We are all living in a moment defined by overlapping political, ecological, and social crises, each leaving a visible mark on our communities. From climate change to democratic instability to human rights violations, the pressures on our systems—natural and social—are intensifying. Federal policy decisions are shaping our local realities in increasingly direct and visible ways and the Oregon coast is no exception. Right now, two emerging federal threats stand to have brutally tangible consequences for Oregon’s coastal communities, economies, and ecosystems.

One is a proposed bill—the so-called Coastal Commission Accountability Act—which would weaken the Coastal Zone Management Act by stripping coastal states, including Oregon, of their authority to review and influence federal projects through the consistency process. The other is the President’s proposed FY 2026 budget, which would slash funding for key coastal and marine programs that have long supported Oregon’s coast.

  1. The “Coastal Commission Accountability Act”
    This proposed bill would weaken the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), a bipartisan law that has empowered Oregon and other coastal states for over 50 years. It ensures that federal actions—like offshore energy projects—align with state and local coastal policies.
    If passed, this bill would:
  • Oregon would lose its right to review most federal projects on its coast resulting in a massive loss of decision-making power on the state and local level
  • Decisions affecting fisheries, public lands, offshore development, and marine conservation could proceed without local input or oversight

2. FY 2026 Federal Budget Cuts
The President’s proposed budget would eliminate or severely cut funding for nearly every federal program supporting Oregon’s coastal work, including:

  • Oregon Coastal Management Program:
    • Loss of 11 of 16 staff supporting coastal management—impacting implementation of the Territorial Sea Plan, local land use planning, community engagement, and planning/response to coastal hazards. Without personnel, coastal programs could collapse
    • Major setbacks in land use, estuary planning, and climate resilience
    • Lack of capacity to support local governments and conduct outreach to stakeholders and communities
    • Federal consistency reviews would stall, delaying or halting key protections for communities and natural resources
  • Oregon Sea Grant:
    • All research, grants, and public education, including offshore wind planning and fisheries and coastal hazards work, could end
  • Hatfield Marine Science Center:
    • Entire labs and programs could shut down, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lab
    • Already lost 12–16 staff, with up to 15 more jobs at risk
      • Impact Newport economy and increase local unemployment
    • Stall cutting edge marine and oceanographic research Hatfield has been leading for decades
    • Impact tradition of collaborative research across sectors, aimed to help address issues impacting coastal communities and fishermen
  • NANOOS (Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems):
    • Real-time ocean condition observations, forecasts, and data would stop
    • Data tools used by fishermen, shellfish farmers, the Coast Guard, and scientists would be eliminated, affecting maritime and seafood safety, fishing, emergency response, and more
  • Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife:
    • Capacity and funding to support fisheries science and management to support sustainable fishing operations would be impacted
  • South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve in Coos Bay:
    • 90% of staff could lose funding, leading to a collapse of reserve educational and restoration programming
    • Long-term monitoring and community engagement would stop

Why this Matters—and Why There’s Hope

These proposals could dismantle the very tools Oregon relies on to protect its coast, respond to climate change, and support coastal communities. Local communities would lose their power to regulate their own coastlines. Marine research will be severely disrupted or stopped entirely, setting us years back and delaying cutting-edge discoveries. It would rock the entire coastal management framework and weaken the capacity of our state agency partners—trusted collaborators whose goals and vision for Oregon’s coast often align with ours. Much of Oregon Shores’ work operates within the systems and planning processes that these agencies lead; our ability to advocate, engage communities, and protect coastal resources is deeply connected to the strength of their programs and the success of our shared efforts.

But the bill hasn’t passed, and the budget is still being negotiated. There’s still a large window for uncertainty, which in this case, gives us reason to hope for more favorable outcomes.

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures– Oregon Shores will engage in federal advocacy. We are tracking these developments closely, developing a plan, and will share ways you can get involved.

Stay informed. Stay human.

  • Coastal Lands