WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) announced that the Senate has designated September 16 through September 23, 2023 as National Estuaries Week to promote the protection and restoration of America’s estuaries.
“Louisiana works hard to protect and rebuild our eroding coastline which is an economic and communal lifeline for our state,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Protecting our estuaries is essential to preserve Louisiana’s way of life.”
“For Rhode Islanders, the Narragansett Bay estuary is the center of daily life and our economy,” said Senator Whitehouse. “As estuaries across the country face increased climate-related threats, I am pleased to join my colleagues to recognize and recommit to protecting our nation’s estuarine environments.”
“National Estuaries week is a celebration of all the benefits coasts provide – from commercial and recreational fisheries to protecting coastal communities from storms and flooding,” said Daniel Hayden, President of Restore America’s Estuaries. “We appreciate the overwhelming bi-partisan support for this resolution and the continued recognition of estuaries as a critical resource for our nation.”
Cassidy and Whitehouse were joined by U.S. Senators 27 in co-sponsoring the resolution.
Background
National Estuaries Day started in 1988 and was later expanded to a week to encourage people to become involved in their protection. Last year, Restore America’s Estuaries tracked 36 events in 11 different states with over 11,400 volunteers over the week.
Read the full resolution here.
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