The PMEP-funded project, Zangle Cove Bulkhead Removal, was named a National Fish Habitat Partnership 2024 Waters to Watch Project. Managed by the Thurston Conservation Districti, this project removed 200 linear foot of bulkhead along the marine shoreline of South Puget Sound. The project restored spawning habitat for beach spawning fish (e.g., surf smelt and sand lance), restored shoreline sediment transport processes, and restored shoreline riparian vegetation providing multi-species benefits. The project was implemented on private residential waterfront property near Olympia, Washington. It is an important example of regional work underway to reduce harm from hard armoring on private waterfront property throughout Puget Sound. Numerous organizations are operating under the umbrella of the Shore Friendly program, supported by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program and other partners. The Shore Friendly program is a multi-organizational effort that aims to motivate residents living on marine shorelines to remove bulkheads and preserve natural shorelines, in order to support recovery of Puget Sound’s salmon and orca populations (among other species). Shore Friendly promotes a shoreline stewardship ethic that embraces natural coastal processes that support nearshore ecology.
- October 6, 2024
- Joan Drinkwin
- Announcement, Funding
- 0 comments
Deadline for proposal submission is December 2, 2024.
PMEP will award an estimated $250,000-$350,000 in FY2026 for projects that advance its mission. 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.
PMEP is seeking project proposals that restore, enhance, and protect habitats for fish within estuarine and nearshore marine systems or that increase understanding of fish habitats in estuarine and nearshore habitats along the U.S. West Coast (Washington, Oregon, and California).
For nearshore-focused projects, priority will be given to assessment and restoration projects that address critical challenges to nearshore marine habitats, with a focus on habitats such as kelp forests, seagrass, rocky reefs, biogenic structure (native oysters, sand dollar beds, tube worm reefs), and intertidal and beach spawning habitat. Projects must also clearly identify benefit to fish species.
For estuary-focused projects, priority will be given to projects benefiting smaller estuarine systems defined as having an Estuary Size Class of 0-250 acres in the PMEP Estuary Explorer data tool http://estuaries.pacificfishhabitat.org/explore. However, worthy projects that benefit larger estuarine or nearshore systems will still be considered. Estuary projects must demonstrate benefits to PMEP focal species.
Find the full Request for Proposals and application instructions HERE.
- October 1, 2024
- Joan Drinkwin
- Uncategorized
- 0 comments
These half-day symposiums are the second and third in a series of virtual symposiums bringing together experts in the field of estuary restoration along the U.S. West Coast to explore effective estuary restoration topics.
2025 symposium will explore:
- Blue Carbon in the context of fish habitat
- Data and monitoring protocols and guidance
- Collaborative platforms for restoration practitioners.
The symposiums are designed to support estuary restoration practitioners and will include opportunities to share techniques, ask questions, and build a community of practice.