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WRIA 9 Happenings
Miller and Walker Creeks Salmon Surveys – Miller/Walker Stewardship Program
The 2023 salmon survey season is coming to a close! Volunteers surveyed Miller and Walker Creeks daily October through December, observing 117 live fish in the streams and dissecting 57 carcasses to look for signs of pre-spawn mortality – an important issue for coho salmon in Miller and Walker Creeks, as well as other urban creeks in Puget Sound. A collaborative partnership spawned between this Community Salmon Investigation program and University of Washington has improved our understanding of the sources of stormwater contaminants causing mortality in coho and research continues on these creeks!
Click here to stay updated about the results from this year’s CSI surveys, learn more about the program, and sign up for Miller-Walker emails.
Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group Community Powered Restoration
Five groups helped transform a 5000 sq. foot patch of blackberry into a future forest. Over the summer, our Youth Crew cut the blackberry whose roots were removed by volunteers on Orca Recovery Day. Kellogg School of Business Alumni removed roots and planted native plants in the site. A group of students from Federal Way Open Doors added trees to the site that were grown by the organization Grow it Forward, whose members also came out and planted their conifers throughout the site. Mid Sound is grateful to all who helped restore this site to create a better future for salmon.
On the way to grandmother’s house – help save salmon!
Drivers around Puget Sound can take a small action to help protect clean water: check car tire pressure monthly and if needed, add air as soon as possible to reduce wear. DontWaittoInflate.org shows you how to save money – and save salmon! Puget Sound and salmon are at risk from rainwater runoff that picks up pollutants like tire particles and washes them into local waterways. That runoff is carrying a newly identified toxic from tires: 6PPD-q, a toxic that kills coho salmon. Read tire tips and more information in English, Spanish/Español, Korean/한국어, and Vietnamese/Tiếng Việt.
Read more on the Waterlog.
Give Input on Priority Locations for Stormwater Retrofit Projects on WSDOT Infrastructure
WSDOT is soliciting input from tribes, local agencies, and other interested parties on your priority locations for stormwater retrofit projects on WSDOT infrastructure.
View more information and access the survey.
Vashon Nature Center Wrapped up a Successful Summer Season of Shoreline Restoration
Bulkheads have been removed at 5 beach restoration sites on Vashon with the help from 25 community members, 6 high school interns, and 3 college students – including a UW capstone student. This work is completed in conjunction with University of Washington researchers and other non-profits that pool data through the Shoreline Monitoring toolbox.
Read more on this work.
Vashon Nature Center Salmon Watch Program
The Salmon Watch program is in the midst of the 10th season and volunteers are working on summarizing data but you a preliminary report is available. Additionally, Trout Trackers will start on February 1st, 2024. With the help of the Coastal Cutthroat Trout Coalition, community raised funds, and advice from James Losee and others at WDFW volunteers will be out on the creeks to better document coastal cutthroat trout spawning for the first time!
Grant Announcements
The WRIA 9 Watershed Ecosystem Forum is pleased to announce the 2024 WRIA 9 grant round is OPEN!
We are accepting applications for:
More details and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are available on the Funding Opportunities website.
King County Conservation Futures Open Space Acquisition Funding, Apply by February 12, 2024
King County is seeking applications for 2025 King County Conservation Futures grants. Applications are due on Monday, February 12, 2024. King County can award Conservation Futures grants to cities, the county, park districts, and eligible 501c historic preservation associations and nonprofit nature conservancies to help acquire parks and open spaces for passive recreation. Grants may help purchase or conserve urban greenspaces, natural areas, forests, community gardens, farms, and trails – including stormwater parks or parks near affordable housing. All applicants are encouraged to attend a workshop:
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Register here for the workshop on Thursday, January 11, 2024 from 1-3 p.m.
Contact Ingrid.Lundin@kingcounty.gov with questions.
PSP Funding Tool
After much anticipation and with great excitement the Funding Announcement Tool is ready for use. The goal of this tool is to help distill information on the unprecedented amount of funding opportunities into a central location. This is a place to find those funding opportunities relevant to Puget Sound and salmon recovery. You can also use the Connections tab to find others that are interested in collaborating on the same funding opportunity. We anticipate that over the coming weeks and months we will be able to add more funding opportunities to the tool. If you would like to add an opportunity, please email strategticfunding@psp.wa.gov.
Healthy Communities and Parks Fund
The Healthy Communities and Parks Fund - Tier 1 and Tier 2: Supports projects that increase access to parks, open space, and recreation in underserved communities. Visit the Parks Grants website or download the 2024 Parks Grants Guide for details about available funding, award amounts, eligibility, applying, and the evaluation process for these 2024 grant programs.
Applications will be accepted from January 3, 2024 to March 4, 2024 at 8:00 p.m.
Strategic Initiative Leads Announce Habitat 2023 Investment Priorities and Stormwater RFPs
The Puget Sound Strategic Initiative Leads (SILs) are pleased to announce the release of the Habitat chapter and cross-cutting considerations of the Strategic Initiatives’ 2023 Investment Plan. The Plan details the Investment Priorities identified by the Habitat, Shellfish, and Stormwater Strategic Initiative Advisory Teams. The Stormwater chapter of the Investment Plan includes $8.1 million in total new allocations for the Investment Priorities under Freshwater Quality (BIBI), Toxics in Fish (TIF), and Marine Water Quality.
More information on the Stormwater RFP Solicitations is available on the Stormwater RFP webpage.
EPA Seeks Applicants for Community Change Grants
EPA is accepting applications for Community Change Grants on a rolling basis for $2 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding available to support community-driven projects that build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges, strengthen their climate resilience, and advance clean energy.
EPA’s Environmental Justice Community Change Equitable Resilience Technical Assistance will provide free design and project development assistance, community engagement, and partnership development workshops. This TA is intended to support eligible entities located in disaster-prone and disadvantaged communities in their pursuit of an EPA Community Change Grant, especially for projects that relate to climate resilience and long-term recovery from natural disasters.
Apply by November 21, 2024 - View the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program 2024 Request for Proposals
NFWF is soliciting proposals through the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program. This program seeks to develop nationwide community stewardship of local natural resources. Projects should seek to address water quality issues in priority watersheds, such as erosion due to unstable streambanks, pollution from stormwater runoff, and degraded shorelines caused by development. Approximately $2 million is available. Learn more.
Grant Application Period Opening Soon for Coastal Protection Fund
Terry Husseman Account (THA) Funding is a grant that supports locally sponsored projects that restore or enhance natural habitat that is in or adjacent to streams, lakes, wetlands, or the ocean. To be considered, projects must provide primary benefits to public resources (land or water stewardship) and affiliated infrastructure. Typical projects can address, water quality issues, enhance or protect fish and wildlife habitat, and more! Application opens 01/02/2024 and closes 02/06/2024.
Review more information on who is eligible to apply and the grant process. If you have any questions reach out to:
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Amy Krause, Lead Grant Program Administrator, 360-742-7789
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Layne Sloane, Grant Program Administrator, 360-867-8171
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