Rep. Speier Reintroduces Legislation to Restore San Francisco Bay

Congresswoman Jackie Speier on Thursday (Jan. 28) reintroduced the San Francisco Bay Restoration Act, a bill to provide increased federal funding for Bay Area restoration, water quality, and protection from sea level rise. Under the proposal, $50 million a year for five years would be invested in the Bay Area, bringing in a total of $250 million to support restoration projects. Despite having the largest estuary on the West Coast, the Bay Area is chronically underfunded relative to other estuaries. Between 2008 and 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency invested only $45 million into the San Francisco Bay while the Puget Sound received more than $260 million and the Chesapeake Bay received a whopping $490 million.

The Bay Area Council has been a longtime supporter of San Francisco Bay restoration funding. In 2016, the Council helped pass Measure AA which implemented a $12 parcel tax in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area to raise approximately $25 million annually, or $500 million over twenty years to support restoration projects in the region. The measure passed with over 70% approval and went into effect in 2017. The Council looks forward to working with Rep. Speier to pass the San Francisco Bay Restoration Act and ensure that the Bay gets the funding it deserves. To engage in the Council’s Bay restoration and climate resilience work, please contact Vice President Adrian Covert.