# Plain Language Summary: Help Our Kelp Act of 2025

This bill creates a new federal grant program focused on saving and restoring kelp forests along America's coasts. Kelp forests are underwater ecosystems that have been declining significantly in recent years, and this program aims to reverse that trend by funding projects that protect, restore, and manage these vital ocean habitats. The federal government will set aside $5 million per year from 2026 through 2030 to support this work.

The grants can go to a wide variety of organizations—fishing companies, universities, nonprofits, Native American tribes, state agencies, and local governments—as long as they work together on their projects. These groups can apply for funding to tackle specific problems in kelp forests, like removing sea urchins that eat kelp and prevent forest growth, replanting kelp in areas where it's disappeared, monitoring ecosystem health, or incorporating Native American knowledge into restoration efforts. The bill specifically prioritizes projects in regions where kelp forests have declined the most and emphasizes that restoration should focus on natural ecosystems rather than commercial harvesting operations.

To receive a grant, applicants must contribute at least 15 percent of the project's cost themselves, though this can include donated services and materials rather than just cash. The bill sets aside at least $750,000 per year specifically for Native American tribes, recognizing their important role in ocean stewardship. If tribes don't apply for those reserved funds in a given year, the money becomes available to other eligible organizations. The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will manage the program, establish guidelines, and decide which projects get funded based on scientific evidence and community input.