Gov. Gregoire endorses salmon recovery applications

For Immediate Release: April 6, 2009

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today endorsed 52 competitive grant proposals for federal stimulus funds to support salmon recovery and marine habitat restoration across the state, including a number of projects to help restore and protect Puget Sound.

The 52 grant proposals to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) total approximately $101,500,000 and would support recovery projects in the Columbia River and its tributaries, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Pacific Coast. The proposals also would provide significant support for implementation of the Puget Sound Partnership�s recently adopted Action Agenda to restore the Sound by 2020.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA-Fisheries) received $170 million in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for competitive grants to state, local, non-profit and tribal organizations for �shovel-ready� coastal and marine habitat restoration projects across the country. The grants will be awarded through a nationwide competition administered by NOAA�s Office of Habitat Conservation. Today is the deadline for grant submissions.

�The need for this funding is especially great in Washington state, which is why I have endorsed a large number of grant proposals,� Gregoire said. �Each of these proposals would create and retain jobs immediately � especially in hard-pressed rural areas � and would provide long-term economic and environmental benefits to the State of Washington.�

Gregoire praised the efforts of the state Recreation and Conservation Office to coordinate the efforts of multiple state agencies, non-profit organizations and tribes to ensure all grant proposals met and exceeded the NOAA requirements. The heads of the RCO, Department of Natural Resources, Governor�s Salmon Recovery Office, and Puget Sound Partnership have confirmed the projects would meet the Governor�s priorities for the use of federal stimulus funds and would advance the state�s strategic plans for habitat protection and salmon restoration.

�Puget Sound habitat restoration and salmon recovery go hand-in-hand,� said David Dicks, executive director of the Partnership. �These proposals represent the most important Puget Sound restoration projects that are ready to go now.�

Washington state is administering the Recovery Act investments with an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability. Gov. Gregoire has created a new website, www.recovery.wa.gov, to enable enabling every Washingtonians to see where their tax dollars are going and to hold government accountable for the results. On the federal level, President Obama has appointed Vice President Biden to oversee all states' recovery efforts and to root out waste and fraud. This combined oversight will ensure taxpayer dollars are put to good use and recharge the economy.

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For a list projects visit: http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/20090406_Summary_Table.pdf