The Pierce County (WRIA 10/12) Lead Entity is soliciting project proposals for high priority salmon habitat protection and restoration projects in the Puyallup/White River and Chambers/Clover Creek watersheds. Project proposals will be evaluated, ranked, and submitted to the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) and Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) for funding consideration.

Acquisition, planning, restoration, and riparian maintenance projects are all eligible (see Section 2 of RCO Manual 18 for more details http://www.rco.wa.gov/documents/manuals&forms/Manual_18.pdf). It is expected that submitted project applications will address high priority actions listed in the WRIA 10/12 Salmon Restoration and Protection Strategy: https://www.co.pierce.wa.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/968

Our current understanding is that the most important actions for salmon recovery in the Puyallup/White Watershed are those that reconnect the mainstem rivers with their floodplains. Other important actions in Puyallup/White Watershed (WRIA 10) include protection and/or restoration on presently functional salmon streams, including: South Prairie Creek and its tributaries, Boise Creek, Greenwater River, Huckleberry Creek and Clearwater River. In Chambers/Clover Watershed WRIA 12 high-priority actions include: passage restoration at barriers, restoration of flow in seasonally dry sections of Clover Creek, Projects to restore in-stream habitat diversity (LWD) may be high priorities (if they are cost effective and properly sequenced relative to other restoration needs), projects in the lower four miles of Chambers Creek and restoration within Chambers Bay and along the WRIA 12 nearshore.

Eligible applicants for SRFB/PSAR funding include cities, counties, conservation districts, Indian Tribes, non-profit organizations, special purpose districts, and private landowners. Private landowners are eligible applicants for restoration projects only when the project takes place on their own land.

We anticipate approximately $1.5 Million in funding for the 2014 SRFB/PSAR grant round (We have $975,000 remaining from our 2013-2015 PSAR allocation, and anticipate approximately $560,000 SRFB funds).

Opportunity to fund large high priority projects!

We are also requesting PSAR large capital project applications (Notices) at this time. These projects will go through the 2014 grant round and become part of a Soundwide list of projects for a 2015 PSAR Large Capital Project funding request to the state legislature in the 2015-2017 biennium. If the legislature funds this request, Large Capital Project funds would be available beginning July 1, 2015. (Puget Sound was awarded $40 Million for Large Capital Projects in 2013).

Large capital projects may be any high priority acquisition, design, or restoration project whose cost is too high to move forward in a regular SRFB/PSAR grant round. It is important to note that these funds may be used for acquisition of property (these must be high priority properties for salmon habitat). Design /build projects may also eligible for projects that have completed preliminary design before application. More details about the large capital application process can be found in the attached PSAR Capital Projects RFP. This funding source is meant for projects that we cannot fund with our typical allocations – so they are anticipated to range from 2.4 to 15 Million dollars throughout the Puget Sound Region (smaller requests will be considered, but may not be as competitive).

Please see Section 3 of RCO Manual 18 http://www.rco.wa.gov/documents/manuals&forms/Manual_18.pdf for detailed information on how to apply. See Appendix B of Manual 18 for detailed explanation of PSAR funding.

Also see the attached PSAR Capital Projects RFP and Glossary and note that these materials are drafts at this time.