Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund Issues 2021 Call for Proposals

The Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund has issued its 2021 call for proposals for Alaska’s allocation of funds from the federal Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. While the amount of this year’s available funds is not yet known, it is expected to be about $3.8 million.

Proposals are being accepted through noon on June 15, but those submitted before noon on June 1 will receive a courtesy administrative pre-review, and it is suggested that this option be utilized even by those entities whose proposal is not yet finalized.

All proposals must be submitted through the fund’s website, www.akssf.org.

Funding decision letters will be sent to applicants by late December. Those selected for funding must contribute a 35% nonfederal match of funds, and projects must be completed by Nov. 30, 2024. Objectives include habitat conservation, habitat restoration, monitoring and assessment and habitat resiliency.

Projects proposed for habitat conservation must directly attain long-term conservation of salmon habitat. While secondary activities and objectives, including ancillary surveys or data collection are not allowed as standalone projects, they are allowed as project components if necessary, to complete the project. Preference will be given to projects in areas with a high potential for habitat degradation, that benefit salmon populations utilized for subsistence, or that conserve salmon habitat prioritized in climate impact studies.

For habitat restoration proposals, with the exception of assessments to prioritize fish passage restoration projects, projects proposed must result in on-the-ground restoration of salmon habitat. Secondary activities from planning to ancillary data collection are allowed as project components, but not as standalone projects. Preference will be given to eradication projects.

Projects funded under the monitoring and assessment category must be necessary for exercise of subsistence fishing or contribute to sustaining salmon populations utilized for subsistence. Secondary activities again are not allowed as standalone projects, but will be allowed as project components if needed to successfully complete the project. Preference will be given to projects occurring in systems prioritized in climate impact studies.

Proposals for habitat resiliency projects must ensure that all data products such as geospatial models are open access and publicly available. For projects that develop a regional or statewide framework, preference will be given to interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate individuals with expertise in salmon ecology, subsistence salmon fisheries, hydrology population genetics and climate science.