December 6, 2023 - On Tuesday, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced the availability of up to $106 million in funding through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) for Pacific salmon and steelhead recovery and conservation projects. This funding — which includes funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) — will support state and tribal salmon restoration projects and activities to protect, conserve and restore these fish populations and their habitats.

“Restoring Pacific salmon populations and their habitats is vital for communities on the West Coast and in Alaska,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This funding — supported  by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, a key pillar of Bidenomics — will power transformational, high-impact projects and support efforts by states and tribes to protect and conserve salmon populations.”

The PCSRF program funds projects and activities necessary for conservation of salmon and steelhead populations listed as threatened or endangered or identified by a state as at-risk to be listed; for maintaining populations necessary for exercise of tribal treaty fishing rights or native subsistence fishing; or for conservation of Pacific coastal salmon and steelhead habitat. 

Within the overall objectives of the PCSRF grant program, these funds will specifically provide federal financial assistance to states and tribes to support projects that: 

• Protect, restore and conserve Pacific salmon and steelhead and their habitats, using approaches that enhance ecosystem resilience to climate hazards.
• Support tribes’ role as fishery managers and stewards of tribal trust resources for cultural, spiritual, subsistence and recreational purposes before implementing conservation activities including outreach, research and monitoring.

“The PCSRF program benefits fish populations and their habitats,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “However, the value of these investments goes far beyond recovering Pacific salmon and steelhead and their habitats, as they also provide community and economic benefits, such as jobs and climate resilience.”

NOAA will accept proposals from eligible applicants in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California and Alaska, and federally-recognized tribes of the Columbia River Basin and Pacific coast (including Alaska). The application deadline is March 4, 2024.

NOAA Fisheries’ PCSRF program has a long history of successful, targeted on-the-ground habitat restoration projects. Since the program’s inception in 2000, NOAA’s PCSRF has provided more than $1.7 billion to implement more than 15,000 salmon recovery projects. Our partners have protected, restored and created nearly 1.2 million acres of salmon habitat and have made over 11,800 stream miles accessible to salmon and steelhead. More information about the program and examples of projects previously funded within your state can be found on the latest PCSRF FY22 Report to Congress Story Map.offsite link 

The IRA funding was first announced in June 2023 as part of the historic $3.3 billion in investments focused on ensuring America’s communities and economies are ready for and resilient to climate change. As part of this Investing in America Agenda, NOAA recently announced $60 million for Columbia River Basin tribal salmon hatcheries, $106 million in recommended funding for West Coast and Alaska salmon recovery and made $260 million available for new fish passage projects.
Source: NOAA Fisheries