This award will provide funding to develop construction plans that will address factors limiting the productivity of oregon coast coho salmon and steelhead within the south umpqua river watershed,…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded $218,932 to the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians under the Pacific Salmon Treaty Program (CFDA 11.438) on September 1, 2025, with a completion date of December 31, 2028. The award funds the development of construction plans designed to address productivity-limiting factors for Oregon Coast coho salmon and steelhead within the South Umpqua River watershed. This initiative directly supports the 2018 Western Oregon Tribal Fairness Act by enabling the tribe's Gaming & Regulatory Commission to plan and implement infrastructure improvements that will mitigate threats to sport and subsistence fishing resources in the region.

The funding will facilitate strategic planning efforts that position the tribe to execute future habitat restoration and threat mitigation projects affecting Pacific salmon populations. By developing comprehensive construction plans, this award supports broader objectives of maintaining sustainable salmon populations critical to commercial fisheries, tribal treaty fishing rights, and domestic seafood supply chain integrity. The project is based in Roseburg, Oregon, and aligns with the Pacific Salmon Treaty Program's priority of providing cooperative financial assistance to federally recognized tribes for salmon recovery and fisheries management.

This award will provide funding to develop construction plans that will address factors limiting the productivity of oregon coast coho salmon and steelhead within the south umpqua river watershed, an area known for its sport and subsistence fishing. The purpose of this financial award is to support the 2018 western oregon tribal fairness act, enacted during the first trump administration, to spur job development and economic growth for the COW creek band of umpqua tribe of indians. Healthy and sustainable populations of pacific salmon are key to the U.S. Commercial fisheries and to the integrity of the domestic seafood supply chain. If this action is not approved, the tribe will not have construction plans to address threats to sport and subsistence fishing within the south umpqua river watershed of oregon. This financial award will go towards supporting the U.S. Seafood industry, fisheries jobs, and local communities by addressing threats to pacific salmon. This will streamline efforts to allow the tribal government to plan for and ultimately address the needs of U.S. Citizens for domestic fishing.