Pre-proposal applications are being accepted through March 1
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announce the launch of the Pacific Northwest Native Fish Habitat Initiative Fund in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. This program will provide funding for habitat restoration projects that protect and enhance native trout and lamprey and their habitats. The pre-proposal period begins immediately and closes March 1, 2006.
We are interested in funding innovative habitat restoration projects that benefit native trout and lamprey in the States of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. We are seeking projects that will result in habitat conservation, protection, restoration, or management actions that benefit coastal cutthroat, westslope cutthroat, Yellowstone cutthroat, bull trout, and redband trout, or Pacific lamprey and other native lamprey species. We are targeting these important fish species since they generally do not receive the level of management attention as migratory Pacific salmon and steelhead species.
Examples of projects we are seeking include on-the-ground habitat restoration to enhance native trout and/or lamprey habitat; improved in-stream flows in critical habitat areas affected by low flows through innovative water transactions with willing landowners; upstream or downstream fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.
Learn more about fish passage past barriers to allow access to important fish habitat; habitat restoration projects on National Wildlife Refuge System lands or other Federal, State or Tribal refuges, reserves, and protected areas where the primary purpose is fish and wildlife conservation; habitat restoration on private lands where long-term resource protection is assured; prevention, early detection, control, and management of invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species that directly affect native trout and lamprey habitat.
Pre-proposal descriptions for projects should be concise and can range between $5,000 to $50,000. Selected projects that best fit the purpose of the program will be asked to provide a full description for possible funding. Total funding for this program is $200,000. Projects that demonstrate partnerships with local and regional interests, and have a cost-share component will be stronger candidates for funding.
This program is an important opportunity for watershed restoration groups to form local and regional partnerships for aquatic habitat restoration and to make significant contributions to protecting and enhancing native trout and lamprey across the Pacific Northwest.
More information about this program can be found at: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/Fisheries/. Project descriptions can be submitted on-line at: www.nfwf.org.
