State awards $76 million for salmon recovery

The Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board announced Sept. 26 the award of nearly $76 million in grants across the state to help ensure the survival of salmon in Washington.

The board also approved an additional $58 million in grant requests for 55 projects through the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration program once funding is approved by the Legislature in 2023. If approved, the combined funding would be the largest amount of money directed at salmon recovery in a single year since the board was created 23 years ago.

The grants that were funded today went to 138 projects in 30 of the state’s 39 counties. The grants will pay for work to restore salmon habitat, including repairing degraded habitat in rivers, removing barriers blocking salmon migration and conserving pristine habitat.

“This is incredibly important work,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “The projects will help restore salmon across the state. That means more salmon for our endangered orcas, more jobs for people and industries that rely on salmon and improved habitat that can better protect us from floods and the effects of climate change.”

Over $2.4 million in grant funding is being given to Skagit County. Projects using this funding include conserving the Skagit River floodplain, planting riverbanks and floodplains in the Skagit River watershed, conserving habitat in the Skagit River watershed, designing restoration of the Similk Estuary and more. Descriptions of these projects can be found on the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office website, rco.wa.gov.

Source: Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office