Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Fund: Restoring habitat critical to the recovery of salmon

The Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) program was created in 2007 to help carry out the most important habitat protection and restoration projects for Puget Sound. The Washington State Legislature budgets funding every two years for PSAR and issues the money through the Salmon Recovery Funding Board. The program has two parts: base funding for locally significant projects ($30.6M), and additional funding for regionally significant projects.
PSAR projects restore habitat critical to the survival of Puget Sound salmon populations. These projects are thoroughly reviewed to ensure they benefit salmon populations and local communities. PSAR projects are endorsed by members of the public, cities, counties, tribes, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. The projects:
Support recovery of Puget Sound salmon, a critical food source for endangered Southern Resident orcas
Provide local jobs, public access, and recreational opportunities
Align with the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan and the Puget Sound Action Agenda
Integrate science and the NOAA-approved Chinook salmon recovery strategy
PSAR projects make cost-effective use of public money and support local communities. As of 2022 the PSAR program has created more than 4,000 jobs, leveraged more than $123.5 million in federal and other matching funds, and generated more than $660 million in economic activity.
PSAR investments have supported the work of our partners to restore and protect over 3,300 acres of estuary habitat, more than 150 miles for fish passage, and over 14,000 acres of watershed habitat. PSAR projects support multiple benefits in addition to Puget Sound salmon, including climate resilience and flood protection, recreation, and tribal treaty rights. PSAR projects are also publicly accessible and provide recreational opportunities to Washingtonians. The Puget Sound Partnership manages the PSAR program; funds are administered through the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.
Learn more about PSAR here: psp.wa.gov/PSAR.php

[@robertcalamusso1603]

Fabulous What great Folk. !!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸☮️

[@itsrachelfish]

Awesome projects with pretty big budgets. Would love to see some of that money go towards using beaver to help create these salmon habitats!

[@pugetsoundpartnership]

Hi Rachel, there don't seem to be any PSAR projects that involve beavers creating habitat, but the Tulalip Tribes have a program dedicated to relocating beavers from suburban areas to impaired watersheds in the tributaries of the Snohomish River. You can check out the program here: nr.tulaliptribes.com/Programs/Wildlife/Beaver

[@allanegleston4931]

in the industrial park area , i see a lot of non pourous surfaces like blacktop. wonder if it would help if these were changed to poruous surfaces .

[@pugetsoundpartnership]

Hi Allan, King County has a good resource about stormwater pollution and how impervious surfaces keep rainfall from soaking into the ground (and how to reduce impervious surfaces with raingardens, permeable pavement, etc.): kingcounty.gov/zh-cn/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/stormwater-surface-water-management/stormwater-in-king-county/stormwater-runoff/

[@allanegleston4931]

@@pugetsoundpartnership eggscllent.

[@maxiemills6982]

Are there volunteer opportunities within this project?

[@pugetsoundpartnership]

Hi Maxie, there are volunteer opportunities with some PSAR projects. You can contact your local Lead Entity (watershed-based group that works on salmon recovery) to learn more about projects that are near you. Here's the link to a page with contact info for the Lead Entities: rco.wa.gov/salmon-recovery/managing-organizations/lead-entities/

[@garypage9515]

We have to stop the ground trawlers in the Gulf of Alaska with their horrendous bycatch kill of salmonids, if we are truly to restore the salmon. Is it worth the loss of salmon, for us to have cheap fish sandwiches in fast food restaurants?

[@lukenichols3233]

Displaced more boat marinas and people!