Expanding technical assistance for permitting salmon recovery and coastal resilience projects

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded $1.65 million to American Rivers Inc. on October 1, 2026, under the Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects program (CFDA 11.469) to expand technical assistance for permitting salmon recovery and coastal resilience projects in Washington State.

The project will provide technical assistance to disadvantaged and socially vulnerable Washington communities to capitalize on federal and state coastal resiliency investment opportunities. Specifically, American Rivers Inc. will remove barriers in understanding FEMA's mapping and permitting systems to increase the pace of climate resilience projects, bolster state technical capacity to process mapping and permitting procedures for coastal restoration statewide, and accelerate regulatory procedures for urgent projects addressing salmon recovery and upholding tribal treaty rights. The work reduces administrative and regulatory burden for federal agencies and local partners.

Performance occurs in Olympia, Washington, with a period of performance from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2029. The award is a Project Grant, and funding for the multi-year project beyond the first year is contingent upon available program funds and the recipient's progress toward project objectives and reporting requirements.

This project will help washington's disadvantaged and socially vulnerable communities capitalize on historic coastal resiliency investment opportunities at the federal and state level, while reducing the administrative and regulatory burden for federal agencies and local partners alike. Specifically, the project will help to remove barriers in understanding femas mapping and permitting system to increase the pace of climate resilience projects and bolster state technical capacity to process mapping and permitting procedures to advance coastal restoration statewide. Additionally, this project aims to accelerate the pace of required regulatory procedures for urgent projects addressing salmon recovery and upholding tribal treaty rights.