The Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the Puget Sound Partnership have announced the award of more than $42 million in grants to organizations around the state for projects that restore and protect salmon habitat.
In Pierce County, three organizations were awarded just over $1.7 million for six projects. The Nisqually Land Trust was awarded a $55,000 grant to help fund a project to conserve the Mashel River shoreline, and a $368,460 grant to help fund a project to restore the Lower Ohop Valley. Pierce County was awarded a $679,325 grant to help purchase land along Alward Road for a levee removal project, and a $535,189 grant to help fund a project to restore Fennel Creek. Finally, the Pierce Conservation District was awarded a $95,000 grant to help fund a project to restore the banks of South Prairie Creek, and a $18,343 grant to help fund a project to control Japanese knotweed in the Nisqually River Basin and to replant at least 10 acres of previously infested stream bank.
Funding for the grants comes from the federal Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund and the sale of state bonds. In addition, $24.4 million comes from the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Fund, which is jointly approved by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the Puget Sound Partnership in coordination with local watersheds, for projects that will help restore Puget Sound.
“Salmon are an important part of both Washington’s culture and economy,” said Washington State Governor Jay Inslee. “Healthy salmon populations support thousands of jobs in fishing, hotels and restaurants, seafood processing, boat sales and repair, charter operations, environmental restoration and more. I am very pleased with the work of the Salmon Recovery Funding Board and its efforts to fund projects that help our economy and assure future generations of Washingtonians can enjoy the return of wild salmon.”
A complete list of statewide grant recipients and their projects is available online here.
To read the Tacoma Daily Index‘s complete and comprehensive coverage of salmon recovery grants in Pierce County, click on the following links:
- 9 Pierce County organizations receive $2.9M salmon recovery grants (Tacoma Daily Index, December 14, 2011)
- Pierce County groups to receive $3.4M for salmon recovery (Tacoma Daily Index, December 18, 2009)
- Local salmon recovery projects awarded $625,000 in grants (Tacoma Daily Index, December 30, 2008)
- Grants fund water-quality, habitat projects in Pierce County (Tacoma Daily Index, September 15, 2008)
- Pierce County grant program aims to improve watersheds (Tacoma Daily Index, June 27, 2008)
- Grants support local salmon recovery efforts (Tacoma Daily Index, August 1, 2007)
- Grants support local salmon recovery efforts (Tacoma Daily Index, July 16, 2007)
- Salmon recovery projects awarded $3.4 million (Tacoma Daily Index, January 19, 2006)
- Salmon restoration grant program announced (Tacoma Daily Index, June 13, 2005)
- State Salmon Recovery Funding Reaches Pierce and Thurston County Projects (Tacoma Daily Index, March 30, 2000)
