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$600,000 Available for Fish Habitat Restoration
by Mary Jane Williamson

December 28, 2004—Through FishAmerica’s partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Habitat Restoration Project, up to $600,000 is available to restore marine and anadromous fisheries habitat. This partnership emphasizes hands-on, grassroots approaches for on-the-ground restoration of marine, estuarine and riparian habitats, including salt marshes, seagrass beds, mangrove forests, and freshwater habitats important to anadromous fish species such as salmon and striped bass that spawn in freshwater and migrate to the sea.

“FishAmerica is pleased to have NOAA’s Community-based Habitat Restoration Program as a longstanding partner,” said Johanna Laderman, Managing Director of the FishAmerica Foundation.  “Since 1998, we have awarded more than $3 million for community projects to restore sportfish habitat in 25 states through this partnership. With local dollars and volunteer hours, these projects are valued at nearly $8 million.” 

Community-based nonprofit organizations, such as local sporting clubs and conservation associations, as well as state and local agencies are encouraged to submit proposals. Projects must result in on-the-ground habitat restoration, clearly demonstrate significant benefits to marine, estuarine or anadromous fisheries resources, particularly sportfish, and must involve community participation through an educational or volunteer component tied to the restoration activities. Applicants are encouraged to partner with NOAA staff in order to strengthen the development and implementation of sound restoration projects. 

The partnership is encouraging proposal submissions for projects based in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  The partnership may also provide limited funding to projects in the Great Lakes. However, projects in the Great Lakes must restore habitat for salmon and/or steelhead in the Great Lakes basin.  

The FishAmerica Foundation will accept grant proposals up through February 25, 2005. Grants up to $50,000 each, will be awarded in June 2005. The announcement and full grant package are available at www.fishamerica.org.

The FishAmerica Foundation is the American Sportfishing Association's conservation and research foundation. FishAmerica unites the sportfishing industry with conservation groups, government natural resource agencies, corporations, and charitable foundations to invest in fish and habitat conservation and research across the country. FishAmerica provides matching grants to community partners, helping to ensure millions of Americans will be able to enjoy fishing in the future. Over the last 20 years, the FishAmerica Foundation has provided over $6 million for more than 750 grassroots conservation and research projects all across the country.  To learn more about FishAmerica, please visit www.fishamerica.org.