Today, NOAA Fisheries is announcing two funding opportunities totaling $260 million through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to support new fish passage projects, which will not only help protect and restore migrating fish and their habitats, but yield important community and economic benefits.
Every year, millions of fish attempt to migrate to their spawning and rearing habitats to reproduce. They are often blocked from completing their journey by human-made barriers, such as dams and culverts. When fish cannot reach their habitat, they cannot reproduce and maintain or grow their populations.projects re-open these pathways and are important for the protection and restoration of migrating fish and their habitats.
, which will support tribes and tribal organizations in implementing fish passage work and building tribal capacity to sustain these efforts. These competitions will prioritize projects that demonstrate a broad base of stakeholder and community support. Projects developed with inclusive practices and that incorporate meaningful strategies to engage a diverse range of community groups, including tribes and underserved communities, will also be prioritized.