is proving to be contentious. The House and Senate are seemingly stuck in a policy gridlock, and the Trump administration has threatened to mandate more mass agency layoffs should a shutdown occur.

The Senate is striving to place guardrails to prevent the Trump administration from continuing to reallocate and rescind funding from important federal programs (a process known as "impoundment"), and protect funding for health insurance and Medicaid. On the other hand, the House has already passed a seven-week Continuing Resolution that would reduce funding for NOAA coastal management, weather, and research programs by extending budget cuts recently made by the Trump administration, increase funding for Congressional security measures, and despite being referred at as "clean", codify a handful of policy riders.

In the event of a government shutdown, notable ocean, coastal and outdoor recreation impacts we can expect, include:

Suspension of EPA Clean Water and Public Health Programs. Closures within the EPA would halt inspections of industry and hazardous waste sites, pause clean up efforts at superfund sites, delay wastewater permitting, and stall enforcement against polluters. Overall it will kneecap EPA's ability to implement Clean Water Act protections that we rely on to ensure clean healthy waterways at the coast and in our inland communities.
National Park Closures. A government shutdown could result in an indefinite pause on National Park enforcement, search and rescue operations, facilities management, and waste services; as well as possible park closures. Ahead of the potential shutdown back in 2023, the Department of Interior announced: “[a]t NPS sites across the country, gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed, and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed. Accordingly, the public will be encouraged not to visit sites during the period of lapse in appropriations out of consideration for protection of natural and cultural resources, as well as visitor safety.” During the last Trump Administration, a 35-day government shutdown was a disaster for our National Parks and protected areas, where a lack of enforcement and services resulted in careless visitors destroying and trampling fragile ecosystems, cultural sites and park facilities.
National Marine Sanctuaries and Protected Area Closures. NOAA's Office of Marine Sanctuaries, tasked with managing marine protected areas and sanctuaries, will likely be shut down and unable to operate and protect these important environments.
Limited Coastal Management and Sea Level Rise Planning. In previous shutdowns, NOAA suspended its national estuaries, coastal resilience, marine debris, and Sea Grant programs. These programs not only protect beaches, rocky shores, and wildlife; they also help communities plan for sea level rise and extreme weather events.
Impeded Hurricane and Weather Forecasting. Weather alerts and forecasts by NOAA are expected to continue, which is important as two tropical systems loom in the Atlantic. However, should satellites or weather observation systems be damaged during the shutdown, they may not be repaired until after the government shutdown ends, posing a threat to communities in the path of future storms.

Additionally, U.S. residents have been advised to expect:

Air travel delays, as air traffic controllers and TSA will be asked to work without pay,
Passport office closures,
Loss of access to low-income support programs including Head Start and WIC,
Delayed food safety inspections by the FDA; and more.

The Surfrider Foundation will continue to put pressure on House and Senate leadership to collaboratively develop and pass an FY26 Appropriations Package that protects funding for our ocean and coasts. To learn more about Surfrider’s stance on provisions in the FY26 appropriations bills, check out our recent letter to Congress.

In the meantime, please consider reducing your impact on our federal lands and waters by limiting your use of single use plastics, practicing "pack it, pack it out" when it comes to managing your trash while visiting beaches and other outdoor recreation areas, and respecting access closures in order to protect the natural environment, cultural resources, and wildlife habitat.