The salmon-safe columbia partner network will use this funding to advance basin-wide toxic reduction action and enhance climate resiliency in the columbia river basin

The environmental benefits of this project consist of healthier river systems and a reduction of impacts of toxics on fish and wildlife. This agreement will be funded under the infrastructure investment and jobs act. Activities:salmon-safe will create the salmon-safe columbia partner network by leveraging place-based partnerships established in previous project phases with conservation districts, tribes, and conservation organizations. The project will provide multiyear subawards to partners to deliver outreach and technical assistance to over 5,000 farmers and large-scale land managers. Subrecipient:salmon-safe will develop a program to deliver sub-awards to 12+ conservation districts, tribal nations, watershed councils, and place-based conservation organization partners, as well as generate new implementation partnerships. Recruitment of new implementation partners will include a focus on organizations that facilitate outreach to latino growers and other bipoc farmers. Subrecipient activities will consist of implementing salmon-safe's toxics reduction plan to engage agricultural operations on tributaries, coordinating with expert assessors to apply peer reviewed standards to evaluate watershed impacts from operations, and taking actions to protect water quality. Salmon-safe has identified four organizations to receive an initial round of sub-awards and participate in rolling out the partner network. In the planning phase of this project, salmon-safe will further develop the selection process for expanding the partner network beginning in year two of grant implementation to an additional 8+ partners. Initial targeted sub-award organizations include a cascadia conservation district (north central WA), palouse conservation district (southeastern WA), the nature conservancy of idaho (TNC), and blue mountain land trust (bmlt; south central WA/north central or). Outcomes:the anticipated outputs consist of activating the partner network, conducting outreach and education to 5,000 or more growers, conducting site assessments and technical assistance to landowners, formalizing salmon-safe and trout-safe certification commitment for at least 600 farms, establishing market connections, and conducting project report evaluations. The anticipated outcomes consist of improved and expanded relationships, increased awareness in columbia river basin of agriculture best management practices, farm restoration planning, certification commitment across 150,000 acres of farmland, and market impact from over six consumer awareness campaigns. This will benefit a wide reach of columbia river basin communities within eastern oregon, north central washington, idaho, western montana, and western wyoming.