PWR LIO Meetings 

  • Next Meeting – April 26th; 10:00-12:00 PM PST – (Zoom) 
  • Past LIO Meeting Notes/Summary (Jan 25th, 2023) 

 

Local Events & News 

  • Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead Webinars – Save the date for three exciting upcoming Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead award webinars! 
  • Skagit Chinook Salmon Response to Recovery Plan Actions and Environmental Variability. Monday March 13, 10:30 am – 11:30 am on Zoom. Please RSVP for the webinar HERE, the registration link also provides additional details. 
  • Shoreline Monitoring Database. Tuesday March 14, 10:15 am. Webinar during the PSEMP Nearshore meeting. Check the agenda for updates. Webinar Zoom Link HERE, registration not needed. 
  • Assessing Pacific Sand Lance Subtidal Habitats and Biomass in Regard to Salmon Foraging in the San Juan Archipelago. Monday, March 20th, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm on Zoom. Please RSVP for the webinar HERE, the registration link also provides additional details. 

 

  • Electron Dam Pollution News – The operator of a hydroelectric dam on the Puyallup River and a key executive face paying $1 million in fines after pleading guilty Monday to a gross misdemeanor in connection to pollution of the river that stemmed from a construction project in 2020. Electron Hydro, LLC’s and chief operating officer Thom Fischer’s plea of operating an unlawful hydraulic project still must be approved by a Pierce County Superior Court judge. To read more about the guilty plea, click the link HERE to an article published by The News Tribune on February 27th.   

 

  • Green Infrastructure Summit of the Salish Sea 2023 – The 2023 Green Infrastructure Summit of the Salish Sea is back in person at Cascadia College on March 17, 2023! The agenda will be published soon, but if you already know that you don’t want to miss it, now is the time! This year, the theme of the Summit is Money as Medicine* – Historic investments are historic opportunities for healing. Part of the summit will talk about planning infrastructure investments from indigenous perspectives that have a 10,000 year track record of success as well as creating complex collaborative projects that center the needs of communities and accomplish multiple expansive (not reductionist) goals. There will be presentations and discussions on funding, workforce and career pathways, regional coordination, research, modeling, design and planning at watershed scales, and food systems too. To buy tickets and learn more click HERE. 

 

  • Pierce County Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plan – The Pierce County Planning & Public Works Department is working on the Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plan. The public will be invited to provide public comments and attend an open house in late March/early April. For more details and to sign up for updates visit HERE. 

 

  • 2023 Salmon Recovery Conference – The 2023 Salmon Recovery Conference will be held April 18-19 at the Vancouver, WA Convention Center. This years theme is A Shared Future, which reflects the desire to hear broad community perspectives with regards to salmon recovery. To register, sign up to exhibit or learn more click HERE. 

 

  • Environmental Career Expo – Foss Waterway Seaport is hosting a Science Career Expo to highlight job and volunteer opportunities for high school & college students and the community on May 18th from 4-7:30pm. The mission of this expo is to share job opportunities in science, environmental studies, education and outreach with local high school students and the community in a more accessible way. The expo will be free to both the public and business participants and is a great way to recruit new volunteers and employees to your organization. Participating organizations include; NOAA Fisheries, City of Tacoma, Pierce County Planning and Public Works, University of Washington – Tacoma, Washington State University and more. They are currently looking for more organizations to participate in our Expo. If you are interested or would like more information regarding the expo please contact Kaela Arellano, the Education and Outreach Coordinator at: kaela.arellano@fosswaterwayseaport.org Additionally their registration form can be found here: https://forms.gle/CPF68capAbnihbf69  

 

  • Puget Sound Day on the Hill – Mark your calendars: this year’s Puget Sound Day on the Hill will take place in Washington, D.C. the week of May 8th! Puget Sound Day on the Hill is an annual event organized by the Puget Sound Partnership and the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission that advocates for effective policy and sustained federal investment in Puget Sound restoration and salmon recovery. Representatives from tribes, state agencies, local governments, nonprofits, and businesses, along with concerned residents, lend their voices in support of action to save Puget Sound and uphold tribal treaty rights. Virtual participation opportunities will be forthcoming. For more info and to register click HERE. 

 

Funding Opportunities 

  • PSP’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Tracker – This tool tracks funding in the BIL related to Puget Sound recovery priorities, to view the BIL funding tracker please click HERE (updated regularly). PSP also produced an End-of-Session Review for the 117th Congress, to read up on it click HERE. 

 

  • Federal Funding for Nature Based Solutions – The National Wildlife Federation has developed a new searchable database of federal funding sources for nature-based infrastructure solutions. To view the list and see if your project would qualify for over 75 programs please visit HERE. 

 

  • NEW! Annual Federal Appropriation Funding Requests *8th District of Washington – Every year, Congress is responsible for allocating overall funding for offices, programs, and grants administered by the federal government. Representative Schrier has the opportunity to advocate on behalf of programs that are important to Washington’s 8th Congressional District. Rep. Schrier can advocate to maintain or increase the total funding for these grants (Programmatic Requests). Additionally, the House Appropriations Committee will be accepting Community Project Funding applications to allow Members of Congress to directly address the most significant needs of the communities they represent (Community Project Funding Requests). The Programmatic Requests are due on March 12th and the Community Project Requests are due March 13th. To submit and learn more click HERE.  

 

  • NEW! EPA Ensuring Environmental Justice, Human Wellbeing, and Ecosystem Recovery in Puget Sound RFA – EPA is accepting applications for entities interested in advancing environmental justice (EJ) in the restoration and recovery of Puget Sound. The request for application’s primary objective is to establish a competitive subaward program that advances EJ in the restoration and recovery of Puget Sound ecosystem and its communities. The applicant will develop and administer a competitive subaward program that will fund projects and activities that focus on providing environmental and community benefits. EPA will be hosting two informational webinars on the RFA on March 14 and April 18. Applications are due May 31, 2023. For more information, register for the webinars and how to apply click HERE. 

 

  • RFI for Salmon Science Investigation – The Partnership is pleased to announce a Request for Information for collaborative proposals to conduct salmon scientific investigations. Investigations could include but are not limited to modeling, research, and syntheses to address emerging issues of concern, factors limiting recovery, and other critical science and monitoring questions to advance Puget Sound salmon recovery. Outcomes of the proposed investigations should support ongoing recovery planning and adaptive management efforts to ensure self-sustaining, harvestable, salmon runs that sustain people and orcas in Puget Sound. Approximately $2,000,000 will be allocated towards projects, up to $400,000 each. Projects are anticipated to begin in July 2023 and continue through June 30, 2025. Responses are due by 12:00 pm on March 13, 2023. There is an info session for the RFI on Tuesday, January 31 from 10-11am, to register click HERE. For more information on the RFI click HERE. 

 

  • King County Parks Open Space River Corridors Grants – King County Parks will be releasing upcoming Parks Levy grant opportunities that could be used for WRIA 10 project in King County along the White Rivers. The Open Space River Corridors Grant Program supports projects that help restore the natural functions of rivers, create or restore public access, and/or increase public awareness of river corridors as valuable natural resources. This grant program incentivizes multi-benefit projects that integrate recreation and habitat restoration with larger floodplain management efforts. Approximately $9.9 million is available in 2023 for projects within King County, with maximum awards of up to $1 million per project. Grant awards can be used for all stages of project implementation: acquisition, feasibility, design, construction, and project specific outreach. Applications will be released on January 17th and due March 15, 2023 at 5pm. For more information and dates for grant webinars, please click HERE. 

 

  • WaterSMART Grant – As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Bureau of Reclamation is making approximately $80 million available to projects that focus on water conservation, water management and restoration projects that will result in significant benefits to ecosystem or watershed health. Applications are due by March 28. To learn more and apply click HERE. 

 

  • NEW! King County Cooperative Watershed Management Grant Program RFP– The Puyallup and Chambers Watersheds Salmon Recovery Lead Entity is seeking proposals for the 2023 King County Cooperative Watershed Management (CWM) grant round.  Funding is provided by the King County Flood Control District (FCD) and is for projects within the King County portion of the Puyallup Watershed (WRIA 10) only. For the 2023 grant round, the Puyallup and Chambers Watersheds Salmon Recovery Lead Entity Citizens’ Advisory Committee and Technical Advisory Group will make project recommendations for $552,991 in grants to high priority salmon habitat restoration (including feasibility and design) and acquisition projects, site maintenance, planning, monitoring activities, and up to 5% of the total allocation ($27,650) can go towards outreach and education projects and programs.  There are no match requirements, and these grant funds can be used as match for other funding sources. Deadline to apply is March 29th. For more information and how to apply please see the attachment above. 

 

  • Climate Resilient Riparian Systems Lead – This request for funding announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible applicants that are interested in acting as the Puget Sound Climate Resilient Riparian Systems Lead. This funding opportunity is focused on working with local programs and landowners to voluntarily protect and restore Puget Sound riparian habitat in priority watersheds, supporting salmon recovery and resilience to climate change. Application packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov no later than Monday, March 31, 2023, at 11:59pm (Eastern) in order to be considered for funding. For more information and how to apply, please click HERE. 

 

  • Monitoring to Accelerate Recovery RFI – The Partnership is pleased to announce a Request for Information for collaborative monitoring-related projects to support and accelerate the recovery of the Puget Sound ecosystem. Approximately $750,000 will be allocated for selected projects with budgets ranging from $50,000 to $120,000. PSP anticipates supporting up to 10 projects for the period of July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025. The Partnership seeks proposals that fall under one of these two categories:    
  • Category 1 – Developing and first-time reporting of Vital Sign Indicators, and     
  • Category 2 – Addressing questions to inform and assess progress toward desired outcomes and statutory goals for Puget Sound recovery.   

Responses are due by April 14. Please see HERE for additional details about proposal requirements, how to apply, and the priority information needs. There will also be an info session on Thursday Feb 23 from 1-2pm – register HERE. 

 

  • NEW! Puget Sound Strategic Initiative Lead’s Funding – The Shellfish and Stormwater SILs are excited to announce two new funding opportunities for programs, activities, and lines of work that advance Puget Sound recovery and protection. 
  • Shellfish SIL RFP to Integrate shellfish bed classification priorities in municipal and industrial wastewater facility function, planning and/or upgrades. Shellfish RFP Solicitation opens April 11, 2023 and applications are due May 31, 2023, with a total of $1 Million to award. The Shellfish SIL Application Webinar will be held April 18, 2023, from 10:00 to 11:30am. 
  • Stormwater SIL RFP to reduce Toxics in Fish in Puget Sound. This Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead Request for Proposals (RFP) is currently accepting applications until May 1, 2023. Up to $5.5 million is available for the two investment priorities included in this solicitation with up to $1 million per proposal. Please review the solicitation materials for more information HERE. The Stormwater SIL Application Webinar March 29, 2023, from 1:00 to 2:00pm. 

 

Job Announcements 

  • Washington Conservation Action – Habitat Policy Manager 

Washington Conservation Action seeks a Habitat Policy Manager to advance policies and campaigns that protect and restore healthy habitat for salmon and communities around Washington. The Habitat Policy Manager analyzes and develops policy and advocacy strategies for habitat initiatives including salmon recovery, cool and clean water, natural resource asset management, and other areas as needed throughout the state. Through collaboration with Tribes, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and community members, the Habitat Policy Manager supports equity- and science-driven approaches for salmon and ecosystem recovery. For more information and to apply, please visit: https://waconservationaction.org/jobs/habitat-policy-manager/. First review of resumes on March 27, 2023.