The U.S. Department of Commerce will provide USD 99 million (EUR 94 million) in annual funding for Pacific salmon and steelhead recovery efforts through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF), the government announced 4 December.
“Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has been committed to salmon recovery along the West Coast, and this new funding will help NOAA boost efforts to aid Pacific salmon survival and recovery,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a statement.
The PCSRF is the federal government’s primary program for distributing funding to salmon recovery and conservation on the U.S. West Coast. The program has delivered more than USD 1.8 billion (EUR 1.7 billion) to salmon and steelhead conservation efforts across 16,000 individual projects since 2000.
“The PCSRF program has a long history of working with partners on targeted, effective restoration projects that have meaningful and measurable impacts for salmon and steelhead populations and local communities,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Janet Coit said. “This funding presents an unprecedented opportunity to advance salmon recovery efforts that will have positive impacts for years to come.”
The PCSRF has received a notable increase in funding during the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden thanks to additional money allocated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Lawmakers included USD 172 million (EUR 163 million) in the BIL to be given to the PCSRF over a five-year period, while they provided USD 7.5 million (EUR 7.1 million) for the fund in the IRA for fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
Those allocations have provided a sudden influx in federal spending on West Coast salmon recovery projects. While the government dedicated a flat USD 65 million (EUR 61 million) in annual funding to the PCSRF for seven years, BIL money boosted overall funding to USD 95 million (EUR 90 million) in 2022. Funding levels rose higher still to USD 107 million (EUR 101 million) in 2023, and in August, NOAA Fisheries announced USD 105 million (EUR 99 million) in PCSRF awards for 2024. According to NOAA Fisheries, BIL and IRA money funded 111 salmon and steelhead recovery efforts through the PCSRF in 2022 and 2023.
“This investment, made possible thanks to President Biden’s commitment to investing in America, will help get Pacific salmon populations closer to the healthy and abundant levels our West Coast ecosystems and communities need, and help create new jobs that enhance climate resilience along our coasts,” Raimondo said.
Eligible applicants from Alaska, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, as well as federally recognized Tribes, have until 4 March 2025 to submit applications, with awards announced in summer 2025.
U.S. President Joe Biden has made salmon recovery in the Columbia River Basin a priority during his administration, signing a presidential memorandum to focus federal efforts and signing a new agreement with Pacific Northwest states and Tribes.
