Oregon receiving over $35 million for salmon recovery efforts

(The Center Square) - Oregon and the Klamath Basin are receiving $35,148,287 from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund.

The funding comes from a federal taxpayer grant program designed to help restore Pacific salmon and steelhead.

“Oregon’s salmon population is critical in sustaining our commercial and recreational fisheries and empowering the well-being and cultural heritage of Tribes who have been here since time immemorial,” U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, said. “This federal funding will support the restoration of Oregon’s vibrant salmon runs by repairing and reviving their water habitat. This critical investment moves us one step closer to a healthier ecological future for the region, and I will continue fighting to protect our waterways and fish populations, including our beloved coho salmon.”

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, expressed a similar sentiment.

“Salmon are synonymous with Oregon, and that historic connection to jobs, recreation, and natural treasures deserves protecting and enhancing for generations to come,” Wyden said. “This major federal investment in habitat restoration helps to rebuild robust salmon runs for Tribes and Oregon communities, and I’ll keep battling for similar resources to achieve that objective throughout our state.”

More than $3 million in federal funds will go directly to the Klamath Basin for salmon recovery and restoration efforts and Klamath Dam removal efforts.

Two grant recipients will receive the funding, the release said: the Klamath River Inter-Tribal Fish and Water Commission ($2,427,664) and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board ($640,000).

As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Merkley worked to ensure that fiscal year 2024 government funding directed the NOAA to feature updates on restoration and recovery efforts for coho salmon and other salmonids in the Klamath Basin, plus an investment strategy.

"He has also used his role on the powerful committee to secure robust funding for the protection, conservation, and restoration of salmon and steelhead species for Western states and Tribes via federal programs such as the PCSRF," the release said.

The PCSRF, created in 2000, "is designed to address declining Pacific salmon and steelhead populations by supporting conservation efforts in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska," the release said.

"The program is essential to preventing the extinction of the 28 listed salmon and steelhead species on the West Coast," the release added.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act provided this PCSRF funding.

Here are the grants coming to Oregon and the Klamath Basin, according to the release.

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: $22,250,000Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission: $6,862,160Coquille Indian Tribe: $3,608,463Klamath River Inter-Tribal Fish and Water Commission: $2,427,664