Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (Annual Appropriations, IIJA Funds, and IRA Funds) | NOAA NMFS WCRO 2024 2008271

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS WCRO 2024 2008271

The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) grant opportunity is a discretionary federal funding program run by NOAA (within the Department of Commerce, through NMFS). It supports on-the-ground efforts to restore and conserve Pacific salmon and steelhead populations and the habitats they depend on. The funding for this particular opportunity is backed by multiple federal laws and funding streams, including annual appropriations as well as major recent investments authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed November 15, 2021) and the Inflation Reduction Act (signed August 16, 2022), along with continuing appropriations legislation covering federal government operations in 2024. In practical terms, NOAA is using these combined sources to pay for "necessary expenses" tied to salmon recovery work across the Pacific Coast and Columbia River regions.

PCSRF is focused on projects that directly benefit salmon and steelhead that are already listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, as well as populations that a state has identified as at-risk of becoming listed. The program also explicitly recognizes tribal needs and rights by supporting work that helps maintain fish populations necessary for the exercise of tribal treaty fishing rights or for native subsistence fishing, and by funding habitat conservation actions that improve conditions for Pacific coastal salmon and steelhead more broadly. While the notice does not list specific project types in the excerpt provided, the purpose statement makes clear that awards are meant to translate into measurable conservation and habitat outcomes tied to salmon recovery priorities and guidelines described in the full announcement.

Eligibility is limited to a specific set of applicants. On the state side, only the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Alaska may apply. On the tribal side, eligible applicants include federally recognized Tribes of the Columbia River and Pacific Coast, including Alaska. NOAA places strict structure around how applications are submitted to avoid duplicates and conflicting requests. Each eligible state must apply through a single designated state entity that has been identified through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NMFS; applications coming from multiple agencies within the same state will not be accepted. For Tribes, eligibility must be demonstrated within the application, and Tribes may either apply directly on their own behalf or choose to be represented by a Tribal Commission or Consortium that applies for them under an MOU with NMFS. NOAA will not accept duplicate requests where both a Tribe and its representative Commission or Consortium submit for the same Tribe; if that happens, NMFS will require the parties to resolve who will submit one unified application on that Tribe's behalf.

Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by the published deadline, and late submissions may not be considered. The notice emphasizes that applicants should plan ahead for common issues that can interfere with on-time submission, such as limited internet access, hazardous weather, or scheduled Grants.gov maintenance, and that these issues generally will not result in deadline extensions. Another compliance point is completeness: the application package must include all required forms, and missing forms can lead to disqualification. The opportunity’s posted closing date is March 4, 2024, and the opportunity is identified as NOAA NMFS WCRO 2024 2008271 under CFDA (Assistance Listing) 11.438, with the funding activity category aligned to environment and natural resources (including IIJA-related funding).

In terms of award size, NOAA sets a hard cap on the federal request amount: proposals requesting more than $30,000,000 in federal funding over the entire award period will not be accepted. The funding instrument is a grant, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding. While the excerpt does not specify the number of expected awards or the total available funding, it does establish the key guardrails applicants must follow: only the named states and qualifying Tribes may apply, each state must coordinate through one designated entity under an MOU, tribal representation must be singular and clearly defined to prevent duplicate submissions, applications must be submitted on time through Grants.gov with every required form included, and requested funding cannot exceed $30 million across the award period.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, iij, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (Annual Appropriations, IIJA Funds, and IRA Funds)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.438.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-04. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $30,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for NOAA NMFS WCRO 2024 2008271

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