Six conservation projects involving tribes and Alaska Native corporations will receive $36.4 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to restore salmon habitat, improve irrigation and protect working lands, according to a USDA release.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the selections Oct. 26 as part of more than $325 million in funding for 42 projects nationwide through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The funding opportunity included a $30 million set-aside for projects involving tribes.
In Washington, the Yakama Nation’s Toppenish Creek watershed restoration project will receive $9.04 million to improve fish and wildlife habitat, restore wetlands and reconnect floodplains in the watershed on its reservation.
A second Washington project, led by the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Indian Tribe, will receive $8.29 million for salmon habitat restoration in the Nooksack watershed, including engineered logjams, floodplain improvements and streamside plantings across 256 acres.
In Montana, the Flathead Land Trust’s Mission Valley Conservation Partnership will receive $8.2 million for a farmer- and tribal-led effort to protect working agricultural lands through conservation easements benefiting the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and local producers.
A $4.7 million project with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in Colorado will upgrade irrigation and introduce water-saving crops across nearly 2,000 acres.
In Alaska, Port Graham Corp. will receive $4 million for salmon passage improvements, forest management and wildfire risk reduction. Yak-Tat Kwaan Inc. will receive $2.16 million for reforestation and streamside restoration near Yakutat.
USDA said 75% of this year’s program funding will go directly to producers or cover conservation practice implementation costs.
