Call for Salmon Habitat Restoration Projects in the Chehalis River Basin

The Chehalis Basin Lead Entity is looking for projects that will restore or protect salmon habitat in the rivers that flow in the Chehalis River and Grays Harbor.

Successful project proposals will receive funding through the state’s Salmon Recovery Funding Board. The minimum request is $5,000. There is no maximum, but the total amount available for all projects in the river basin is about $2 million.

Typical Projects

Typical projects include the following:

• Planting native trees and shrubs along stream banks
• Replacing undersized and poorly constructed culverts (pipes and other structures carrying water under roads) that impede salmon passage
• Reconnecting side channels with a river main stem
• Anchoring tree trunks and their roots in creeks to provide shelter and create pools for fish
• Removing invasive plant species like knotweed from stream banks
• Buying land containing pristine salmon habitat or that could benefit from restoration

Special funding will be available from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board in 2024 for streamside planting projects that do the following:

• Buy native trees and shrubs
• Install fencing to keep livestock out of  vegetated riverbanks
• Maintain newly established plants
• Remove invasive plant species
• Buy land with intact streamside vegetation

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants include cities, counties, conservation districts, tribes, nonprofits, regional fisheries enhancement groups, special purpose districts such as public utility and Irrigation districts, and state agencies with local partners. Private landowners may apply for a project on their land; however, the Chehalis Basin Lead Entity encourages them to work with a qualifying organization due to the complexity of the application process.

Other Considerations

Planting projects may be fully funded but applicants with other types of projects must provide resources (such as labor, materials, equipment use, or cash) equivalent to 15 percent of the total project cost.  Additional funding sources are available to complete these projects. The Lead Entity invites proposals for high priority projects that address salmon habitat needs, regardless of cost.

How to Apply

Contact the Lead Entity Coordinator, Kirsten Harma to discuss the project idea. Then submit a project form to the Chehalis Basin Lead Entity by February 23, 2024. To learn more about how to apply and to download application materials, visit the Chehalis Basin Lead Entity website, www.chehalisleadentity.org, (see “For Grant Applicants”).