Surfrider is best known for its impact at the local grassroots level thanks to the hard work of thousands of dedicated volunteers taking action in their communities. Being a part of the Surfrider network means that volunteers are part of the largest delegation of coastal and ocean recreation users in the nation! This gives all of us an important voice at the national level, and allows Surfrider volunteers and staff to effectively advance ocean and coastal protections from town councils all the way to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
One of the most impactful ways that we elevate the voice of the ocean and coastal recreation community at the national level is through our annual Coastal Recreation Hill Day. In 2023, Surfrider was honored to bring over 150 grassroots activists and allies to Washington, DC to advocate for federal protections for clean water and healthy beaches. Together Surfrider volunteers participated in 140 meetings with Congress and the Biden Administration within just 48 hours.
Federal advocacy is also a yearlong (and years long!) practice, so outside of Coastal Recreation Hill Day, Surfrider met with Congress and the Biden administration nearly 100 times throughout the year. During these meetings Surfrider staff and volunteers educated our federal leaders on the importance of and need for more proactive policy to protect our ocean, waves and beaches for all people. We work with legislative staff to inform legislation, fight dangerous bills, and inspire more comprehensive action for our coasts.
Specifically, in 2023, Surfrider helped introduce and built support for federal legislation that protects our ocean and coasts from plastic pollution, oil spills, sewage, and climate change. These include:
- Plastic reduction policies, including:
- The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act
- Reducing Waste in National Parks Act
- The Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act
- Clean water policies, including:
- The Clean Water Act of 2023
- Comprehensive funding for solutions to address the wastewater crisis on the US-Mexico border
- Offshore drilling prohibition policies, including:
- The West Coast Protection Act
- California Clean Coast Act
- Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism Anti-Drilling Act
- Defend Our Coast Act
- Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act
- North Pacific Ocean Protection Act
- Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act
- Florida Coastal Protection Act
- Nonrestrictive Offshore Wind Act
- Coastal resilience, natural shoreline and blue carbon protection policies, including:
- Help our Kelp Act
- Strengthening Coastal Communities Act
- Bolstering Ecosystems Against Harm Act
We also worked with ocean champions across party lines to build bipartisan support for important clean water programs, including the Environmental Protection Agency’s BEACH Act, which funds beach water quality testing and public notification programs in coastal communities across the United States and territories.
In 2024, Surfrider will continue to build bipartisan support for important legislation, federal funding and executive action to protect our ocean, waves and beaches.
Our 2024 federal priorities include:
- Advancing the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act and passing the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act
- Passing offshore drilling prohibition legislation, including the:
- West Coast Protection Act
- Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism Anti-Drilling Act
- Florida Coastal Protection Act
- Protecting water quality by elevating funding for the EPA BEACH Act program
- Strengthening protections for dunes, wetlands and barrier islands by passing the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act and the Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act
- Advancing protections for wetlands and wetland migration corridors
- Reducing single use plastic pollution by strengthening the plastic procurement phase out by the federal Government Services Administration
- Developing a strong, binding Global Plastics Treaty
- Implementing federal solutions to address toxic water pollution and the environmental justice crisis at the US-Mexico Border and Tijuana River Valley
Surfrider will advocate for many of these priorities during our 2024 Virtual Coastal Recreation Hill Day next month, February 28 and 29. Are you interested in meeting face to face with your federal elected officials to demand stronger protections for our ocean and coasts? Contact your local Surfrider Chapter Chair and let them know! We are actively recruiting Surfrider volunteers, allies and supporters to participate.
We believe that each victory and policy advancement at the local level brings us closer to protecting our beloved coasts and ocean at the national level. It’s all possible thanks to the amazing Chapter and Student Club volunteers, and Surfrider members, supporters and partners.
Not a member but want to help advance federal protections for our ocean and coasts?