Commentary: NOAA funding is vital to Gundalow, Portsmouth, NH and beyond

As spring hits Portsmouth, and we begin to put our boats again in the cold choppy waters of the Piscataqua River, our federal budget process, too, is headed toward rough waters. With leaders like Senator Jeanne Shaheen at the helm, I hope we can keep the ship steady and make smart decisions that will ensure our ocean caretaker agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is fully funded again for FY24.

NOAA’s work to help us understand, manage, and protect our ocean and coastal waters is felt intimately here in Portsmouth.

As a working seaport and the state’s only deep-sea port, our community’s economic livelihood is interwoven with our waters. New Hampshire’s coastline employs nearly 200,000 individuals and generates almost $25 billion in gross domestic product. The naval shipyard alone employs 8,000 civilians, and the Port of Portsmouth handles about 3.5 million tons of cargo, amounting to $2 billion annually. On any given day, there are hundreds of vessels in our waters that need NOAA’s critical data about our ocean, weather systems, and climate to navigate safely and effectively. Thanks to supplemental funds from last year’s Infrastructure and Investment Act, work is underway to upgrade our shipping channel and turning basin, to entice more traffic down the road.

The same data and information is also vital to our town leaders. Like other coastal towns, Portsmouth is planning for significant sea level rise and an increase in extreme weather events. The City Planning Commission is actively working to create a plan to “address, mitigate, and adapt ongoing and future climate change impacts [to our city] in an effective and equitable manner.” Smart decisions will not be made without science-based data and forecasting–both of which NOAA provides.

I can speak to the benefits of NOAA firsthand as an organization that operates primarily out of Prescott Park in Portsmouth. The Gundalow Company runs a “floating classroom” that opens the eyes and minds of students to the wonders and complexities of our ocean and estuary ecosystem. We take over 2,000 school children, mostly fourth and fifth graders, out on our boat each year. Many of the kids who come aboard have never been on the water before. We are creating the next generation of ocean stewards, biologists and mariners who will take care of our environment and ocean someday. We couldn't provide these experiences without NOAA. NOAA’s Environmental Literacy Program helps to offset the costs for schools who otherwise might not have been able to afford such an enriching educational program. We also count on NOAA’s Sea Grant fellowship program, which helps graduate students with career development and brings many of our volunteers to staff our boat and learning experiences.

Portsmouth is a microcosm of the broader, multifaceted, and interwoven benefits NOAA provides across the U.S.; benefits that depend on a robust annual budget to maintain.

If NOAA’s budget was drastically cut along with other non-discretionary funding, it could jeopardize the services and data sources used by thousands in their jobs every day, having a domino effect on our community, economy, and our safety for the future.

Senator Shaheen has been a longstanding ocean advocate, and as the lead on the Appropriations subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, can continue to be NOAA’s champion. We here in Portsmouth are behind her leadership to guide our federal funding process through this year’s unsure process and keep NOAA funded in full for FY24.

Heather Froumy is the Volunteer Coordinator of The Gundalow Company in Portsmouth, NH.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Commentary: NOAA funding vital to Gundalow, Portsmouth, NH and beyond