$99 Million Now Available for Pacific Salmon Recovery — Applications Due June 29
NOAA Fisheries has opened applications for up to $99 million through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, directing federal investment toward conservation and habitat restoration projects across the West Coast and Alaska.
The funding supports administration priorities by improving habitat and other actions to increase salmon and steelhead production, strengthening the US seafood sector in line with the Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.
Eligible applicants include state agencies in Alaska, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, as well as federally recognized tribes of the Columbia River Basin and Pacific coast. Individual proposals may request up to $25 million, and the application deadline is June 29, 2026, with award selections expected to be announced in September 2026.
Funding draws from both base appropriations and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Priority goes to projects that conserve threatened or endangered salmon and steelhead, maintain populations that support tribal treaty fishing rights, and protect critical Pacific coastal habitat.
The investment case is backed by evidence. Research has found that most protected salmon and steelhead populations that have been the focus of habitat improvements have increased in number. Oregon Coast coho salmon are a standout example — improvements in river habitat have helped strengthen the coho population enough to support a popular recreational fishery, increasing economic activity in coastal communities.
