This agreement provides funding to the upper skagit indian tribe to support protection and restoration actions in freshwater areas of the skagit river watershed and samish river watershed

The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe received a $600,000 cooperative agreement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 under the Geographic Programs - Puget Sound Protection and Restoration: Tribal Implementation Assistance Program (CFDA 66.121), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2030. The Tribe will serve as the Skagit Watershed Council lead entity and deliver watershed protection and restoration services across the Skagit River and Samish River watersheds. Key deliverables include designing and reviewing fish barrier replacement projects, developing and updating salmon and steelhead recovery plans, conducting water quality and quantity monitoring, and collaborating with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensees on habitat restoration initiatives. The Tribe will also provide biannual progress reporting to the EPA Project Officer and ensure tribal values and priorities are integrated into local and regional recovery strategies.

The agreement supports the Tribe's implementation of Puget Sound Partnership recovery goals through scientific studies, monitoring programs, and restoration project development and assessment. Beneficiaries include Upper Skagit Tribe members and surrounding communities. No subawards are included in this cooperative agreement. The award reflects the program's broader mission to assist federally recognized Indian Tribes in the greater Puget Sound basin with ecosystem recovery and protection activities consistent with the Puget Sound Action Agenda under Clean Water Act Section 320.

The tribe will integrate tribal, regional, and local vital sign actions towards puget sound partnership recovery goals. Activities:the activities to be performed include acting as the skagit watershed council lead entity, collaborating with partners that require federal energy regulatory commission (ferc) license implementation, participating in design and review of fish barrier replacement projects located within skagit and samish river watersheds. The tribe will also participate in planning efforts with partners to advance habitat restoration, contribute to updating the skagit chinook recovery plan and developing skagit steelhead recovery plan, and conduct water quality and quantity monitoring to inform design or assess effectiveness of freshwater restoration projects. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include biannual reporting on the progress of workplan activities to the EPA project officer. Desired task outcomes include that staff participate in the development of local and regional plans affecting the skagit river and samish river watersheds, ensuring the tribe's values are integrated and implementing local and regional recovery strategies and actions, including development, implementation, and monitoring of restoration projects and resource conservation measures, and the staff develops, review and implement scientific studies and monitoring programs to advance the tribe's priority vital sign indicators. The intended beneficiaries are the members of the upper skagit tribe and surrounding communities.