Program Overview
Before and after: a bridge is built to replace a culvert that was impassable to salmon. Photos provided by Mike Bird
The Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP) was established in 1981 in response to rapidly declining populations of wild salmon and steelhead trout and deteriorating fish habitat in California. FRGP administers a competitive grant program that has invested millions of dollars to support various projects throughout coastal California. Contributing partners to the program include federal and local governments, tribes, nonprofit organizations, and private landowners.
Goals
The overall goal of FRGP is to recover and conserve salmon and steelhead trout populations through restoration activities that reestablish natural ecosystem functions, to ensure the survival and protection of the species in California.
Grants
Each year, FRGP issues millions of dollars in grants to public agencies, Native American Indian Tribes, and nonprofit organizations for projects that lead to process-based restoration, enhancement, or protection of anadromous salmonid habitat. For more information on FRGP grants, please visit the FRGP Grant Process page.
Applying for FRGP Grants
FRGP opens its Proposal Solicitation Notice (PSN) about early spring each year. All applications are accepted online through CDFW's WebGrants(opens in new tab). FRGP also offers technical support workshops to assist applicants in understanding the PSN and Guidelines requirements, reviewing the grant process, and highlighting key updates. For information regarding the PSN and Guidelines, please visit the FRGP Solicitation Notice page.
What FRGP Funds
FRGP funds a wide range of projects that focus on, or lead to, restoring, enhancing, or protecting salmonid habitat in anadromous watersheds of California. For information on projects funded in previous years, please visit the FRGP Funded Project Summaries page.
Who is Eligible for FRGP Funds
Eligible applicants include state and local government agencies, public entities, Native American Indian Tribes, and nonprofit organizations. Private individuals and for-profit enterprises are not eligible for funding. Private entities with quality restoration projects are encouraged to partner with an eligible applicant to apply.
Environmental Permitting
Uniquely, FRGP provides the following coverages for all eligible funded projects:
- California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND),
- Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 certification, State Water Resources Control board, and
- CWA Section 404, Army Corps of Engineers permit.
Details of the coverages can be found in the Guidelines on the FRGP Solicitation Notice page or by contacting the FRGP Regulatory Coordinator on the FRGP Contacts page.
Contingency Funding Requests
Grantees may request contingency funding by following the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program Contingency Funding Guidelines (PDF)(opens in new tab).