August 20, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — For the ninth year in a row, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is soliciting applications for funds that will conserve and protect species listed under the Endangered Species Act and are recognized as important resources for the tribes.
The assistance is granted as the agency recognizes the “unique importance of many protected species to tribes and values ongoing efforts by tribal nations to conserve and protect species” listed under the ESA as endangered or threatened, and includes candidate or proposed species, as well as post-delisting monitoring of recovered species.
Proposals that address the recovery of one of the following critically endangered species are also encouraged as part of the agency’s Species in the Spotlight initiative:
Gulf of Maine distinct population segment (DPS) of Atlantic salmon and white abalone,
Cook Inlet DPS of beluga whales,
Hawaiian monk seal,
Pacific leatherback sea turtle, and
southern resident DPS of killer whales.
Funded activities may include development and implementation of management plans, scientific research, and public education and outreach.
Only federally recognized tribes and organizations of federally recognized tribes, that have delegated authority to represent a federally recognized tribe on matters relating to ESA listed, candidate, or proposed species, are eligible to apply.
Proposals on listed, candidate, or proposed species of Pacific salmon or steelhead may be supported through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, but not the Species Recovery Grants.
Tribes can submit more than one proposal a year and more than one species can be included in one proposal.
In the past the program has awarded $56,000 to the Knik Tribe in 2017 to fill data gaps needed for recovery of endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales; $283,000 to the Makah Tribe last year for research and monitoring of Steller sea lions and assessment of their diet overlap with Southern Resident killer whales, and $270,000 to the Penobscot Tribe for Atlantic salmon management and outreach project.
For an application and information about the grant program, visit this web page.
This story originally appeared at SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.