The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) today announced the award of funding to an initial 15 multi-benefit restoration and protection projects for North Coast coho salmon recovery under its Proposition 1 grant program.

The awards, totaling approximately $13 million, were made under CDFW’s 2021 Proposition 1 North Coast Coho Recovery Proposal Solicitation Notice. This solicitation was part of CDFW’s Cutting the Green Tape initiative to increase the pace and scale of restoration by making the permitting and granting processes more efficient. CDFW’s Watershed Restoration Grants Branch partnered with the North Coast Salmon Project on this solicitation, focusing on coho salmon recovery in North Coast watersheds.

“We have an opportunity to double down on coho recovery on the North Coast this year,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “We’re focusing grant funding in watersheds aligned with our North Coast Salmon Project while moving forward in key areas to improve the overall process under Cutting the Green Tape.”

The approved projects complement CDFW’s ongoing initiatives toward species recovery and provide resilience to climate change, representing priorities outlined in the solicitation, as well as the California Water Action Plan, State Wildlife Action Plan, California EcoRestore, Safeguarding California Plan, the California Biodiversity Initiative and the fulfillment of CDFW’s mission.

Projects approved for funding through the Prop. 1 Watershed Grant Program include:

Implementation Projects:

• Garcia River Estuary Enhancement Project ($2,838,211 to The Nature Conservancy)
• Bull Creek Hamilton Reach Instream and Floodplain Habitat Restoration Project ($2,425,232 to California Trout, Inc.)
• Mt. Gilead Water Conservation and Streamflow Improvement Project ($1,406,465 to the North Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council)
• The South Fork Eel River Seasonal Fish Weir: Targeting segregation and removal of an invasive predatory fish to benefit recovering salmonids ($542,545 to California Trout, Inc.)
• Large Wood Augmentation in High Priority Coho Salmon Habitat in Mendocino County ($884,048 to Trout Unlimited, Inc.)
• Yale Creek Watershed Protection and Enhancement Project ($474,942 to Sonoma State University)

Planning Projects:

• Eel River Arundo Eradication Planning Project ($52,087 to the Eel River Watershed Improvement Group)
• Greene Off-Channel Habitat Enhancement Design Project ($452,869 to the North Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council)
• Lagunitas Creek Coho Habitat Enhancement Final Design Plan ($869,178 to the Marin Municipal Water District)
• Ten Mile River Habitat Enhancement Phase 2 Design ($694,651 to The Nature Conservancy)
• Atascadero Subwatershed Streamflow Enhancement Planning Project ($85,568 to the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District)
• Mill Creek Streamflow Enhancement Focused Outreach and Planning ($209,640 to the Coast Range Watershed Institute)
• Sproul Creek Road Erosion and Fish Passage Barrier Assessment and Implementation Planning Project ($589,455 to the Pacific Coast Fish, Wildlife and Wetlands Restoration Association)
• Navarro-Mill Creek Habitat Enhancement Project ($787,436 to The Nature Conservancy)
• Indian Creek Aquatic Habitat Improvement Design Project ($397,785 to the Eel River Watershed Improvement Group)

General information about CDFW’s Prop. 1 Restoration Grant Programs, as well as a schedule for upcoming grant solicitations, once available, can be found at wildlife.ca.gov/grants.

Funding for these projects comes from Prop. 1 bond funds, a portion of which are allocated annually through the California State Budget Act. More information about Prop. 1 is on the California Natural Resources Agency website.

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Media Contacts:
Matt Wells, CDFW Watershed Restoration Grant Branch, (916) 216-7848
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352