The Department of Commerce and NOAA Fisheries have announced that up to $99 million in Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) monies will be committed for conservation and recovery projects focusing on Pacific salmon and steelhead. The funding—which includes $34.4 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)—will advance state and tribal efforts to restore salmon populations and habitats and bolster climate and economic resilience in surrounding communities.
“This investment, made possible thanks to President Biden’s commitment to investing in America, will help get Pacific salmon populations closer to the healthy and abundant levels our West Coast ecosystems and communities need, and help create new jobs that enhance climate resilience along our coasts,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
The PCSRF program funds projects and activities necessary for: conservation of 28 salmon and steelhead species listed as threatened or endangered, or identified by a state as at-risk to be listed; maintaining populations to support tribal treaty fishing rights or native subsistence fishing; or conservation of Pacific coastal salmon and steelhead habitat.
As part of the larger PCSRF objectives, BIL funding will specifically 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.
“The PCSRF program has a long history of working with partners on targeted, effective restoration projects that have meaningful and measureable impacts for salmon and steelhead populations and local communities,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “This funding presents an unprecedented opportunity to advance salmon recovery efforts that will have positive impacts for years to come.”
NOAA will accept proposals from eligible applicants from Alaska, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, and federally-recognized tribes of the Columbia River Basin and Pacific coast (including Alaska). The application deadline is March 4, 2025. Recommended proposal selections are expected to be announced in summer 2025.
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