SALMON - PSAR Salmon Recovery and Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration

Funding

$132.8 million

Details

Grant Limit

None

Details

Match Requirement

15%

Details

Salmon recovery grants are used to restore degraded salmon habitat and protect existing, high-quality habitat. These twin activities are aimed at increasing the amount and overall health of the places salmon live, which will increase the number of salmon.

Projects may include the actual habitat used by salmon and the land and water that support processes important to salmon.

Some of the money for salmon recovery is targeted at helping salmon in Puget Sound. Restoring the health of Puget Sound–our nation’s second largest estuary–is a priority for the State and nation. In 2007, the Legislature created the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) program to help implement the most important habitat protection and restoration priorities. PSAR is co-managed with the Puget Sound Partnership.

The grant program for both salmon recovery and PSAR grants are run together and generally have the same requirements. Applicants must demonstrate how their projects address the goals and actions defined in the regional recovery plans or lead entity strategies. The grant cycles consist of steps required both by the local lead entity and RCO. Lead entities are watershed-based groups that develop and implement strategies to restore salmon habitat. Lead entities establish their own schedules not on this Web site for required grant cycle steps including site visits, rating, and ranking.

Grant Application Schedule

Item Date

2023 Full Grant Schedule

Contact the local lead entity coordinator to learn about application deadlines and requirements.

Full Grant Schedule

January 1, 2023 

Application Workshop and Q&A

2023 Program Changes Video

January 24, 2023 

Application Materials Due Before Site Visit

Site visit request form

January 1, 2023 - April 30, 2023 Materials Due 2 Weeks before Site Visits

Track 1

February 1, 2023 - September 14, 2023

Site Visits

February 1, 2023 - March 17, 2023

Salmon Recovery Funding Board Review Panel Meeting

March 22, 2023 

Review Panel Provides Comments

March 31, 2023 

Optional Conference Call

April 11, 2023 - April 12, 2023

Track 2

April 3, 2023 - September 14, 2023

Site Visits

April 3, 2023 - May 12, 2023

Salmon Recovery Funding Board Review Panel Meeting

May 17, 2023 

Review Panel Provides Comments

May 24, 2023 

Optional Conference Call

June 6, 2023 - June 7, 2023

All

June 27, 2022 - September 22, 2022

Applications Due

June 26, 2023 

Applications due by noon.

RCO and SRFB Review Panel Project Review

July 12, 2023 - July 13, 2023

Applicants Receive Final Project Comments

July 20, 2023 

Accept Review Panel Conditions

August 3, 2023 

Lead Entities Submits Final Ranked List

August 4, 2023 

Salmon Recovery Funding Board Awards Grants

September 13, 2023 - September 14, 2023

Grant Award History

Most recent grants and evaluation results, listed by the application year.

Application Resources

Grant Manual

Announcements

Project Celebrations

Typical Projects

  • Replacing barriers to fish migration
  • Replanting stream banks
  • Removing dikes, levees, and shoreline armoring
  • Installing logjams to slow rivers and create habitat
  • Restoring estuaries
  • Buying pristine habitat
  • Completing designs for future projects

Who May Apply?

  • Local agencies
  • Special purpose districts, such as port, park and recreation, conservation, and school districts
  • State agencies
  • Native American Tribes
  • Private landowners
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Regional fisheries enhancement groups

Funding

Funding is awarded annually. Funding comes from the sale of state general obligation bonds and the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. PSAR funding is awarded biennially and comes from the sale of state general obligation bonds.

Funding for the grant round is distributed using a formula adopted by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board. The formula is based the number of listed and non-listed salmon stocks, number of evolutionarily significant units, number of watershed resource inventory areas, and salmon shoreline miles. The Puget Sound Recovery Region has 15 lead entities and further allocates both its salmon and PSAR funding based on a formula approved by the Puget Sound Leadership Council.

Funding Report: Salmon Recovery Regional Responses

Grant Limits

Applicants may request any amount greater than $5,000. For design-only projects without match, applicants may not request more than $350,000.

Match Details

A 15 percent match is required. No match is required for design-only projects requesting $350,000 or less. Match may include the following:

  • Appropriations or cash
  • Bonds
  • Donations of cash, land, labor, services, equipment use, and materials
  • Other grants
  • Applicant’s labor, equipment, and materials

Eligible Projects

Acquisition including the purchase of land, perpetual conservation easements, or water rights.

Restoration

  • In-stream fish passage
  • In-stream water diversion
  • In-stream and floodplain habitat
  • Upland riparian habitat
  • Estuarine and marine near-shore

Planning projects

  • Conceptual, preliminary, or final design projects
  • Assessments and inventories

Combination projects include elements of two or more project types (restoration, acquisition, and planning).

Ineligible Projects

  • Capital facilities and public works projects
  • Effectiveness monitoring
  • Hatchery, harvest, and hydropower activities
  • Mitigation projects
  • Property acquisition through eminent domain or leasing
  • For a comprehensive list of ineligible projects, see Manual 18.

Evaluation Process

Because the salmon recovery and PSAR programs are run in partnership with lead entities, the specific evaluation process depends on the lead entity where the project is located. In general, project evaluation happens in three, sometimes concurrent, parts.

  1. The local lead entity, coordinating with its regional organization, evaluates and ranks applications. The lead entity and region may use locally developed information and criteria to prioritize projects, including criteria that address social, economic, and cultural values.
  2. RCO grants managers review all projects for eligibility. Applicants and their lead entities are encouraged to consult with grants managers early to determine any questions of eligibility
  3. The Salmon Recovery Funding Board Review Panel evaluates each project proposal (except monitoring projects) for technical merits and identifies specific concerns about the benefits to salmon and certainty of success.

See Section 3: How to Apply, and Section 4: SRFB Evaluation Process of Manual 18 for detailed information.

Long-Term Commitment

  • Acquisition projects must be managed and protected as salmon habitat forever.
  • Restoration projects must be managed and maintained as improved salmon habitat for at least 10 years after construction is completed.

Long-Term Obligations Web page for additional information.

Salmon Resources

Application Workshop

SRFB Application Workshop Video

2023 Program Changes Video

Successful Applicant Workshop

Project Management Resources

Manual 18 Appendices and More

Manual 18 Appendices
A: Salmon Recovery ContactsI: SRFB Amendment Request Authority Matrix
B: Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Amendment Request Template
C: Application Checklist J: Targeted Investment Program
D: Design and Restoration Project Deliverables K: Riparian Planting Projects
E: Funded Project FormsL: Quantifying Habitats for Acquisition Projects
F: SRFB Review Panel Evaluation CriteriaOther Forms
G: Guide for Lead Entity Project EvaluationLead Entity Review Panel Request Form
H: Regional Area Summary InformationAppendix D: Design and Restoration Project Deliverables for pre-2023 Projects

Salmon Recovery Funding Board

The Salmon Recovery Funding Board approves the grants. To see details of the board’s meeting schedule and material, visit the board page.

Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office

The Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office coordinates a statewide salmon strategy, secures funding for local, regional, and state recovery efforts; and produces the biennial State of Salmon in Watersheds report to the Legislature.

Banner photo by Kristen Kirkby