NOAA Grant to Fund Tribal Salmon Recovery Effort
A recently announced $794,000 federal grant to the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is expected to help support the organization’s salmon recovery work and strengthen communities impacted by climate issues in the Columbia River Estuary.
“By continuing to support tribal-driven solutions that restore salmon populations and safeguard the unique landscape of the Columbia River Basin from climate chaos, the entire region will benefit from CRITFC’s work to build a healthier ecological future,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who announced the grant on Aug. 23 with Sen. Ron Wyden, also D-Ore.
CRITFC s expected to use the funds to model the impacts of habitat conservation and restoration, identify climate change threats, and produce actionable science to guide future restoration work in the Columbia River Estuary that conserves salmon habitat and reduces flooding, the senators said in a statement.
“Solutions for salmon restoration on the Columbia require the experience and ideas of tribal communities to succeed,” Wyden said.
CRITFC Executive Director Aja DeCoteau said the project will create a positive feedback loop between the ecosystem and cultural resilience by increasing tribal capacity to develop and implement powerful modeling tools to guide restoration decisions in the lower Columbia River.
“This work also facilitates partnerships with estuary communities to ensure restoration activities consider local impacts alongside scientific merit and ecosystem benefits,” he said.
NOAA’s Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities program, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, is targeted to advance the coastal habitat restoration and climate resilience priorities of tribes and underserved communities.
NOAA Fisheries had previously announced recommendation for over $45 million for 27 new projects, including more than $20 million for federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations.
