PMEP is requesting proposals for FY27 project funding. Proposals are due September 15, 2026. Funding will be available in spring/summer of 2027.

PMEP will award an estimated $175,000-$250,000 in FY2027 for projects that advance its mission. This amount is based on previous funding received from the NFHP for this purpose. The exact amount of funding available varies annually and is not known at this time. In an effort to fund a diverse portfolio of projects, strong project proposals that request less than $100,000 are preferred. However, proposals of particular merit may be funded at a higher level, at PMEP’s discretion.

Eligible projects include fish habitat restoration, enhancement, and protection projects in U.S. West Coast estuaries or nearshore marine areas. Projects are asked to show 1:1 non-federal matching funds, except projects led by tribes or indigenous organizations. Match waivers are possible and an option to request a waiver is included in the application. PMEP project funding is provided by  the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish Habitat Partnership.

Proposals must be submitted through an online Jotform application portal. See the full Request for Proposal document for more details, evaluation criteria, and application instructions.

Find the full Request for Proposals HERE.

Check out our new ArcGIS Story Map highlighting how PMEP’s habitat assessments, mapping tools, and data products can inform effective estuary restoration efforts that benefit fish, wildlife, and coastal communities. The StoryMap spotlights the Yaquina estuary to tell the story of estuary restoration and shifting human values. It also spotlights the MidCoast Watersheds Council’s science-driven, collaborative conservation and restoration. Find the Story Map HERE.

Registration is still OPEN for our 2026 Effective Estuary Restoration Symposium. This is a 2-day symposium held the mornings of May 20 and May 21 from 9:00AM to noon. The theme of Day 1 is Restoring ecological functions for multi-species benefits. The theme of Day 2 is Jump-starting process-based restoration. Both days will feature case studies of real-world examples of successful projects from along the U.S. West Coast. No cost to attend but register here to save your place! Learn more at our events page .

NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation and Recreational Fishing Initiative are pleased to announce another informal funding opportunity in FY26 for coastal Fish Habitat Partnership project that support habitat conservation or restoration and engagement with the recreational fishing community. The goals of this funding opportunity are to enhance collaboration with recreational fishing partners and to protect or restore habitat. Project sponsors must coordinate with PMEP to submit project proposals, which are due to NOAA Wednesday May 20, 2026. Submit project proposals in the format outlined in the Request for Proposals to the PMEP Coordinator at info@pacificfishhabitat.org by Thursday, May 14. 

Check out summaries or previously funded project from 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Find the RFP HERE.

Registration is OPEN for our 2026 Effective Estuary Restoration Symposium. This is a 2-day symposium held the mornings of May 20 and May 21 from 9:00AM to noon. The theme of Day 1 is Restoring ecological functions for multi-species benefits. The theme of Day 2 is Jump-starting process-based restoration. Both days will feature case studies of real-world examples of successful projects from along the U.S. West Coast. No cost to attend but register here to save your place! Learn more at our events page .

PMEP is excited to announce that Emily Johnson, Fisheries Program Lead for Oregon and Washington with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has joined our Steering Committee! She oversees fisheries management and conservation strategies across BLM lands, ensuring healthy aquatic ecosystems and sustainable practices. As a member of PMEP’s Steering Committee, Emily will help guide PMEP’s strategies and actions to protect and restore estuarine and marine/nearshore fish habitat along the U.S. West Coast.

PMEP is excited to announce that Heather Gliniak, an environmental scientist working for California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Marine Region in the State Managed Marine Finfish and Nearshore Ecosystems Program, has joined our Steering Committee. As a Steering Committee member, Heather will help map out PMEP’s strategic work and ensure that we are meeting our goals and objectives to provide resources and funding to protect and restore fish habitat along the U.S. West Coast. Heather  is stationed out of Seal Beach in southern California and her agency work primarily focuses on the management of barred sand bass, kelp bass, California halibut, and surf fish species. This work often includes planning and implementing essential fisheries information studies, analyzing various fishery-dependent and fishery-independent data streams, participating in the regulatory change process for recreational and commercial nearshore finfish fisheries, and collaborating with stakeholder groups. She is also on the CDFW dive team conducting surveys on barred sand bass abundance and collecting data for other collaborative efforts. Welcome Heather!

PMEP is thrilled to announce that Jason Nuckols has joined our Steering Committee representing The Nature Conservancy. Jason Nuckols works in estuary and freshwater systems across Oregon. Since 2004, Jason has helped lead The Nature Conservancy’s Oregon freshwater and coastal programs in creating and implementing effective strategies for conservation of in-stream, floodplain, wetland, and estuarine habitats. The position requires close cooperation and leadership with numerous partners and communities. Jason is a husband, father and son that loves all things outdoors especially being on the water. Welcome, Jason!

PMEP Steering and Science & Data Committee members visited five nearshore restoration sites in September when they held their annual meeting in Bellingham, Washington. The projects were led by the Northwest Straits Foundation and included the removal of hard shoreline armoring from both privately owned and public shorelines. Shown here are Lisa Kaufman, from the Northwest Stratis Foundation, and two private landowners who voluntarily removed armoring from their shoreline to restore habitat.

PMEP and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve Coastal Training Program are hosting a virtual data tools training on Tuesday, November 4 & Wednesday, November 5 from 10am-12pm PST. The training will be available for 20 participants.

The training is designed for restoration practitioners, resource managers, and researchers and will cover the use and utility of PMEP’s online spatial data and web-based mapping tools: Estuary Nearshore Habitat Viewer and Estuary Explorer. Training participants will receive background information on PMEP’s spatial data framework and learn how to navigate and answer conservation planning queries through hands-on exercises. Participants will learn how to download data from the tools and how to upload datasets to the tool for customized mapping needs. REGISTER HERE!