Silver Spring, Md. – March 13, 2025 – The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation released the following statement on the passing of Congressman Raúl Grijalva from President and CEO Joel R. Johnson:
“The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation expresses its condolences on the passing of Rep. Raúl Grijalva. The Congressman was one of the most consequential congressional advocates fighting for America’s public waters and national marine sanctuaries during his tenure as Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. Hailing from landlocked Arizona, Rep. Grijalva understood a healthy ocean is vital all Americans. We were honored to celebrate his many accomplishments and his statesmanship at the 2023 Ocean Awards Gala where he received our Leadership Award.
“In his role as Chair, Congressman Grijalva successfully elevated climate action, environmental justice, Indigenous affairs, and the decolonization of U.S. Territories to the forefront of federal policy. Congressman Grijalva was a strident champion for the designation of Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, the first Indigenous-focused marine sanctuary that marked a milestone achievement for marine conservation and elevating Indigenous perspectives and cultural values in ocean conservation.”
“As Chair, he also secured multiple multi-billion-dollar ocean victories through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA), including a $2.6 billion allocation in the IRA to enhance coastal resilience and fisheries. He introduced the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act, a groundbreaking blueprint for ocean climate action. This legislation laid the foundation for subsequent congressional action on ocean-related matters, as well as the Biden Administration’s Ocean Action Plan.”
“Some of his most celebrated accomplishments also include passing the Great American Outdoors Act into law; securing major ocean and climate action wins through passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and National Defense Authorization Act; passing the Environmental Justice For All Act, the most comprehensive environmental justice legislation in history, through Committee; holding the first congressional hearings in history on issues critical to Indian Country, including Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Indian Boarding Schools, and tribal consultation and co-management of public lands; and passing the historic Puerto Rico Status Act through the House.”
“We honor Congressman Grijalva’s legacy of natural resource and ocean protection and offer our deepest condolences to his family and all those who worked closely with him.”
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The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, established in 2000, is the official non-profit partner of the National Marine Sanctuary System. The Foundation directly supports America’s national marine sanctuaries through our mission to protect species, conserve ecosystems and preserve cultural and maritime heritage. We accomplish our mission through community stewardship and engagement programs, on-the-water conservation projects, public education and outreach programs, and scientific research and exploration. The Foundation fosters innovative projects that are solution-oriented, scalable and transferable, and develop strategic partnerships that promote the conservation and recovery of species and their habitats. Learn more at marinesanctuary.org.
Contact: Chip Weiskotten
Director of Strategic Communications
301-754-6134
ch**@ma*************.org