Applicants Sought for Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Projects

From the Bureau of Reclamation:

The Bureau of Reclamation, PacifiCorp and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) are seeking applications for funding to implement coho habitat restoration projects within the Klamath River and its tributaries downstream of Iron Gate Dam.

The joint Request for Proposals (RFP) will make available $1.1 million in grants during 2017 through Reclamation’s Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Program ($645,000) and PacifiCorp’s Klamath River Coho Enhancement Fund ($450,000). The pre-proposal deadline is Monday, June 5. The RFP is available on NFWF’s website at http://www.nfwf.org/klamathcoho/Pages/2017combinedrfp.aspx.

Reclamation, PacifiCorp and NFWF will host an RFP Open House for the public, which will include an overview of the programs, details regarding the types of projects that will be given priority, and an overview of the proposal process and requirements. The Open House will be held:

Wednesday, May 10, 2017, 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Best Western Miner’s Inn, Convention Center
122 E Miner Street, Yreka, California

The programs aim to fund projects that meet the requirements outlined in the 2013 Biological Opinion on Reclamation’s Klamath Project Operations and to achieve conservation objectives contained in PacifiCorp’s Klamath Hydroelectric Project Interim Operations Habitat Conservation Plan for Coho Salmon. Both programs enhance the survival and recovery of coho salmon in the Klamath River, where coho are listed as threatened pursuant to the Endangered Species Act.

Successful proposals will provide access to cold water habitat, create or enhance instream habitat, remove barriers or otherwise improve access, or provide water conservation. Regardless of the project type, successful proposals must demonstrate direct benefits for coho salmon. The geographic focus of these programs is within the mainstem Klamath River and tributaries below Iron Gate Dam.

Since 2009, PacifiCorp and Reclamation have contributed a combined $5.3 million toward habitat restoration for coho salmon in the Klamath River.