July 15, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Today, NOAA Fisheries announced funding to boost the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) program and target salmon recovery efforts across the West Coast and Alaska. NOAA recommends $95 million in funding, including $34 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds, for 19 new and continuing salmon recovery activities.
Programs and projects recommended for funding will benefit three NOAA Fisheries Species in the Spotlight: Central California Coast coho salmon, Sacramento River winter-run chinook salmon and Southern resident killer whales. In addition, programs and projects recommended for funding will aid in the recovery of 28 Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed salmon and steelhead species as well as non-listed ESA salmon and steelhead that are necessary for native subsistence or tribal treaty fishing rights.
“This funding, including critical investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will enable NOAA Fisheries to deliver measurable, lasting benefits to both the environment and local economies on a scale like never before,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Working with states and tribes to restore these iconic species illustrates the Administration’s commitment to supporting collaborative conservation and building a Climate-Ready Nation.”
PCSRF funds will target salmon habitat protection and restoration, enhancing tribal treaty and trust resources, critical salmon research and monitoring and will complement state and tribal programs for salmon recovery. NOAA is recommending $61 million in annual appropriation funding and $34 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to supplement state and tribal salmon recovery programs and projects. Of the 19 applicants recommended to receive funding, 14 are individual tribal and tribal commission/consortia proposals and of those, two have not previously received PCSRF funds.
“This is an unprecedented opportunity for NOAA to fund tribal applicants with $17 million recommended in awards to Columbia River and Pacific Coast tribes,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries and acting assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere at NOAA. “The enhanced funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help restore vital habitat for salmon and steelhead, adding significantly to the 1.2 million acres protected and conserved in the Pacific Northwest since 2000.”
Highlighted projects and programs recommended for funding include but are not limited to:
- Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association: Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Tribal Research and Restoration Program
- Coeur d’Alene Tribe: Phase 2 Feasibility Studies for Salmon Reintroduction: Evaluation of Downstream Movement and Survival of Juvenile Chinook Salmon in the Upper Columbia Basin
- Suquamish Tribe: Rose Point Embayment Restoration
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR): Mill Creek Flow Restoration
- Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI): Waite Ranch Tidal Wetland Restoration
- Karuk Tribe: Upper Red Cap Creek Floodplain Restoration Project
- Tolowa Dee Ni’ Nation” Rowdy and Dominie Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project
NOAA funding enables some projects to bring years of planning to execution by transitioning from design to construction, while other projects use NOAA funds to design projects that will result in multiple community and economic benefits.
NOAA’s PCSRF program has provided assistance to partners across the West Coast and Alaska for over 20 years. The program has a long history of successful habitat restoration projects that support threatened or endangered salmon and steelhead populations and help maintain populations necessary for exercising tribal treaty fishing rights and native subsistence fishing.
While application approvals and fund obligations are not yet final, each of these applications is being “recommended” for funding. This is not an authorization to start projects or guarantee of funding and final decisions will be made no later than October 1, 2022. Explore how fiscal year 2021 PCSRF efforts are benefiting communities through an interactive story map.