Announcements
See a list of projects proposed for funding through the Climate Commitment Act.
Typical Projects
- Water and land-based habitat restoration
- Habitat protection
- Invasive species treatment
- Habitat restoration planning and design
- Educating the public about restoration
Who May Apply?
- Cities
- Counties
- Conservation districts
- Private or public corporations
- Regional fisheries enhancement groups
- Native American tribes (must be federally recognized)
- Nonprofit organizations with authority for the protection or enhancement of natural resources or related recovery activities
- Special purpose districts, such as port or park and recreation districts
- State and federal agencies
Where May Projects be Located?
- In the geographic boundary of the Coast Salmon Partnership, which includes any watershed between Cape Flattery and Cape Disappointment that drains directly into the Pacific Ocean
OR
- In the geographic boundary of one of the four Coastal Marine Resource Committees-Grays Harbor County; North Pacific Coast, which includes portions of Clallam and Jefferson Counties; Pacific County; or Wahkiakum County.
Funding
Funding comes from the sale of bonds and is awarded every two years.
This grant program also may be supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The Act supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the Climate Commitment Act is available at www.climate.wa.gov. See a list of projects proposed for funding through the Climate Commitment Act.
Grant Limits
There are no requirements for minimum requests. The maximum request is $2 million.
Match Details
No match is required, though it is encouraged.
Eligible Projects
- Acquisition: Purchase of land, access, or other property rights in fee title or less than fee, such as conservation easements.
- Restoration: Projects that bring a site back to its original, historic function as part of a natural ecosystem, or improve or enhance the ecological functionality of a site. Restoration projects may include elements such as fish passage, diversion, habitat improvements, beaver reintroduction, knotweed control, stewardship, stream bank stabilization and plantings, erosion control, water conservation, and road decommissioning.
- Planning: Design, assessments, innovative learning projects, and inventories.
- Combination Projects: Projects that include acquisition and either restoration or planning elements.
Ineligible Projects and Elements
Refer to the program manual for more details.
- Property acquisition through eminent domain.
- Property acquired before the project start date of the project agreement without a Waiver of Retroactivity.
- Restoration activities before the project start date of the grant agreement.
- Construction material purchased before the project start date.
- Most land leases.
- Mitigation projects.
- Maintenance as stand-alone projects.
- Project effectiveness monitoring.
- Purchase of existing structures that are not essential to the funded site.
- Building or indoor facility construction.
- Capital facilities and public works projects. Projects with infrastructure elements such as sewer treatment facilities, surface and stormwater management systems, and water supply systems are not eligible as stand-alone projects.
- Converting from septic to sewage treatment systems.
- Operation or construction of fish hatcheries.
- Net pens, artificial rearing facilities, remote site incubation systems, and supplementation.
- Operation of hydropower facilities.
- Fish harvest and harvest management activities that are outside the eligible project type discussed above.
- Fishing license buy-back.
- Park facilities or structures.
- Lobbying or legislative activities.
- Costs to apply for WCRRI or other grants.
- Projects that do not address an important habitat condition or ecosystem functions, goods, or services, or that focus mainly on supplying a secondary need.
- Environmental cleanup of soils or materials contaminated above levels in the Model Toxics Control Act.
- Purchase of motor vehicles as a direct expense.
The Process
Funding is based upon the scoring and ranking recommendations of the Technical Review Panel.
The panel reviews applications to ensure that the projects create actual environmental and job benefits, have costs that do not outweigh the anticipated benefits, and have a high likelihood of being successful. To do so, team members review applications, visit project sites, and provide feedback to grant applicants.
The grants are submitted to the state Legislature for funding consideration.
Project Length
Grant recipients should strive to complete projects within the biennium in which the project is funded. Projects may be as long as four years.
Long-term Commitment
Acquisitions, including water right acquisition, must be forever.
Other long-term obligations may be found in the grant agreement and Manual 7: Long-Term Obligations.
Staff Contact
Alissa Ferrell, outdoor grants manager, 360-867-8618