Next PWR Meeting

September 14th; 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. PST – (Zoom)

Action Items!

• PWR-LIO Capacity Funds Feedback Form – Request for feedback for ideas on how to use new LIO Capacity Funds (Link to Form) by June 30^th.
• LIO Website Feedback – Provide feedback to the draft LIO website + any high resolution images to include on the website. Send feedback and images to asheikh@rossstrategic.com by June 30^th.

Watershed News

• EPA Capacity Funds Not Passed to LIOs – last week PSP and EPA came to an agreement on the new $100,000/year over 5 years additional capacity funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for LIOs. PSP has decided to retain this $500,000 per LIO, instead of contracting it to LIOs and use it to hire Agency staff and contractors instead of providing it to LIOs to do work inside the LIO geographies. This news was unanticipated and means that the AHSS LIO will not be receiving funds to increase capacity and coordination, through the hiring of a “Funding Navigator” we have been discussing over the past few months. Instead, PSP will develop a Regional Hub of staff and tools to coordinate additional BIL funding across all LIOs. – Please see the attached documents about this announcement and let us know if you have any suggestions of how project sponsors could benefit from the proposed hub and the types of resources/tools would be most helpful.
• Some ideas that have come up so far:
  • Standing contract with Caravan Labs or some other video content provider to give each LIO the ability, each year, to make a success story and an opportunity story short video (or something similar). Like the “Building a new future at South Prairie Creek” video as an example.
  • Concise, easy to understand and use information about all the new grant programs distributed in a timely way, e.g., a central reference point with all the program names, funding priorities, eligible parties, match requirements, and dates with up to date live links.
  • Standing contract for engineering and technical support for project feasibility investigations / preliminary designs. (If this is possible with the funding.)
  • Standing contract for preparation of maps, photos, site plans, etc., that might be needed in support of grant applications (maybe?)
  • Are there any large projects where we think a regional convening role would be helpful? And/or, for larger scale suites of projects within one or two LIOs, could PSP subaward to local conveners/partners to support project coordination, development, and collaboration.
  • Is there a regional program (like the Shore Friendly program) that is ready to scale up and needs a HUB?
  • Is there a type of solution (e.g., community forests? Carbon credits for urban trees? Something?) that is ready to scale up and needs a HUB?
  • Other ideas?

Funding Opportunities

• Salmon Funding Opportunities in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – The Wild Salmon Center has created a document compiling various funding opportunities related to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that passed last year. To learn more about these new funding opportunities please click HERE.

• Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grants – $65 million in funding is available for fish passage through the removal of in-stream barriers in FY2022 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act). In collaboration with NOAA, selected partners will use these funds to implement locally-led removals of dams and other in-stream barriers to rebuild sustainable fisheries, contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species, enhance watershed health, and improve economic vitality. Proposals must be submitted by August 15, 2022 – to learn more and apply please click HERE.

• Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Grants – $12 million in funding is available to implement fish passage work and build tribal organizational capacity in FY2022 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act). Up to $12 million in funding is available under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to implement fish passage work and build tribal organizational capacity. In collaboration with NOAA, selected Indian tribes and tribal commission or consortia partners will use these funds to implement barrier removal efforts that benefit tribally-important migratory fish, and to build tribal organizational capacity to participate in developing current and future fish passage projects. Funding will support fisheries and protected resources, while also enhancing community resilience to climate hazards by removing or improving aging infrastructure. Proposals must be submitted by August 29, 2022 – to learn more and apply please click HERE.

• Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Competition – The Saltonstall-Kennedy Program administers a yearly grant competition which annually funds approximately 40 projects for $10 million that lead to the promotion, development and marketing of U.S. fisheries. NOAA Fisheries seeks applications that demonstrate direct benefits to the U.S. fishing and marine aquaculture industries and applications which involve:
  • Fishing or aquaculture community participation aimed at helping seafood communities to resolve issues that affect their ability to fish or farm
  • Making full use of those species that are currently under federal or state fishery management plans
  • Addressing the socioeconomic impacts of overfishing and overcapacity

Proposals must be submitted by October 31, 2022 – to learn more and apply please click HERE.