CDFW News

CDFW Awards $15 Million for Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Restoration Projects

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 15:33:33 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) today announced the selection of 15 projects that will receive funding for the restoration, enhancement and protection of salmon and steelhead (anadromous salmonid) habitat in California watersheds. The total funding for these projects amounts to more than $15 million in grant awards.

Among these 15 projects, the Salmon River Restoration Council was awarded $1,888,060 for the Windler Floodplain Habitat Enhancement Project. The project will enhance salmonid rearing habitat at the Windler River bar, on a reach of the North Fork Salmon River, by lowering the floodplain and increasing connectivity. The project also includes riparian revegetation, which will increase shade and diversity along channels and across the river bar.

“As climate-driven disruptions to California’s ecosystems continue to evolve, so must our efforts to support the critical work our partners are doing to restore and protect habitat throughout our rivers and streams,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Supporting these restoration efforts is a necessary and critical step forward to improving native fish health and resiliency. With these funds, we are enhancing the incredible resilience of these species for more sustainable populations over time.”

Projects were awarded through CDFW’s Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP). This program was first established in 1981and since 2000, has included funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, established by Congress to reverse the declines of Pacific salmon and steelhead throughout California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. This award also includes funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to help support the recovery, conservation and resilience of Pacific salmon and steelhead.

In response to the 2024 Fisheries Habitat Restoration Grant Solicitation, CDFW received 48 proposals requesting more than $39 million in funding. The proposals underwent a thorough technical review involving subject matter experts from CDFW and NOAA. For additional information and a complete list of all FRGP-awarded projects, visit FRGP’s Funded Project Summaries page.

Highlighted Project Summaries

Ventura River Arundo Removal and Riparian Restoration - South Santa Ana Site

($846,598 to Ojai Valley Land Conservancy)

The project will treat and remove 2 acres of arundo and more than 30 invasive plants identified throughout the 5-acre worksite along the Ventura River. It will also restore 2.7 acres of riparian habitat by planting 300 native plants and seeding native grasses.

South Fork Usal Creek Log Jam-boree

($1,669,436 to Trout Unlimited, Inc.)

The project will install approximately eight engineered large wood jams and 142 non-engineered log jams within 3.5 miles of South Fork Usal Creek, covering almost all the anadromous channel. This is expected to increase stream habitat complexity, pool frequency, pool depth, over-summer rearing habitat and winter high-flow velocity for salmonids within the project area.

Albion River Instream Coho Habitat Enhancement Project

($1,281,076 to Trout Unlimited, Inc.)

The project will install approximately 53 engineered large wood structures composed of approximately 200 logs that will promote deposition of coarse sediment to create an alluvial channel bed through select reaches on the Fork Albion River. Additionally, two undersized and failing culverts will be replaced.

Huckleberry Creek Coho Refugia Project

($194,030 to Eel River Watershed Improvement Group)

The project is designed to improve the geomorphic function and ecological complexity in Huckleberry Creek for salmonid habitat through a process-based approach. A total of approximately 32 large wood structures will be constructed along a 1.2-mile reach of Huckleberry Creek. The roughness elements added to the stream will increase pool and flatwater area and depth, increase shelter complexity, sort substrate for spawning habitat, increase the frequency of side channel and flood plain inundation and provide refugia during high flows.

Robinson Creek Instream Habitat Enhancement

($236,622 to The Conservation Fund)

To increase salmonid spawning habitat, the project is designed to install 106 large wood debris structures at 38 selected sites in Robinson Creek.

Chamberlain Creek Fish Passage Implementation Project

($1,378,920 to the Mendocino Land Trust)

The project will remove a current fish passage barrier and replace it with a new engineer-designed road-stream crossing culvert that will allow for unimpeded upstream/downstream migration of all aquatic species, including salmonids such as coho salmon, as well as Pacific lamprey.

North Fork Elk River Channel Instream Habitat and Upslope Restoration Project

($1,455,436 to Trout Unlimited, Inc.)

The project will enhance and improve instream salmonid habitat within a 1.8-mile reach of the lower North Fork Elk River by installing over 50 large wood structures and decommissioning portions of the Elk River Mainline Road, which runs parallel to the channel and encroaches onto the floodplain.

Sebbas Creek Off-Channel Project

($799,895 to the Eel River Watershed Improvement Group)

The project will create approximately 20,000 square feet of off-channel habitat, depending on stream flow conditions in Sebbas Creek, and includes installation of three engineered deflector jams and grading and the installation of several engineered “roughness” element log features. Additionally, there will be two grade-control log structures.

Soda Creek Fish Passage and Habitat Enhancement Project

($1,452,926 to Trout Unlimited, Inc.)

The project will replace a rusted, failing culvert that is a partial barrier to coho salmon and steelhead, as well as restore 500 feet of channel by constructing four alcoves with pools and large wood structures near the mouth of Soda Creek.

LA River California Environmental Flows Framework Study

($785,000 to Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority)

The project will utilize the California Environmental Flows Framework to inform tradeoffs between ecological and non-ecological goals. Project outcomes will help define environmental flow recommendations to inform future decision making, while emphasizing ecological attributes.

California Conservation Corps Fortuna Fish Habitat Assistant

($273,374 to California Conservation Corps - Fortuna)

The Fish Habitat Assistant will independently develop and implement at least two fish habitat restoration projects, conduct public outreach, assist with project implementation and monitoring, train staff in stream habitat restoration techniques and attend workshops.

California Conservation Corps Watershed Stewards Program in Partnership with AmeriCorps

($688,041 to California Conservation Corps)

The California Conservation Corps Watershed Stewards Program (WSP) in Partnership with AmeriCorps, will engage 44 WSP corpsmembers throughout coastal California to enhance anadromous watersheds through restoration and protection, support community education and outreach events, recruit volunteers for hands-on restoration projects and professional development.

SRF 2025 and 2026 Coho Confabs

($46,940 to Salmonid Restoration Federation)

The project will produce two annual Coho Confabs to educate and train restoration specialists and watershed restoration groups on coho salmon recovery strategies, restoration techniques, and best management practices to restore coho habitat and recover the species.

Northern California Rural Land and Water Best Management Practices Education Series: Phase 2

($99,967 to Salmonid Restoration Federation)

The project will educate interested parties in Humboldt, Trinity, Del Norte, Mendocino and Siskiyou counties about coho recovery strategies, including flow enhancement and habitat restoration techniques, as well as associated legal considerations such as water rights, regulatory compliance and permitting. The Salmonid Restoration Federation will create education materials, curriculum, and a series of workshops on water transactions, a sediment and erosion control field school, a large wood field school, and beaver co-existence and beaver dam analog techniques workshops. These materials and workshops are designed to reach landowners, tribal restoration crews, municipalities, watershed planners and ranchers.

The awarded projects further the objectives of state and federal fisheries recovery plans that focus on removing barriers to fish migration, restoring riparian habitat, recovering wildfire impacts detrimental to rivers, and creating a more resilient and sustainably managed water resources system (e.g., water supply, water quality and habitat) that can better withstand drought conditions. These projects also further the goals of the California Water Resilience Portfolio, State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), California’s Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future (PDF) and fulfillment of CDFW’s mission.

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Media Contacts:
Matt Wells, Watershed Restoration Grants Branch, (916) 216-7848
Krysten Kellum, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120

CDFW Awards $17M to Critical Restoration Projects Statewide

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 16:24:25 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) today announced the award of $17 million in grants for 18 restoration and protection projects throughout the state, including projects to benefit disadvantaged communities, salmon and steelhead in the Klamath-Trinity watershed, wetlands and meadows and watersheds impacted by cannabis cultivation. Today’s awards continue the ongoing efforts to support critical restoration projects with funding made available in late 2022 through the Nature Based Solutions (NBS) Initiative and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds, funding through CDFW’s Cannabis Program, as well as funding dedicated to habitat restoration through Proposition 68.

“Timing is critical to restore and protect California’s biodiversity, and we’re seizing this moment to support a diverse array of projects that will benefit fish, wildlife, lands and watersheds across the state,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “By collaborating with these important conservation partners, advancing Tribally-led restoration, and by staying focused on protecting ecosystems with the greatest need, we’ll ensure these funds will help support vulnerable species and communities across California.”

Since the beginning of 2023, CDFW has awarded close to $292 million through a single application process for several funding initiatives. This streamlined process allowed CDFW to get funds out to the door faster to critical restoration projects. Visit the Restoration Grants Story Map page to learn more about funded projects.

Background

In late 2022, CDFW announced the availability of $200 million in new funding for restoration, including $100 million in emergency drought funding for protecting salmon against drought and climate change. Funding under the Addressing Climate Impacts and Nature Based Solutions initiatives provides grant funding for projects addressing water and habitat impacted by climate, as well as restoring wetlands and mountain meadows and creating wildlife corridors. Remaining funding for wetland and mountain meadow restoration is available through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

In early 2023, CDFW announced increased funding availability through the Cannabis Restoration Grant Program (CRGP). Funding under CRGP facilitates environmental stewardship by providing financial assistance for projects that support watershed-scale restoration, among other priorities.

This funding also supports key initiatives, including conserving 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030 under California’s 30x30 initiative, Nature-Based Solutions and increasing the pace and scale of restoration through Cutting the Green Tape.

More information about these funding opportunities, including guidelines and how to apply, general information about CDFW’s grant programs, as well as a schedule for upcoming grant solicitations, once available, can be found at www.wildlife.ca.gov/grants.

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Photo by Julia Stephens, Tuolumne River Trust - Cottonwood Meadow Hydrologic Improvement Project

Proposition 68 Klamath-Trinity Projects
CDFW is awarding $1.6 million in Prop. 68 Klamath-Trinity funding to four restoration projects in the Klamath-Trinity watershed.
Cutting the Green Tape for Scott River Watershed Restoration
($127,000 awarded to the Scott River Watershed Council)
“We are honored to receive support for our project,” said Betsy Stapleton, permitting specialist with the Scott River Watershed Council (SRWC). “The project builds off CDFW and State Water Resource Control Board initiatives to cut green tape and streamline restoration permitting, thereby helping achieve major state initiatives such as conserving 30% of California's lands by 2030. We work closely with state and federal agencies, Tribes, local landowners and other NGOs to scale up restoration in the Scott River Watershed, a critically important Klamath River tributary. This work addresses the impacts of climate change, competing demands for limited water and the need for salmonid recovery. Incorporating SRWC's place-based approach and long-term relationships to reduce the administrative permitting burden, the project will also ensure ongoing environmental protection, allowing limited restoration dollars to deliver more on the ground restoration. Thank you, CDFW.”
Scott River Tailings Restoration Phase 2
($219,000 awarded to Scott River Watershed Council) This project will improve in-stream and floodplain conditions along the Scott River Yuba Dredge Tailings, a highly degraded 5-mile reach of the Scott River, for the benefit of anadromous salmonids.
“Our family has owned this property for 40 years and has implemented various restoration activities over the years,” said landowner Larry Alexander. “We greatly value our collaboration with the Scott River Watershed Council in helping to spearhead some significant restoration activities on this particular reach of the Scott River. We are very gratified by the positive results of moving this reach back toward a more proper functioning condition riparian zone.”
Middle Stotenburg Creek Coho Habitat Enhancement Project
($517,000 awarded to the Smith River Alliance)
"This project is part of a larger effort to restore fish passage and salmonid habitat across the Smith Coastal Plain,” said Monica Scholey, program coordinator with Smith River Alliance. “The Smith River Plain is a highly productive ecosystem and important feeding ground and migration stop for numerous aquatic species. Restoration of fish passage along the tributaries and slough channels of the Smith River Plain is vital for the management and protection for salmonid populations. Last year we removed several fish passage barriers just downstream from this new project site on Stotenburg Creek, a tributary on the Smith River Plain. Last winter we observed coho and Chinook salmon immediately benefit from this work. We are thankful for the support and opportunity to continue restoring fish passage in Stotenburg Creek.”
Marble Peaks Ranch Acquisition
($814,000 to The Nature Conservancy — $799,000 funded by Prop. 68 Klamath-Trinity and $14,000 funded by Prop. 68 Severely Disadvantaged Communities)
“The Nature Conservancy is grateful for the support of CDFW for the acquisition of this important property in the Scott River Watershed,” said Amy Campbell, project director for The Nature Conservancy. “Projects that lead to the restoration of habitat and permanent protection flows are essential to the recovery of coho salmon, especially in light of the recent dam removals in the Klamath Basin and can assist local communities with adjusting to a future where water security for both people and nature is essential.”
Proposition 68 Severely Disadvantaged Communities Projects
CDFW is awarding $4.56 million in Prop. 68 funding to five restoration projects to benefit severely disadvantaged communities.
Ormond Beach Perkins Road Area Restoration Project
($251,000 awarded to the city of Oxnard)
"The Perkins Road area of Ormond Beach, though located just half a mile from a severely disadvantaged community and the 200,000-resident population of Oxnard, is seldom visited by families and the general public for recreation or wildlife viewing,” said Eric Humel, grants coordinator with the city of Oxnard. “Receiving this grant funding will help to ensure that residents and youth have knowledge of the ecological significance of the wetland area and are able to learn about and participate in its restoration.”
Riparian Buffer Fencing on Iron Gate and Copco 1 Reservoirs
($800,000 awarded to Trout Unlimited, Inc.)
"This funding is a key investment in making sure the native vegetation planted in the former reservoir has the best chance possible to get established and restores the riparian habitat along the Klamath in the coming years,” said Evan Bulla, Klamath River project coordinator with Trout Unlimited, Inc. “Healthy, diverse vegetation along the river corridor is important for water quality and critical habitat for the insects, birds and wildlife of the watershed. We're proud to be working with our partners on this piece of restoring the Klamath River following dam removal."
Prairie Creek Floodplain Restoration Project
($3.1 million awarded to the Yurok Tribe)
The project will restore rearing and spawning habitat to alleviate key limiting habitat and life stage factors necessary for recovery of listed salmonids at a strategic location within the Redwood Creek watershed.
Wetland and Mountain Meadow Restoration
As part of its Nature-Based Solutions Initiative, CDFW is awarding $6.7 million in Wetlands and Mountain Meadows Restoration Funding and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds to six projects that will restore and enhance wetlands and meadows throughout the state.
Cottonwood Meadow Hydrologic Improvement Project - Phase 1
($244,000 awarded to Tuolumne River Trust)
"Tuolumne River Trust is incredibly grateful to be awarded this critical funding to implement the first phase of restoration work at Cottonwood Meadow,” said Julia Stephens, River and Meadow Restoration Program director with Tuolumne River Trust. “This project will restore wetland conditions that will benefit over 30 acres of meadow habitat in an area affected by the 2013 Rim Fire and identified by the Stanislaus National Forest as a top priority for restoration for wildlife habitat. Tuolumne River Trust and the Stanislaus National Forest have been working hard towards this milestone for over three years and are ready to hit the ground running next summer."
Lower Klamath Refuge Water Deliveries
($2.25 million to the California Waterfowl Association — $1.85 million from Nature Based Solutions-Wetlands and $392,000 from Prop. 68 Severely Disadvantaged Communities)
“The Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is arguably the most important wetland in California from a waterfowl breeding, molting and staging area for resident and migratory waterfowl, especially for California’s mallard population, which has been in steep decline over the past couple decades and now at record low levels,” said Jake Messerli, CEO of the California Waterfowl Association. “We are thankful for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s partnership and support as we work to restore the Klamath refuges back to the vibrant wetland ecosystem they once used to be.”
Tunnel Meadow Restoration and California Golden Trout Conservation Project
($813,000 to Trout Unlimited, Inc.)
“Tunnel Meadow is of critical importance to the persistence of the beloved state fish of California, the Golden Trout,” said Jessica Strickland, California Inland Trout Program manager with Trout Unlimited, Inc. “Trout Unlimited, the Inyo National Forest and partners couldn’t be more excited to add it to the portfolio of meadow restoration currently underway in the headwaters of the South Fork Kern River.”
Windler Floodplain Habitat Enhancement
($2 million to the Salmon River Restoration Council)
This project will enhance salmonid rearing habitat at the Windler River bar, on a reach of the North Fork Salmon River, by lowering the floodplain and increasing connectivity. Riparian revegetation will increase shade and diversity along channels and across the river bar.
Design and Permitting for White Mallard Dam Improvements and Butte Creek Flow Enhancements
($740,000 to Ducks Unlimited, Inc.)
“This project is a win for salmon. Keeping more water in Butte Creek will minimize the chance that salmon stray into canals,” said Cliff Feldheim, fish and wildlife biologist with Ducks Unlimited, Inc. “This project sets a precedent of how to manage Butte Creek water for salmon, agriculture and managed wetlands while developing a framework for landowners and biologists to work together to keep salmon in Butte Creek and out of canals.”
Kuulanapo Wetland Preserve Restoration
($1.1 million awarded to Lake County Land Trust)
“It is with great appreciation that we accept this grant from CDFW,” said Lake County Land Trust Board President Valerie G. M. Nixon. “We look forward to co-managing the Kuulanapo Wetland Preserve with The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians. As we work together to restore the health of the wetlands, uplands and Clear Lake, we have much to learn from the descendants of the first people to manage this land.”
Cannabis Restoration Funding
CDFW is awarding $4.3 million in Cannabis Program restoration funding to five projects to promote ecosystem restoration and ecological health throughout California.
Recovery of Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog in Tuolumne and Merced River Watersheds
($368,000 to the Yosemite Conservancy)
Since 2013, Yosemite Conservancy donors have contributed more than $2.2 million to protect aquatic species in Yosemite National Park, including targeted efforts to reintroduce once-common, now-endangered Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs. That effort has resulted in a measurable increase in yellow-legged frog numbers in Yosemite — one of few examples of a frog population rebounding as amphibians decline worldwide. This latest project involving Yosemite National Park biologists and CDFW will improve habitat in the Tuolumne and Merced River watershed to increase the yellow-legged frog population and benefit native stream-dwelling fish and wildlife species.
“Protecting vulnerable species like yellow-legged frogs maintains the park’s biodiversity as nature envisioned,” said Yosemite Conservancy President Frank Dean. “By focusing on the stewardship of new areas of habitat, we hope to further increase the yellow-legged frog population and simultaneously improve conditions that also benefit a variety of other wildlife,” This project is a great example of an effective, sustained and collaborative wildlife management program."
In addition to yellow-legged frog programs, Yosemite Conservancy support has gone to red-legged frogs, Yosemite toads, western pond turtles and several salamander species in Yosemite Valley and other areas of the park.
Enhancing Dune Habitat and Ecosystem Function within Northern Monterey County State Parks
($467,000 to the San Jose State University Research Foundation)
This project will expand local dune restoration efforts to Moss Landing State Beach and Zmudowski State Beach. Restoration efforts include removing invasive species, reestablishing native dune vegetation and encouraging sand deposition using natural materials to enhance habitat quality and increase coastal resilience.
Weaver Creek Habitat Restoration Implementation
($1.4 million to the Yurok Tribe)
This project will address degraded stream channel conditions along a 1-mile section of Weaver Creek, a coho-bearing stream with high intrinsic potential. These rehabilitation efforts will create instream habitat for many special status species, bolster riparian habitat and ensure a single threaded wet channel during summertime baseflow conditions.
Los Peñasquitos Watershed Assessment & Invasive Plant Management Plan
($1,073,000 to Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Foundation)
The project will conduct a comprehensive, multi-jurisdictional watershed assessment to map, evaluate and prioritize areas needing invasive plant treatment on a watershedscale.
Fish Passage and Habitat Improvements to Dry Creek Yuba and Nevada Counties
($991,000 to Sierra Streams Institute)
In conjunction with the U.S.-Air-Force-funded removal of Beale Lake Dam, this project will restore access to 15 miles of historic riverine migratory corridor for fall-run Chinook salmon and the federally threatened Central Valley steelhead and create approximately 3 acres of improved spawning habitat. “Sierra Streams Institute is excited to be able to improve salmonid habitat throughout the entire Dry Creek watershed, from its headwaters, through Beale Air Force Base and our work with them on restoring habitat after removal of the Beale Lake Dam, down to the confluence with the Feather River,” said Sierra Streams Institute Executive Director Jeff Lauder. “Dry Creek historically supported robust populations of Chinook salmon. Through this series of projects partnering with the Army Corps of Engineers, Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust and CDFW, we can take steps toward restoring an active Chinook population in this vital foothill stream system."

Klamath River Fishery Plan Calls for Wild, Self-Sustaining Salmon, Steelhead Populations in Newly Undammed River

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 11:55:45 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has released the “Klamath River Anadromous Fishery Reintroduction and Restoration Monitoring Plan (PDF),” a 60-page blueprint to guide the reintroduction and monitoring of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead and Pacific lamprey in a newly undammed Klamath River.

The plan’s principal goal is to reestablish viable, wild, self-sustaining populations for species conservation, ecological benefits and to enhance Tribal, commercial and recreational fisheries.

The primary strategy is to allow these ocean-going fish species to naturally recolonize some 420 miles of newly accessible spawning and rearing habitat. The last two remaining barriers – cofferdams at the former Iron Gate and Copco No. 1 dam footprints – were breached this week, returning the Klamath River to a free-flowing state in California for the first time in a century.

“The largest dam removal project in American history is part of something even bigger as we work with countless partners to achieve the largest river restoration project in American history, which is a super exciting space to be in,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “Nature teaches us time and time again just how resilient she is. If we can mostly stay out of the way, these fish populations will heal themselves, sustain themselves and help heal and sustain the communities that cherish them. There is no bigger game-changer underway for Pacific salmon in the West than this effort.”

The Klamath River anadromous fishery plan was prepared in collaboration with Native American Tribes, the State of Oregon and federal partners, including NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Beyond the newly available habitat within the main stem of the Klamath River, anadromous fish species also have access to several important tributaries upstream of the Iron Gate Dam footprint that historically supported these fish through several critical life stages and will provide reliable sources of cool water in warmer months and in warming climate conditions. These tributaries include Scotch, Camp, Jenny, Shovel and Fall creeks.

Fall Creek will play a significant role in the restoration of the Klamath River. The creek is home to the newly constructed, $35 million Fall Creek Fish Hatchery intended to jump-start salmon populations in the upper basin.

The Fall Creek Fish Hatchery replaces CDFW’s Iron Gate Fish Hatchery. It was built by PacifiCorp, the former owner and operator of the hydroelectric facilities on the Klamath River. PacifiCorp is slated to fund hatchery operations for the next eight years. Annual production goals consist of 3.25 million fall-run Chinook salmon and 75,000 coho salmon.

The Klamath River Anadromous Fishery Reintroduction and Restoration Monitoring Plan calls for an “adaptive management approach,” which means future management decisions and strategies can change based on extensive monitoring detailed in the plan and coordination with Klamath Basin fisheries partners.

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Media Contacts:
Michael Harris, CDFW Northern Region, (530) 410-5334
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858

CDFW Awards $14 Million for Salmon, Steelhead Habitat Restoration Projects

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 16:04:32 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) today announced the selection of 26 projects that will receive a collective $14 million to protect, restore and enhance the freshwater habitats of salmon and steelhead in northern California.

Trout Unlimited, Inc. was awarded more than $2 million for the Duffy Gulch Fish Passage Improvement Project in Mendocino County. This project will remove a railroad stream crossing along the Mendocino Railway and restore fish access to nearly three miles of high-quality spawning and rearing habitat in Duffy Gulch, a tributary to the Noyo River. The new crossing will be a 45-foot diameter steel arch that will allow fish passage and is capable of handling a 100-year flood event.

All projects were awarded through CDFW’s Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP). FRGP was first established in 1981 and since 2000, has included funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. The fund was created by Congress to reverse the declines of Pacific salmon and steelhead throughout California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. This award also includes funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to help support the recovery, conservation, and resilience of Pacific salmon and steelhead.

“California’s salmon continue to face the challenges of both past and present, through countless legacy impacts to fish passage and growing climate-driven threats to their seasonal cycles,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “In the face of these grim challenges, we find optimism and hope through projects like these, which will restore access to miles of river habitat and acres of floodplain, greatly improving the productivity and sustainably of fish populations.”

Other Awarded Project Highlights

California Conservation Corps Watershed Stewards Program 2023
(Nearly $700,000 Awarded to California Conservation Corps Watershed Stewards Program in partnership with AmeriCorps)

The California Conservation Corps Watershed Stewards Program in Partnership with AmeriCorps will enlist 44 Corps members throughout coastal California to enhance watersheds that support salmon, steelhead and other types of migrating fish through restoration and protection, community education and recruiting volunteers for hands-on projects.

Lagunitas Creek Coho Habitat Enhancement Plan
(Nearly $600,000 Awarded to the Marin Municipal Water District)

This project will fully fund the design, permitting and environmental review for Phase 2 of the Lagunitas Creek Coho Habitat Enhancement Plan. Phase 2 consists of five enhancement sites located within Samuel P. Taylor State Park in Marin County. This project has also been funded through CDFW Proposition 1 and Proposition 68 grants in collaboration with Marin Water and California State Parks since 2020.

In response to the 2023 Fisheries Habitat Restoration Grant Solicitation, CDFW received 35 proposals requesting more than $23 million in funding. The proposals underwent a thorough technical review involving subject matter experts from CDFW and NOAA.

The complete list of approved projects is available on the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program website.

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CDFW Photo: Fish passage structure to be replaced.

Media Contacts:
Matt Wells, Watershed Restoration Grants Branch, (916) 216-7848
Steve Gonzalez, CDFW Communications, (916) 804-1714

California Fish and Game Commission Holds Hybrid Meeting

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 12:38:11 GMT

At its December meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission acted on several issues affecting California’s natural resources. The following are just a few items of interest from this month’s meeting held in San Diego with an option for the public to join via Zoom.

Among action on a number of petitions, the Commission denied a petition to end waterfowl hunting on the Lake Earl Wildlife Area in Del Norte County. The petition was filed over concerns shooting was occurring too close to a nearby business and residence bordering the wildlife area, along with claims that poaching, wasting of game and hunter misconduct were occurring.

Waterfowl hunting has taken place for many generations on the Lake Earl Wildlife Area and Commission staff noted that the California Fish and Game Code already addresses the illegal conduct described in the petition. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Law Enforcement Division is also aware of the claims raised in the petition. The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors and Del Norte Waterfowlers group both opposed the petition.

Also relating to waterfowl, the Commission recognized five new inductees into the California Waterfowlers Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was established in 1999 to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to enhancing waterfowl and their habitats in California.

The new inductees are philanthropist William F. Berry; Glenn Olson of the National Audubon Society; retired University of Nevada, Reno Professor Jim Sedinger; Bob Shaffer, formerly with the Central Valley Joint Venture; and former Humboldt County Supervisor Jimmy Smith (posthumous).

The Commission adopted a second, 90-day extension of emergency regulations allowing the conditional take of southern California steelhead under certain circumstances. The southern California steelhead is a candidate species for listing under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) by the Commission. The extension of emergency regulations will allow work to continue on projects relating to flood control, highway maintenance and improvement, and water supply for domestic and commercial uses.

With the Commission’s approval of a second, 90-day extension of conditional take, CDFW issued a reminder that the emergency regulations will expire on approximately May 15, 2023, after which no new CESA take authorization for southern California steelhead can be issued under the emergency regulations and all existing take authorizations issued under Section 749.13 of the California Code of Regulations, Title 14, will expire.

The Commission authorized a notice of intent to amend regulations pertaining to commercial and recreational take of spiny lobster; recreational hoop net requirements for the take of crustaceans; and hunting waterfowl, elk and bighorn sheep.

Four Commissioners were present or participating online during the meeting. They were President Samantha Murray. Vice President Erika Zavaleta, and Commissioners Jacque Hostler-Carmesin and Anthony Williams. Commissioner Eric Sklar was absent.

The agenda for this meeting, along with supporting information, is available on the Commission website. An archived audio file will be available in the coming days. The next meeting of the full Commission is scheduled for February 8-9, 2023, at the California Natural Resources Headquarters Building in downtown Sacramento.

Media Contact:
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352

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The California Fish and Game Commission was one of the first wildlife conservation agencies in the United States, predating even the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries. There is often confusion about the distinction between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Commission. In the most basic terms, CDFW implements and enforces the regulations set by the Commission, as well as provides biological data and expertise to inform the Commission’s decision-making process.