2026 Salmon Recovery Grant Opportunity – West Sound (~$1.28M)
WSPER is announcing its annual call for salmon habitat projects in east WRIA 15. As the Lead Entity, WSPER coordinates project solicitation, technical review, and ranking for submission to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB).
Project Sponsors: Please submit a Project Summary Form to Renee Johnson by January 20, 2026 to initiate review by the Technical Advisory Group and the SRFB.
Funding Information
Funding is available through the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) and Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) programs to protect and restore priority salmon and steelhead habitat.
- SRFB: ~$295,000 available (funding released after the September 2026 SRFB meeting)
- PSAR: ~$990,000 available (funding available July 2027)
Projects must align with applicable salmon and steelhead Recovery Plans and Strategies and be on the 4-Year Workplan or Planned Project Forecast List (projects may be added at WSPER TAG’s discretion).
Eligible Applicants
- Cities
- Counties
- Native American Tribes
- Conservation districts
- Non-profit organizations
- Regional fisheries enhancement groups
- Special purpose districts
- Private landowners
- State agencies (with local partner)
Eligible Projects
- Acquisition
- Planning (Designs, Assessments, and Inventories)
- Restoration
- Combination projects (Acquisition and Restoration, Acquisition and Planning)
| Phase | Date | Description |
| Planning | Dec 2 | Call for projects, scoring criteria, & Letter of Intent are distributed; Discuss projects, letter of intent, call for projects as needed |
| Jan 20 | Letter of intent due: sponsors send project summaries to Coordinator for SRP entry | |
| January 27 | Sponsors present their projects to the TAG and get feedback | |
| Jan 30 – Early March | Project summaries are sent from SRP to PRISM; technical review period begins | |
| Jan 31 | Coordinator notifies sponsors of whether projects will proceed in the grant round | |
| Feb 19 | Preliminary project applications due in PRISM (do not hit submit) so Review Panel has two weeks to review | |
| March 5 & 6 | Site visit w/SRFB review panel | |
| March 27 | SRFB Review Panel comment form released identifying projects as “Clear,” “Conditioned,” “Needs More Information,” or “Project of Concern.” Monitoring Panel will provide comments for monitoring projects. | |
| April 8 & 9 | 1-hr call w/SRFB Panel for project sponsors to discuss “Need More Information,” “Project of Concern,” or “Conditioned” projects | |
| LE Develops Habitat List | April 30 | Sponsors submit final responses to Review Panel comments |
| May 12 | TAG submits scores to WSPER Coordinator for processing | |
| May 26 | TAG meeting: discuss scores and produce ranked list | |
| June 23 | Final applications due in PRISM | |
| June 24 | WG meeting: TAG chair provides recommendations and requests feedback and approval | |
| June 30 | EC meeting: WG chair provides recommendation and requests feedback and approval | |
| Funding Decision | July 24 | Review Panel comments distribute to sponsors |
| August 6 | Applications with conditioned projects must accept conditions or withdraw project | |
| August 7 | Coordinator submits ranked list | |
| Sept 15-16 | Salmon Recovery Funding Board awards grants |
SRP: Salmon Recovery Portal — statewide project entry and tracking database
PRISM: Project Information System — public platform to apply for grants, review and manage funded projects, and produce reports
TAG: Technical Advisory Group — local technical reviewers
SRFB: Salmon Recovery Funding Board — state funding board and review panel
Scoring Criteria
(Criteria are a guide for scoring, not finite)
- Alignment with Recovery Strategy (Yes/No)
- Does the project implement a recovery strategy or appear on the Planned Project Forecast List (2024-2025) or 4-Year Workplan?
- If yes, the project is eligible for ranking. If No, the project is not eligible.
- Scope and Budget (10 points)
- Is the scope of the project appropriate? Can it be phased?
- Is the budget consistent with expected benefits and similar projects?
- Consideration: Have there been previous investments in the project (e.g., Shore Friendly or earlier design phases)?
- Benefits to Fish (20 points)
- Does the restoration project address high-priority habitat, watershed processes, or nearshore processes with a measurable impact on salmon productivity?
- Does the project target high-priority watersheds (refugia with source populations and high productivity)?
- Acquisition targets high habitat function, low disturbance, and intact processes.
- Is the acquisition necessary for high-priority restoration?
- Does the project meet Tier 1 criteria from the Nearshore Integration and Synthesis Tool?
- Certainty of Success (15 points)
- Does the sponsor have experience implementing similar projects?
- Is the restoration approach well-established with predictable outcomes?
- Does the project restore ecosystem processes, not just structural modifications?
- Is there a clear stewardship/maintenance plan for restoration and/or acquisition projects?
- Are actions self-sustaining or low maintenance?
- Is funding available for monitoring and stewardship?
- Are the benefits realized immediately or long-term, and are they independent of other projects?
- Are the benefits of acquisition not dependent on future restoration actions?
For More Information Contact: Renee Johnson at rkjohnso@kitsap.gov. More details at WSPER Recovery Plans and Strategies and RCO Website.