Over the last 11 years the Estuary Partnership and over 100 partners have protected or restored more than 16,000 acres of habitat in the lower Columbia River and estuary. Projects have breached dikes, replaced culverts, removed or improved tide gates, planted riparian areas, purchased lands for conservation, constructed bridges, placed large wood in streams, and reconnected streams with their historic floodplain.
The Estuary Partnership has helped fund a good portion of these projects with funding secured from the Bonneville Power Administration, NOAA Community based Habitat Restoration Program, and the EPA Targeted Watershed Program. To administer these funds, the Estuary Partnership has solicited projects, our Science Work Group and Project Review Committee have scored and ranked them using the Estuary Partnership’s Ecosystem Criteria, and the Estuary Partnership has administered the contracts.
Habitat Restoration Project Funding
Technical Assistance Project Funding
Habitat Restoration Project Funding
We are requesting proposals for habitat restoration projects in the lower Columbia River and estuary. Funds for this project solicitation come through an award from the Bonneville Power Administration's Fish and Wildlife Program. Funding will support habitat restoration projects designed to improve the access and quality of rearing and spawning habitats for salmonids that inhabit the Columbia River and connecting systems. The primary objective of this solicitation is to identify salmonid restoration and protection projects to help satisfy mitigation requirements established in the 2008 Biological Opinion for the Federal Columbia River Power System.
Applications will be accepted throughout the year, and reviewed by the Estuary Partnership's Science Work Group Project Review Committee three times each year. Individual award amounts are expected to range between $50,000 and $500,000, although all requests that meet the funding criteria will be considered. These funds can be used to support all phases of restoration projects including planning and design, permitting, implementation, evaluation, and reporting.
We are currently requesting applications for review in February, 2012. Key aspects of this solicitation include:
- Proposals Due: January 20th, 2012 by 5:00 pm
- Expected Award Decisions: March, 2012
- Project Period: Project must be completed by September 30, 2013
- Eligible Applicants: Federal agencies and private individuals are ineligible. Most others are qualified to apply (see announcement for complete details).
- Project Amounts: Awards are anticipated to be between $50,000 and $500,000, but all requests that meet the criteria will be evaluated and considered for funding. Matching funds are not required.
- Project Location: The Columbia River or its tributaries with the area of contemporary tidal influence.
- Contact: Evan Haas 503-226-1565 x 238 or ehaas@lcrep.org
Estuary Partnership Funding Announcement
Estuary Partnership Project Application Form
Estuary Partnership Application Budget Form
Estuary Partnership Project Review Criteria
Expert Regional Technical Group Resources
SBU History and Calculator Description
Technical Assistance Project Funding
Restoration practitioners who need technical assistance help with restoration project scoping, design, or planning have a new option to turn to with the Estuary Partnership's announcement of Technical Assistance Availability. Technical assistance funds are provided through an award with the Bonneville Power Administration.
Technical assistance funds are available to help project sponsors develop, design, and implement larger, more complex estuary restoration projects. Technical assistance funds can be used to initiate concept designs, access engineering, hydrology, geotechnical and other technical expertise, collect critical baseline data, and for other purposes. Contact Estuary Partnership Restoration Ecologist Evan Haas 503-226-1565 x238 to discuss your Technical Assistance needs and projects, funding criteria, and the short application process. Awards of up to $40,000 are available.
Technical Assistance Grant Application