The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management (CFDA 11.473) awarded $1,108,130 to the Oregon Department of State Lands–South Slough Reserve through the FY2024 and FY2025 National Estuarine Research Reserve System Habitat Protection and Restoration Grant Competition. The award, effective October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2028, will fund land conservation and habitat restoration planning activities to expand the South Slough Reserve's operational footprint and protect critical wetland ecosystems.
The primary deliverables include the acquisition and incorporation of two property parcels totaling approximately 113 acres (the 100-acre Deal Property and the 13-acre Triangle Property) into the Reserve. These acquisitions will expand contiguous lands and waters under Reserve management, protecting the last significant areas of wetlands in the South Slough watershed not currently included in the Reserve. The funded activities support habitat restoration planning, engineering and design projects, habitat restoration implementation, and land conservation efforts designed to increase the safety and productivity of coastal communities within coastal counties while ensuring sustained watershed health and biodiversity in the South Slough region.