OLYMPIA–The Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board today announced the award of $21.5 million in grants for projects to restore salmon habitat around the state.
In all, 75 grants were awarded to projects in 27 counties. The goal of the grants is to restore habitat to help struggling salmon populations statewide. Salmon were first designated as at risk of extinction in Washington state in 1991. Today, 14 populations of salmon and steelhead are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.
“These grants are for projects to give salmon the clean, cold and plentiful water they need to survive,” said Jeff Breckel, chair of the Salmon Recovery Funding Board. “We’re moving rivers, adding logs to streams to slow the water and create habitat and removing barriers so salmon can swim to the ocean and back. This work helps more than just salmon. More natural flowing rivers reduces flood risk to cities and towns. Rivers with slower water reduce erosion. And removing barriers to fish migration can also reduce the risk of roadways being flooded. Everyone benefits with these investments.”
To see descriptions of each grant, select a county below:
“The grants awarded go through a rigorous screening process,” said Megan Duffy, director of the Recreation and Conservation Office, which staffs the board. “They are prioritized by local communities, reviewed for scientific validity by local communities and the State and compete regionally for funding. This process ensures that the best and most likely-to-be-successful projects receive this important funding.”
Funding for the grants came from the board’s Salmon Recovery Program and its Riparian Grant Program, the federal Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund and the state Climate Commitment Act.