OLYMPIA, Wash.-150 grants totaling $81.5 million will be awarded to 29 counties across the state, including several in Central and Southeastern Washington, to improve salmon habitat and conserve shorelines.
Funding for the grants came from the state Legislature through the salmon recovery account and the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) fund. Full project details for the grants awarded are available online.
According to a press release announcing the grants from the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office and Puget Sound Partnership the funding will be used to remove barriers for migrating salmon, to plant trees for shading rivers and to improve stream habitat.
“These are important projects that will help us restore our salmon populations,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “They also provide many other benefits. When we clean up our rivers, we not only help salmon, we reduce flooding, help our communities adapt to climate change and preserve jobs that rely on healthy salmon and natural resources.”
Regional Counties receiving salmon recovery grants:
Benton County: $648,638 awarded to the Benton Conservation District to create a cool-water pool in the Yakima River.Kittitas County: $672,426 to design and restore the Yakima floodplain.Kittitas County: $500,000 awarded to the Kittitas Conservation Trust to restore Gold Creek.Walla Walla County: $550,000 awarded to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation for restoration of the Touchet River.Walla Walla County: $367,003 awarded to Tri-State Steelheaders, Inc to add woody materials to the Walla Walla River.Walla Walla County: $540,942 for the Walla Walla County Conservation District to restore Coppei Creek.Yakima County: $51,197 awarded to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation to design restorations of Upper Toppenish Creek.Yakima County: $500,000 awarded to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation to restore the Klickitat River floodplain connection.
