A sea otter preens itself in Morro Bay, California. Sea otters have not naturally repopulated to the Oregon Coast from California or Washington, so a reintroduction effort is now being studied. Bringing back sea otters to the Oregon Coast just got a high-level endorsement. The federal budget for this new year, which President Trump signed after some unrelated last minute drama, includes a directive to study sea otter reintroduction. The proviso making sea otter fans happy was tucked away deep in the new federal budget. Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley added the paragraph to the massive 2021 federal budget bill. It directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to study the feasibility and cost of reestablishing the charismatic marine mammals where they were once hunted to near-extinction along the Pacific Coast.