Shipbuilding & Maritime Investment
OPPORTUNITY
The Bay Area’s East Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region sits at the heart of one of America’s most strategically significant maritime corridors, yet decades of disinvestment have left our domestic shipbuilding capacity a fraction of what global competitors have built. Today, the United States builds less than 1% of the world’s commercial ships, while China controls more than half of global production. This is not just an economic gap, it is a national security vulnerability. The Bay Area Council sees a generational opportunity to reverse this decline. Our region boasts deep-water ports, a skilled trades workforce, world-class engineering institutions, and a legacy of maritime industrial capacity that can be reactivated. Congress and the Administration have signaled serious intent to rebuild American maritime power, and the Bay Area is ready to be the model for what a revitalized U.S. maritime industry can look like.
WHAT WE SEEK
Support the SHIPS for America Act (H.R. 3151 / S. 1541)
The SHIPS for America Act, co-sponsored by Rep. John Garamendi and Rep. Trent Kelly in the House, and by Senators Mark Kelly and Todd Young in the Senate, provides the legislative framework to rebuild America’s commercial shipbuilding capacity. The bill carries bipartisan support from 131 House cosponsors and 13 Senate cosponsors, and the Bay Area Council urges the full Bay Area delegation to cosponsor the bill and champion its passage.
Designate a Bay-Delta Maritime Prosperity Zone
Maritime Prosperity Zones, established through the SHIPS Act, would unlock targeted federal investment, streamlined permitting, workforce training resources, and supply chain incentives for eligible maritime industrial regions. A Bay-Delta Maritime Prosperity Zone designation would encompass East Bay ports, Delta waterways, and adjacent industrial lands, creating an engine for manufacturing jobs, port modernization, and defense-related maritime capacity.
Support Complementary Maritime Investments
Support Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) funding. Robust PIDP appropriations through the U.S. DOT Maritime Administration enable critical port modernization at Oakland and Delta-area facilities, supporting export competitiveness, supply chain resilience, and job creation.
Port of Oakland Turning Basins Widening Project (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
The Port of Oakland project proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will widen theInner and Outer Harbor Turning Basins to better accommodate larger vessels that are calling on the Port with greater frequency. The project was federally authorized as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024. The Oakland Seaport is a vital part of the state and national economies, including the export of domestic agricultural products, and is associated with over $90 billion in total national value in wages, local purchases, and in state, local and federal taxes. $8 million is requested as part of the Planning, Engineering and Design (PED) phase of this project.
Port Infrastructure Development Program (U.S. DOT, Maritime Administration)
The Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) has been a successful funding tool utilized by multiple Administrations to modernize the nation’s aging port infrastructure, including critical upgrades that have increased the efficiency, safety, and reliability of port operations and the goods movement supply chain, including support for the export of agricultural products and domestically manufactured goods. Continued robust funding support for the PIDP program is needed to ensure the competitiveness of U.S. ports.
Housing
OPPORTUNITY
In recent years, the Bay Area Council has excelled in passing policies to improve the homebuilding environment, but many challenges remain. Currently, the state and the region permit about half of the housing they would need to permit to prevent home prices from rising faster than inflation. The Council’s top housing goal is to successfully double the rate of housing production on an annual basis by 2031, so that our region is on the path to affordability. A dramatic increase in housing production that achieves widespread, abundant affordable housing options is critical to the economic vibrancy of the region, to advancing homeownership options for low- and moderate-income people, and to advancing race equity in the region; it is central to the Council’s mission to make the Bay Area the best place to live and work. We aim for this goal with three main strategies: passing pro-production policies, helping individual projects clear the gauntlet of local approvals, and educating the public.
WHAT WE SEEK
Goal 1: Expand Federal Funding for Affordable Housing Production
The Bay Area is experiencing an immense housing crisis, and the Federal Government’s most significant role in ameliorating that will come through funding. According to Enterprise Community Partners, the Bay Area has a shortage of nearly 160,000 affordable homes, which need to be built using private and public funding. We request Congress expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and other funding sources for affordable housing to help resolve this shortage.
Goal 2: Accelerate Mass Timber Technology
Mass timber, an advanced lumber technology manufactured in the United States from domestic timber, is an emerging technology with great potential. It creates both rural and urban jobs, reduces the cost of construction, and has the potential to achieve great improvements in the sustainability of building materials. It unites the interests of rural communities who farm timber and the urban communities who depend on it for construction. We hope that Congress and the US Forest Service will continue working on building code refinements and investments in manufacturing mass timber to produce needed jobs and advanced lumber technology for construction.
Homelessness
OPPORTUNITY
The shift in federal and state priorities from providing homeless residents with quick access to life-saving shelter to expensive permanent housing with long delays has been disastrous in high-cost states like California, which today is home to roughly half the nation’s unsheltered homeless population. Long-term unsheltered homelessness contributes to devastating health and safety outcomes and deprives the public access to public spaces. We ask Congress and the Administration to allow states and local jurisdictions to use federal programs to support interim solutions like emergency shelter and interim housing.
WHAT WE SEEK
Allow Continuum of Care and Section 8 to fund Interim Housing
The Continuum of Care (CoC) and Section 8 programs are currently geared toward permanent housing solutions, yet the growing urgency of homelessness in many communities highlights the need for greater flexibility. Allowing these programs to fund interim housing—such as short-term shelters or transitional units—would provide immediate relief for individuals and families experiencing homelessness while permanent housing is secured. This flexibility could reduce street homelessness, improve health and safety outcomes, and provide a structured environment where case managers can better support individuals on their path to stability. Moreover, the current bottleneck in affordable permanent housing makes it unrealistic to rely solely on long-term placements. Many communities face months- or even years-long waits for permanent housing, during which vulnerable populations are left in unsafe or unstable conditions, often on the streets. By authorizing CoC and Section 8 funds for interim housing, the federal government could bridge the gap between homelessness and housing, offering a more humane, practical, and scalable approach to addressing a national crisis. This would align funding policy with real-world housing market conditions.
Sustaining Medicare Support for Housing-Integrated Health Services
To address the growing crisis of homelessness and its profound impact on public health, we urge federal policymakers to sustain and expand Medicare’s ability to fund supportive housing services through state programs like CalAIM and Medi-Cal. These initiatives demonstrate that integrating health care with housing support—such as case management, tenancy services, and behavioral health—significantly improves outcomes for individuals experiencing homelessness while reducing costly emergency care and hospitalizations. Ensuring Medicare’s continued flexibility to collaborate with Medicaid in funding these evidence-based interventions is a fiscally responsible investment in public health, community stability, and human dignity.
Common Sense Changes to HUD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
The Administration has proposed numerous changes to the Continuum of Care Program to increase emphasis on measurable reductions in unsheltered homelessness, expanding access to addiction recovery and behavioral health services, and ensuring that Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is prioritized for seniors and individuals with disabilities. These objectives reflect urgent realities on the ground. However, the NOFO also contains numerous elements that elsewhere undermine these goals and render implementation challenging. The Bay Area Council and our partners at AllHome have put forward recommended changes to advance shared goals.
Healthcare
OPPORTUNITY
The Bay Area Council’s Healthcare Committee is a diverse group representing the region’s premier providers, payers, and large employers from across industry. Its unique composition allows it to tackle issues that are otherwise traditionally ignored by single-interest groups. The Committee has a long history working hand-in-hand with policymakers on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in California and beyond, and has always championed high-quality, affordable care; a diverse and well-trained workforce; and universal coverage.
WHAT WE SEEK
Maintaining the stability of our healthcare system
Medicaid (Medi-Cal) covers more than half of California’s children, millions of seniors and people with disabilities, and one in five of all California working adults. It also provides long-term care, covers enrollees with the most complex needs – such as those with behavioral health, addiction, and those experiencing homelessness – and is the second-largest source of funding for medical education in the United States. An essential safety net service in every way, any changes to the Medicaid program should be very carefully considered.
Value for spending through private sector competition
In order for business, their employees and other consumers of healthcare to have better value for medical spending, we need healthy competitive private markets. This includes markets for health insurance, hospital and other health services including pharmaceuticals and biologics. Approaches that do not emphasize health private market competition –whether they are approaches like limited benefit health insurance or provider price setting – represent the wrong direction.
Automation and AI
Artificial intelligence holds the potential to transform health care delivery. While innovations ranging from ambient scribing and patient outreach to advanced screening and clinical tools offer promise, their presence alone does not guarantee progress. To deliver improvement system-wide, AI must be implemented responsibly and equitably.
Technology & Innovation
OPPORTUNITY
Today’s San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most dynamic, productive and innovative regions in the history of the world, bringing countless pioneering technologies and groundbreaking scientific discoveries to the world. This rich ecosystem of culture, talent, capital, and world-class research institutions makes the Bay Area an economic powerhouse that has become indispensable to the state and the nation.
WHAT WE SEEK
Quantum Technologies
Increasing advances in Quantum Technologies provide unparalleled opportunities for future innovation and economic growth. Because this innovation rests on quantum physics, it is fundamentally different than most existing technologies, and will require new technology stacks, a reimagined workforce, and cutting-edge infrastructure. We seek the following support for this unique opportunity:
Workforce development and full-stack training. We request support for the “Quantum Reskilling, Education and Workforce Coordination Hub” authorized in the 2026 NQI Reauthorization.
Commercialization and laboratory access
Support the expansion and National Science Foundation Quantum Testbeds and the creation of Regional Quantum Research Foundries.
Energy resourcing
Request that the Department of Energy include quantum facilities as “critical infrastructure” eligible for federal grid resilience grants.
National Quantum Strategy Refresh
Request that the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy include regional clusters like Berkeley Quantum Nexus in the forthcoming National Quantum Strategy Refresh.
Transportation
OPPORTUNITY
The Bay Area economy depends on our ability to easily move people and goods throughout the region. The Bay Area Council is working to strengthen our public transit system, alleviate traffic congestion on our roads and bridges, expand ferry routes, advance innovative transportation technologies and services, and improve the efficiency of goods movement operations.
WHAT WE SEEK
Preserve Infrastructure Investments, Improve Efficiency of Public Transit Operations, Advance Innovative Transportation Technologies and Services
1. Infrastucture
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) authorized the largest amount of new funding for transportation projects in decades. We are grateful to our delegation for these funds and have identified opportunities to ensure the money is used for projects that help the Bay Area meet our mobility goals while driving economic growth in the most populous state in the country.
Continue and Fully Fund Federal Bridge Programs
Reauthorize the Bridge Formula Program and Bridge Investment Program (BIP) at no less than current funding levels. Provide long-term, stable funding to support major bridge rehabilitation, seismic retrofit, and ship collision protection projects.
Preserve Support for Large, Nationally Significant Bridges
Maintain discretionary funding eligibility, not only for bridges in poor condition but for bridges in fair condition and those requiring seismic upgrades. Ensure funding criteria continue to prioritize resiliency, safety, and economic importance.
Protect Local Agency Access to Federal Bridge Funding
Sustain dedicated funding for state and locally owned bridges. California has approximately 26,000 bridges, of which approximately half are owned by local agencies such as the District.
Maintain Federal Investment in the Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization.
Five major Bay Area transit infrastructure projects – two funded and three future projects – are expected to collectively create roughly 250,000 jobs across the country, the following two projects are seeking future full funding grant agreements:
The Portal: The Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) is working to deliver a transformational infrastructure investment that will extend Caltrain service from Fourth & King Streets to the six-level multimodal transit hub at Salesforce Transit Center in Downtown San Francisco. The project will also ultimately bring the California High-Speed Rail system into the heart of San Francisco and connect to 11 other transit systems, which will bring communities across the region and state closer and improve access to jobs, housing, and economic opportunities. TJPA has made significant progress toward advancing a shovel-ready project to unlock the $3.384B grant.
BART to Silicon Valley Phase II: The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is leading the extension of the BART system to connect to Downtown San Jose.
Port of Oakland Turning Basins Widening Project
This critical modernization of nationally significant maritime infrastructure that will improve vessel access, reduce navigational constraints, and enhance supply chain reliability for one of the nation’s top export gateways. By accommodating larger vessels and improving operational efficiency, the project strengthens U.S. trade competitiveness, supports national security readiness, and reduces emissions through more efficient vessel movements. Timely and sustained federal support—particularly through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Work Plan—is essential to keep the project on schedule, avoid cost escalation, and deliver these benefits without delay.
Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP)
Robust federal investment in the PIDP is essential to meet the growing needs of the maritime industry. Currently funded at $500 million annually and oversubscribed nearly tenfold, PIDP demand far exceeds available resources. Through the American Association of Port Authorities, $10.9 billion has been requested over the next five years which reflects the scale of need across U.S. ports. Strengthening PIDP funding will help ports address rising construction costs, modernize infrastructure to remain globally competitive, and support an industry that delivers family-sustaining jobs and long-term economic value nationwide.
Avoid Steep Cuts in Federal Transportation Funds
Keep Bay Area federal transportation dollars at least level by sustaining and, where possible, increasing Highway Trust Fund support for the core highway and transit programs. This includes avoiding steep cuts for California and the Bay Area by making the IIJA bridge and transit state of good repair formula “advance appropriations” a permanent component of the surface transportation funding baseline. Steadily rising prices for transportation projects make it especially important to preserve the IIJA’s advance appropriations and avoid a funding cliff.
Establish an ADAPT resilience demonstration program
Protect our nation’s infrastructure by funding large-scale demonstration projects that safeguard critical infrastructure and regional economies from natural disasters. The goal is to break down interagency barriers and test replicable models for delivering complex, multi-jurisdictional projects more efficiently. In the Bay Area alone, some $100 billion is needed just to protect the shoreline from flooding through 2050 – a challenge shared by states and regions nationwide that need robust federal support and coordinated federal agency reviews to accelerate implementation.
2. Public Transit
The Council has been working to improve the Bay Area’s public transit system for over 50 years, and we are currently leading a regional transit measure that will sustain and improve our transit system by locally funding transit operations. The Council developed a proposal that will require a financial efficiency review of the transit operators to ensure that every taxpayer dollar is spent as efficiently as possible while improving rider outcomes. However, we still depend on our federal partnership to support the growth of our train, bus, and ferry network that fuels the economic engine of the Bay Area.
Preserve the Highway Trust Fund 20% Formula Split to Mass Transit Account
Preserve IIJA formula funds which are in statute through FY 2026, and reauthorize IIJA formula funds at current funding levels.
Support Rail Safety & Innovation
Advances in railcar technology have made some FRA regulations outdated, leading to unnecessary costs. For example, Caltrain’s new railcars use modern braking systems that no longer require biennial replacement, as currently mandated. At the same time, Caltrain is deploying AI-powered safety tools at crossings to enhance protection and efficiency. Continued funding support for innovations like these is essential to drive safer, more cost-effective rail operations.
Support the Rail Vehicle Replacement Program
This program helps railcar operators replace rolling stock. Caltrain supports all federal investments, including the Rail Vehicle Replacement Program, which assists in the replacement of rail vehicles.
Include commuter rail as an eligible entity under CRISI
The addition of commuter rail as an eligible entity under the Consolidating Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement Program (CRISI) or the establishment of a new discretionary commuter rail grant program would enhance rail systems that are the safest form of transportation and a driver of economic development and larger tax base.
Increase funding for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Passenger Ferry Grant Program to $100 million annually to support American shipbuilding, improve safety and service reliability, and get workers and their families to destinations faster by bypassing roadway congestion.
Release $26M in grant funds already awarded to SF Bay Ferry
SF Bay Ferry has been awarded funding by FTA to convert some of their fleet to battery electric. This funding will contribute to several Trump Administration priorities, including 1) reducing federal expenditures; 2) shifting the creation of manufacturing/shipbuilding jobs from foreign countries to the US; and 3) promoting long-term financial sustainability. Unfortunately, the following two FTA Discretionary Grants awards have been held up by DOT for over a year. SF Bay Ferry is seeking to work with the Administration to re-scope the grants so that they can be released.
SF Bay Ferry’s BUILD application for $14,268,000 to support construction of the Oakland Ferry Terminal Modernization Project. The proposed project will reconstruct, retrofit, and modernize the Oakland Ferry Terminal, including replacement of the fixed pier, gangway, and piles; utility relocation and upgrades; canopy retrofit; and security and telecommunications enhancements.
SF Bay Ferry’s FY27 Congressionally Directed Spending Request for $1.6 million to purchase batteries for shoreside electric charging infrastructure required to transition the Harbor Bay to Downtown San Francisco ferry service to zero emissions.
Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program
Support reauthorization and funding at least at current levels for this program that helps local cities and transit systems work together to address at-grade crossing safety. Caltrain currently has 41 at-grade crossings and has significant needs throughout its service area for federal investment to enhance and improve its crossings. Grade separations along the Caltrain corridor not only enhance safety but also reduce traffic congestion and improve access to key economic and community centers.
3. Transportation Innovation
The Council is proud that the Bay Area is home to the country’s greatest transportation innovation – from ride-hailing services to autonomous vehicle companies developing driverless cars, buses, shuttles, and trucks. New transportation technologies and services can improve transportation options for customers that complement existing services while also reducing costs for transit agencies.
Create national autonomous vehicle framework as part of surface transportation reauthorization
Waymo and Zoox are providing fully autonomous ride-hailing services in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Tennessee, Texas and more. In San Francisco alone, Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing service has helped to generate tens of millions of dollars in additional economic activity in the region. We urge the federal government to create a national autonomous vehicle framework and federal vehicle motor safety standards to maintain American leadership in this industry.
Ensure federal funding eligibility for Automated Transit Networks (ATN) by categorizing ATN as public transportation and automated fixed-guideway infrastructure, making them eligible for both formula and competitive federal programs. Expand federal policy to explicitly cover ATN systems.
Seek recognition that the future of mobility will include both legacy transit modes and innovative solutions in the surface reauthorization bill.
Public Safety
OPPORTUNITY
Concerns surrounding public safety have soared in recent years, pushing residents, employers, employees, and visitors away from city centers, lowering transit ridership and threatening the region’s economic recovery. Restoring confidence in the safety of our downtown business districts, neighborhoods, transit systems and other public spaces is critical for the future of the entire region. The Bay Area Council therefore moved swiftly to develop and expand its public safety agenda.
WHAT WE SEEK
Leverage federal tools to disrupt criminal networks and drug trafficking
Federal law enforcement agencies are uniquely positioned to address the upstream sources of violent crime and hard drug proliferation that affect local safety outcomes in the Bay Area and across the country. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, in particular, are devastating communities and straining the capacity of local public safety and health systems. Federal agencies must intensify their efforts to intercept these substances at ports of entry and through international and interstate investigations, while supporting local jurisdictions with actionable intelligence and joint operations targeting drug trafficking organizations and violent criminal networks. In addition to interdicting drugs and firearms, the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security should expand grant opportunities and technical assistance for cities and regions like the Bay Area that are innovating new models of violence prevention, overdose response, and community-based intervention strategies. These approaches are more effective when aligned with federal investigations and enforcement aimed at dismantling the organized criminal infrastructure fueling local public safety challenges.
Supplement local public safety agencies with additional resources to fill gaps created by budget constraints and personnel vacancies
Police and Sheriffs’ departments are struggling to meet the needs of their communities due to high personnel vacancy rates, budget shortfalls, and related challenges. Closing major gaps in budgets and personnel won’t happen overnight, and, in the meantime, the life and property of residents, employees, and visitors is under threat. Federal funding, supplemental support from federal agents and other law enforcement and criminal justice personnel, and other resources need to be funneled quickly to local agencies to supplement their existing work and close any gaps that are currently hindering the agency’s ability to fight crime.
Support law enforcement recruitment, retention, and perception
Filling the current unprecedented sworn officer vacancies that most public safety agencies are experiencing throughout the Bay Area and in most U.S. cities is critical to guaranteeing more security presence, improving 911 response times, and ultimately decreasing crime. The Council believes public funding, via DOJ COPS Office and related grant programs, should be available to support recruitment, retention, and perception efforts that don’t just support a single department or agency, rather an entire region and enterprise.
Strengthen law enforcement coordination across levels of government
The Bay Area is home to over 100 local police and sheriffs’ departments, nine district attorneys, a multitude of state and federal officers and prosecutors, and many more important players in the criminal justice field in the region who are almost all entirely operating in silos. Communication, collaboration, and strategic deployment of resources is critical to ensure that collective enforcement efforts are successful in markedly reducing crime and improving public safety. The federal government can play a catalytic role by facilitating regional coordination among law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and public safety stakeholders at all levels. A federal-led approach to strategic collaboration would yield more effective enforcement, more efficient use of resources, and better public outcomes.
Advance safety on transit
The legacy project of the Council’s public safety portfolio is its successful transit safety campaign, which has already resulted in significant safety and cleanliness improvements and an uptick in ridership on BART and Muni. The Council continues to advocate for transit safety and cleanliness as a condition of any future funding to local transit agencies from state and federal partners, and from voters. This work would be much more successful if done in tandem with federal leadership, and we continue to seize any and all opportunities for partnership in this shared goal of making transit safer for everyone.
Water Security, Flood Protection, & Shoreline Resilience
OPPORTUNITY
The Bay Area economy represents roughly 6 percent of the entire nation’s GDP, yet its prosperity is threatened by several natural stressors including water reliability and vulnerability to flooding.
WHAT WE SEEK
Protect Existing Water Infrastructure Funding
Public water agencies depend on federal loans and grants to help fund critical infrastructure projects that provide safe, clean drinking water and protect communities from flooding. These projects are capital intensive and often very costly, and the benefits extend well beyond the immediate communities that are served. We ask Congress and the Administration to retain critical federal water infrastructure funds, including WIFIA, CWIFP, and NRCS and FEMA grants. Examples of these programs include:
Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
Low-cost, low-interest program that provides financing for large water infrastructure projects nationwide. In its less than 10 years in existence, the program has closed 140 loans totaling $22B in credit assistance to help finance $48B for water infrastructure projects and creating 160,000 jobs. In the Bay Area, WIFIA loans are critical for allowing the $2.5B Anderson Dam seismic retrofit project to proceed while minimizing ratepayer impacts.
Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program (CWIFP) (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
Low-cost, low-interest program that provides financing for non-federal dam projects and non-federal levee projects nationwide. This program was authorized under the same WIFIA statute as the EPA WIFIA program but has faced hurdles at the Office of Management and Budget. This remains an important financing option for agencies looking to fund critical public safety dam projects and it should be continued.
Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program (Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Grant program that funds flood protection and watershed restoration projects in rural/agricultural areas.
Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
Grant program that funds disaster preparedness and resilience, including flood protection projects. Can provide up to $50M depending on the program.
Support Tax-Exempt Bond Financing for Critical Infrastructure
Local utilities’ ability to issue tax-exempt bonds is critical for building affordable water supply infrastructure while keeping costs low for ratepayers. Because 2017 tax cuts required $1.7 billion in offsets to meet reconciliation rules, local governments lost the ability to issue tax-exempt bonds for advance refunding to take advantage of lower interest rates. We urge Congress and the Administration to agree that any future tax cut bill protect the ability of local governments and utilities to issue tax-exempt bonds for critical infrastructure.
Support Large-Scale Water Recycling
Recycled water is the most cost-effective drought-resilient water supply available to most drought-prone regions, and large-scale recycling projects can help minimize cost impacts to ratepayers. Congress created the Large-Scale Water Recycling Program at the Bureau of Reclamation to help fund large-scale projects ($500M+ cost), providing the program with a total of $450M. Given the scale of these projects and the growing demand for federal assistance, we ask Congress and the Administration to provide at least $500M in additional funding for this program over a period of several years so that projects currently under development can best take advantage of new funding.
Fund the USACE Coastal Flood Risk Management Study
FY 2027 General Investigation Appropriations: We request $500,000 in the FY 2027 Work Plan for General Investigation funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District to: develop and execute a cost-share agreement with the California State Coastal Conservancy; develop a project management plan; and initiate a Coastal Flood Risk Management Study for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The study would develop solutions to address coastal flood risk, integrate conventional and nature-based infrastructure measures, and beneficially use dredged sediment for flood risk management. The multi-year study process would culminate in recommendations for construction projects eligible for future Congressional authorization and appropriation.
Wildfires
OPPORTUNITY
Recent disasters, such as the Bridge Fire and the Mosquito Fire, underscore the urgent need for comprehensive wildfire management strategies. A robust federal-state partnership is essential to enhance prevention, response, and recovery efforts. Collaborative initiatives, including expanded fuel break projects and increased federal funding, have already demonstrated effectiveness in mitigating wildfire impacts. Sustained federal support is crucial to bolster California’s resilience against future wildfires.
WHAT WE SEEK
Preventing the closure of U.S. Forest Service research stations
The Administration’s proposed closure of 55-77 research facilities would undermine one of the nation’s most critical sources of science-based guidance for managing wildfire risk, forest health, and climate resilience. These stations provide the data, modeling, and field-tested practices that inform everything from prescribed fire strategies to watershed protection and carbon management. Without this research capacity, land managers are left with fewer tools and less reliable information to make high-stakes decisions, increasing the risk of ineffective treatments, higher suppression costs, and greater damage to communities and ecosystems. At a time when wildfire behavior is becoming more extreme and unpredictable, reducing federal research capacity would weaken our ability to adapt, innovate, and protect both public lands and nearby communities.
Maintain or Expand Funding for Beneficial Fire
We urge federal leaders to maintain or expand funding for beneficial fire programs led by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. The Forest Service currently invests $175 million, and BLM $288 million, for prescribed fire. Prescribed fire and managed wildfire are proven, science-based tools to reduce hazardous fuels, protect communities, and restore forest health in a changing climate. Decades of fire suppression have left landscapes overgrown and more vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires that threaten lives, infrastructure, and air quality. Increased federal investment will help scale treatments, strengthen the workforce, and support collaboration with state, tribal, and local partners. Proactive funding now will reduce long-term suppression costs and build more resilient forests and communities.
