August 22, 2024 2:50 a.m.

On Wednesday, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that Oregon is receiving over $35 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, a federal grant program to help restore Pacific salmon and steelhead.

Merkley said, “Oregon’s salmon population is critical in sustaining our commercial and recreational fisheries and empowering the well-being and cultural heritage of Tribes who have been here since time immemorial”.  Merkley said the federal funding will support the restoration of Oregon’s salmon runs by repairing and reviving their water habitat.

Wyden said, “Salmon are synonymous with Oregon, and that historic connection to jobs, recreation, and natural treasures deserves protecting and enhancing for generations to come”.  Wyden said the major federal investment in habitat restoration helps to rebuild robust salmon runs for Tribes and Oregon communities.

The release said over $3 million in federal funds are heading directly to the Klamath Basin to support recovery and restoration efforts for salmon and ongoing Klamath River Dam removal efforts. This funding will be distributed between two grant recipients: The Klamath River Inter-Tribal Fish and Water Commission, which is receiving over $2.4 million, and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board which is being given $640,000.

Created in 2000, the PCSRF is designed to address declining Pacific salmon and steelhead populations by supporting conservation efforts in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. The senators believe the program is essential in preventing the extinction of the 28 listed salmon and steelhead species on the West Coast.