The Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead announces $8.5 million in Puget Sound habitat recovery investments. 

The Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) is pleased to announce the investment of approximately $8.5 million of EPA Puget Sound Funds into 21 proposals to advance Puget Sound habitat recovery.

The Investment List includes successful proposals in response to the Spring 2024 Request for Proposals to implement the 2022-2026 Action Agenda and Habitat Implementation Strategies. Investments are distributed across three investment priorities:

• Increase capacity and workforce development to meet Puget Sound habitat recovery goals 
• Local support for habitat protection, monitoring, and adaptive management (RFP in collaboration with Department of Commerce and the Stormwater SIL) 
• New science, synthesis, and analysis for improved protection and restoration of kelp and eelgrass in Puget Sound 

These investment priorities were recommended by the Habitat Strategic Initiative Advisory Team to address systemic barriers and advance critical pathways in the Habitat Implementation Strategies. 

Successful applicants include tribal governments, local and state governments, conservation districts, academia, and non-profit organizations. The full investment list is available here.  

Complementing the investments of HSIL are state capital programs that are critical to the implementation of on-the-ground projects. The Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP) and Floodplains by Design (FbD) are both releasing project funding lists to present to the legislature for the 2025-2027 biennium. Projects on these lists build upon past HSIL investments and complement current HSIL funding. The FbD Ranked Funding List is now available, and the ESRP 2025-2027 Investment List will be available on the ESRP webpage later this week. 

Did you know?

HSIL investments provide funding for activities that have fewer dedicated funding sources, such as planning, technical assistance, communications, outreach, education, incentives, program development, research (data collection, analysis, syntheses), and funding for staff capacity. Funding for the projects comes from EPA Puget Sound Funds through the HSIL, a partnership between WDFW and DNR to preserve and restore Puget Sound habitat through strategic planning, funding, outreach, and collaboration. The outcomes of the HSIL Summer 2024 RFP competition will be announced later in 2024.