Grants Galore and More!
Have you ever wondered how the Task Force does so many large habitat projects each year? How we have such a successful education program, reaching 13 classrooms with the Restoration Education for Young Stewards (REYS) curriculum? It’s because Task Force staff excels at finding projects and creating programs that meet the requirements and needs of salmon recovery plans and education actions, and their associated grantors. Here’s a list of upcoming grants, projects and programs for 2009 – 2011:
Habitat Restoration Projects:
Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA) Volunteer Cooperative Grant Program (ALEA) – Multiple Locations - $20,000: These funds provide for materials, plants, supplies, tools, and crew time at multiple project sites, supporting education activities, the Task Force plant salvage and nursery program, as well as our carcass distribution activities.
King Conservation District (KCD) – Anthracite Creek, Skykomish River Basin - $24,000: The Task Force is working with Timberlane Village Community Association to replace a failed culvert to allow continued access to community property. Funding will supply staff time, cost of a culvert, plants, and other materials.
Hong Kong-Shanghai Banking Corporation – Snoqualmie River, McCormick Park, Duvall - $2,500: Employees of the Hong Kong-Shangai Banking Corporation helped the Task Force obtain a $2,500 grant, as well as provided labor to plant trees at McCormick Park in Duvall. These funds help pay for materials and staff for the event.
National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) – Community Salmon Fund (CSF) – NF Stillaguamish Cooperative Riparian Enhancement, Whitehorse Creek - $25,000: Working with a private property owner, the Task Force will remove an invasive Himalayan blackberry hedge, to be replaced with native trees and shrubs along 1,000 feet of stream.
NFWF CSF-Pilchuck River, Snohomish Basin – Middle Pilchuck River Cooperative Enhancement Project - $50,000: Working with a private property owner, the Task Force will install a bio-engineered bank stabilization project along 300 feet of the Pilchuck River, and restore riparian vegetation to help with future erosion issues.
Stillaguamish Basin Capacity Funds - $10,000: The Stillaguamish Implementation Review Committee set aside tens of thousands of dollars for restoration organizations to apply for funding to sustain capacity building. These funds support grant writing and project development in the Stillaguamish Basin. To date, the Task Force visited eight potential project sites and is in the process of developing three new projects. Grant writing monies helped obtain the NFWF-CSF Stillaguamish funds mentioned above.
Snohomish Basin Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) – Tychman Slough Assessment, Skykomish Basin - $95,000: The Task Force will survey the entire length of Tychman Slough, a remnant channel of the Skykomish River, assessing vegetation and stream structure to determine future project opportunities and wood placement locations. Funding will also support outreach to stream landowners to encourage participation.
Stillaguamish Basin SRFB – North Fork (NF) Stillaguamish Knotweed Control and Restoration - $230,000: A cooperative venture with the Snohomish County Noxious Weed Control Board (NWCB). The Task Force will provide outreach and habitat restoration activities, while the NWCB supplies knotweed control work.
Seattle City Light – Tolt River Restoration Project, Snoqualmie Basin - $65,000: A cooperative project with Seattle City Light. The Task Force crew will remove and suppress noxious weeds while staff performs outreach along the Tolt River to engage local property owners and community members in restoration stewardship activities. Funding also provided by King Conservaion District.
Education Programs:
Marysville School District – Jones Creek, Snohomish Basin - $8,000: The Task Force is working on contract with the Marysville School District to provide a field trip to Jones Creek Education Center for nearly every 5th grade classroom in the district.
WSU Extension/Snohomish County 4-H – Salmon and Forest Stewards - $4,441: The Task Force is partnering through a contract with WSU Extension/Snohomish County 4-H to provide salmon-related, hands-on lessons and service-learning opportunities to students in rural communities as part of 4-H’s Salmon and Forest Stewards program.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has provided nearly $6,500 to support the Task Force’s Fish & Forests for Kids program.
The Washington Department of Ecology has provided over $100,000 to support the Task Force’s Restoration Ecology for Young Stewards (REYS) program.
Anne and Mary Arts and Environmental Education Fund has provided over $7,000 to the Task Force’s Watershed Education Program to support bus and materials costs for K-12 student planting efforts.
The First Heritage Bank Employee Giving Fund has provided $700 to the Task Force’s Watershed Education Program to support bus and materials costs for K-12 student planting efforts.
Puget Sound Anglers Sno-King Chapter has provided over $3,000 to support the Task Force’s Watershed Education Program.
Kohl’s has provided $500 to support the Task Force’s Watershed Education Program.
The Office of the Superintendant of Public Instruction (Washington state) provided nearly $25,000 to support the Task Force’s Restoration Ecology for Young Stewards (REYS) program in 2005/6.
The Environmental Protection Agency provided over $15,000 to support the Task Force’s Restoration Ecology for Young Stewards (REYS) program in 2007/8.
These funds provide opportunities to get your family and friends outdoors to plant native trees along streams, and connect citizens and students to hands-on science. We look forward to sharing the results of these projects as they are implemented. To learn more about these grant projects and programs, contact the Task Force at 425-252-6686, or by email at info@stillysnofish.org.