NOAA recommends nearly $105 million in fish passage funding

NOAA in the U.S. is recommending nearly $105 million in funding for 36 fish passage projects this year and $61 million in future funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

NOAA calls this a “historic level of funding,” which would enable its partners to “reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish across the country.’

Fifteen of these projects — more than $26.3 million in funding — will be led by tribal applicants for fish passage and to build tribal organizational capacity. Nearly two-thirds of the remaining projects will directly involve tribes and are aligned with tribal priorities. Tribes will play key roles in decision-making and build capacity to help recover tribally-important migratory fish.  The projects will also provide community and economic benefits such as jobs and training opportunities.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” for NOAA to continue making an impact for fisheries, protected resources and coastal communities, according to a release. These projects will help recover endangered migratory fish and support the sustainability of commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries. They will also support coastal communities by removing derelict and unsafe dams, removing contaminated sediments, improving opportunities for recreation, and adapting to climate change by reducing flooding and improving threatened infrastructure.

Every year, millions of fish migrate to their spawning and rearing habitats to reproduce. Fish often are blocked from completing their journey by barriers like dams and culverts, and many fish populations have declined. NOAA works to reopen these migratory pathways, restoring access to healthy habitat for fish.

NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation conducts habitat restoration efforts, including fish passage, with large-scale competitive funding opportunities and technical assistance. Through the Community-based Restoration Program, NOAA has partnered with more than 2,600 organizations to take on more than 2,200 projects since 1996. These efforts have restored more than 94,000 acres of habitat and opened up more than 4,400 miles of streams and rivers to fish migration.

Tribal priority fish passage projects recommended for funding

NOAA is recommending more than $16 million in funding for 13 projects selected through the Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity. These projects will support Indian tribes in their role as managers and stewards of tribal trust resources for cultural, spiritual, economic, subsistence and recreational purposes. They will support tribally important fish passage barrier removal projects and help to increase tribal capacity to participate in developing current and future fish passage projects.

This includes investigating fish passage alternatives for two hydropower dams in Michigan: Tower Dam and Kleber Dam.

Fish passage projects recommended for funding

NOAA is recommending more than $87 million in funding for 23 projects selected through the Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity. These projects will help restore access to healthy habitat for migratory fish across the country through efforts including: on-the-ground fish passage restoration, engineering and design, future project development, and building the capacity of new and existing partners to design projects and manage multi-faceted restoration efforts.

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