Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS WCRO 2026 33121
The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) (Annual Appropriations and IIJA Funds) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity run by NOAA under the Department of Commerce to support on-the-ground efforts that rebuild and protect Pacific salmon and steelhead. The funding is authorized through two main sources: the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026. In practical terms, the program is meant to cover necessary expenses tied to restoring salmon populations and improving the habitats and conditions they depend on across the U.S. Pacific Coast and connected inland waters.
Eligible applicants are limited to specific governmental and sovereign entities: the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Alaska, as well as federally recognized tribes of the Columbia River and the Pacific Coast (including Alaska). The notice also clarifies what counts as a federally recognized tribe, pointing to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 and related federal policy. The program explicitly recognizes tribal interests, including projects that help sustain salmon populations needed for the exercise of tribal treaty fishing rights and for native subsistence fishing. The description notes that native subsistence includes federally recognized non-treaty tribal salmon fisheries, signaling that the program is intended to serve a wide range of tribal food, cultural, and fishing-related needs where salmon are central.
The core purpose of the funding is conservation and recovery of salmon and steelhead stocks, especially where populations are already listed as threatened or endangered under conservation frameworks, or where a state identifies a population as at risk of becoming listed. Projects can also focus more broadly on conserving Pacific coastal salmon and steelhead habitat, which can include actions that protect, restore, or improve rivers, streams, estuaries, floodplains, nearshore areas, and other critical ecosystems that support spawning, rearing, and migration. While the announcement does not list specific project types in the text provided, it frames the eligible work around population recovery and habitat conservation outcomes, meaning proposals generally need to connect activities to measurable benefits for fish survival, productivity, access to habitat, and long-term ecosystem resilience.
This funding opportunity is also positioned as supporting federal priorities laid out in Executive Order 14276, Restoring America’s Seafood Competitiveness. The emphasis here is on strengthening core fisheries management, addressing threats to U.S. waters, and using science to build healthy and harvestable salmon populations. In addition, NOAA states that projects must follow “Gold Standard Science” principles aligned with Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science. That requirement highlights expectations around scientific integrity and rigor: reproducible methods, transparency in data and decision-making, clear communication of uncertainty and error, collaboration, skepticism of assumptions, testable hypotheses, unbiased peer review, and freedom from conflicts of interest. In effect, applicants should be prepared to show that their technical approach, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting are designed to stand up to scrutiny and produce results that can be trusted and replicated.
Administratively, this opportunity is a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) in the Environment and Natural Resources activity area (CFDA/Assistance Listing number 11.045). The funding opportunity number is NOAA NMFS WCRO 2026 33121, and it is managed under DOC NOAA - ERA Production. The original application closing date is June 29, 2026, and the notice lists an award ceiling of $25,000,000. The opportunity was created on April 30, 2026. Overall, the announcement serves as NOAA’s formal outline of the priorities and guidelines it will use to make awards, with funding targeted to state and tribal partners who can implement salmon recovery work at meaningful scales across the Pacific Coast and Columbia River regions.Apply for NOAA NMFS WCRO 2026 33121
- The DOC NOAA - ERA Production in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (Annual Appropriations and IIJA Funds)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.045.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-04-30.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-06-29. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $25,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) (Annual Appropriations and IIJA Funds) - FAQs
What is the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) opportunity?
The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity run by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) under the U.S. Department of Commerce. It supports on-the-ground efforts to rebuild and protect Pacific salmon and steelhead by funding work tied to population recovery and habitat conservation across the U.S. Pacific Coast and connected inland waters.
Which federal agency administers this grant?
This opportunity is administered by NOAA under the Department of Commerce, with the notice indicating it is managed under DOC NOAA - ERA Production.
What is the funding instrument type?
The funding instrument type is a grant.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this program?
The Assistance Listing (CFDA) number provided is 11.045.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is NOAA NMFS WCRO 2026 33121.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on April 30, 2026.
What is the application closing date?
The original application closing date listed is June 29, 2026.
What is the award ceiling?
The notice lists an award ceiling of $25,000,000.
What is the activity area for this grant?
The activity area is Environment and Natural Resources.
What are the main sources of funding authorization for PCSRF in this notice?
The funding is authorized through two main sources: the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026.
What is the overall purpose of PCSRF funding?
The core purpose is conservation and recovery of salmon and steelhead stocks, including support for expenses needed to restore populations and improve the habitats and conditions those fish depend on.
Which species does this opportunity focus on?
The opportunity focuses on Pacific salmon and steelhead.
What kinds of outcomes should projects be designed to achieve?
Based on the description provided, projects should be tied to outcomes such as salmon and steelhead population recovery and habitat conservation. Proposals are expected to connect activities to measurable benefits such as improved fish survival, productivity, access to habitat, and long-term ecosystem resilience.
What types of habitats and ecosystems are referenced as important for funding?
The notice references rivers, streams, estuaries, floodplains, nearshore areas, and other critical ecosystems that support spawning, rearing, and migration.
Are projects limited to threatened or endangered populations?
No. The description emphasizes recovery of stocks that are already listed as threatened or endangered, but it also includes situations where a state identifies a population as at risk of becoming listed.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are limited to the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Alaska, as well as federally recognized tribes of the Columbia River and the Pacific Coast (including Alaska).
Are non-government organizations, universities, or local governments listed as eligible applicants?
Not in the information provided. The eligibility described is limited to specific states and federally recognized tribes.
How does the notice define or reference what qualifies as a federally recognized tribe?
The notice points to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 and related federal policy as the basis for what counts as a federally recognized tribe.
How does the program address tribal interests?
The program explicitly recognizes tribal interests, including projects that help sustain salmon populations needed for the exercise of tribal treaty fishing rights and for native subsistence fishing.
What does the notice mean by native subsistence fishing?
As described, native subsistence includes federally recognized non-treaty tribal salmon fisheries. This signals the program is intended to support a broad range of tribal food, cultural, and fishing-related needs where salmon are central.
What geographic areas does this opportunity cover?
The opportunity targets the U.S. Pacific Coast and connected inland waters, with specific eligible states listed (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California, Alaska) and eligible tribes of the Columbia River and the Pacific Coast (including Alaska).
How does this funding align with Executive Order 14276 (Restoring America’s Seafood Competitiveness)?
The opportunity is positioned as supporting priorities such as strengthening core fisheries management, addressing threats to U.S. waters, and using science to build healthy and harvestable salmon populations.
What is meant by NOAA requiring “Gold Standard Science” for projects?
NOAA states that projects must follow “Gold Standard Science” principles aligned with Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science. The expectation is scientific integrity and rigor, including reproducible methods, transparency in data and decision-making, clear communication of uncertainty and error, collaboration, skepticism of assumptions, testable hypotheses, unbiased peer review, and freedom from conflicts of interest.
What should applicants be prepared to show regarding scientific rigor?
Applicants should be prepared to show that their technical approach, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting are designed to stand up to scrutiny and produce results that can be trusted and replicated, consistent with the listed “Gold Standard Science” elements.
Does the notice list specific project types that must be proposed?
Not in the text provided. The notice frames eligible work around population recovery and habitat conservation outcomes rather than listing specific project types.
What does “discretionary federal grant opportunity” mean in this context?
Based on the wording provided, it indicates NOAA has discretion in making awards under the priorities and guidelines described in the announcement.
What does the announcement serve as for applicants?
It serves as NOAA’s formal outline of the priorities and guidelines it will use to make awards, with funding targeted to state and tribal partners capable of implementing salmon recovery work at meaningful scales across the Pacific Coast and Columbia River regions.
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