NEWS: Sen. Schiff, Bay Area Lawmakers Urge Trump Admin to Release Funding for San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge Complex

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and five Bay Area lawmakers urged the Trump administration to release millions of dollars of Congressionally approved funds for San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which have been subject to bureaucratic delay at the U.S. Department of Interior.

The San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex is an important part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and in December 2022 and January 2023 experienced severe winter storm damage to its berms, levees, and pump stations that are critical to the Fish and Wildlife Service's ability to protect Bay Area communities from flooding and manage and restore natural habitats.

The lawmakers expressed deep concern that the Complex has yet to receive the full $70 million allocated to them as a part of the 2025 American Relief Act, funding that is crucial to addressing winter storm damage and preventing future flooding in Northern California.

"We understand that most of these funds have not been released to the Refuge Complex. Further, we understand that the Department of the Interior is requiring any expense action over $50,000 to be approved by various Assistant Secretaries within the Department. This bureaucratic delay is unnecessary and inefficient, especially for dollars that were appropriated by Congress for major disasters three years ago," the lawmakers wrote.

"We urgently request that you release these funds Congress has appropriated to the Complex to address storm damage and emergency repairs, protect adjacent communities and highways from flooding, and protect important Silicon Valley communities," the lawmakers continued.

In addition to Schiff this letter is also signed by U.S. House of Representatives Ro Khanna (D-Calif-17), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif-15), Jared Huffman (D-Calif-02), and Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.-16).

The full text of the letter can be found here and below:

Dear Director Nesvik:

We are writing to inquire about the status of $70 million in disaster funds included in the 2025 American Relief Act to address winter storm damage within the San Francisco Bay Refuge Complex, an important part of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Complex (Complex) includes seven National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay NWR, the first urban NWR in the nation, is part of this Complex. A century and a half of urban development, pollution, and habitat destruction depleted bay habitat, eliminating more than 90 percent of shoreline wetlands and 40 percent of the bay aquatic ecosystem. This NWR Complex has restored over 30,000 acres of habitat, helping to protect migratory birds and recover endangered species.

In December 2022 and January 2023, the Complex experienced severe winter storm damage. The storms were declared a major disaster and damage was assessed by FWS Engineers in 2023. The storms damaged berms and levees that are critical to FWS's ability to manage and restore habitats and protect adjacent communities from flooding. Disaster funds would help repair these berms and levees as well as Sears Point pump stations 1 and 2, which currently protect Highway 37 from flooding. These berms and levees prevent bay waters from inundating Silicon Valley.

We understand that most of these funds have not been released to the Refuge Complex. Further, we understand that the Department of the Interior is requiring any expense action over $50,000 to be approved by various Assistant Secretaries within the Department. This bureaucratic delay is unnecessary and inefficient, especially for dollars that were appropriated by Congress for major disasters three years ago.

We urgently request that you release these funds Congress has appropriated to the Complex to address storm damage and emergency repairs, protect adjacent communities and highways from flooding, and protect important Silicon Valley communities.

We appreciate a timely response advising us about the release of these emergency funds.

Sincerely,

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