Puget Sound Riparian Systems Lead Grants
Forecasted
Puget Sound Riparian Systems Lead Grants support groups working with communities and landowners to restore and permanently protect riverside habitat for salmon recovery and water quality in Puget Sound.
Funder: Washington State Department of Ecology
Due Dates (Anticipated): June 2027 (application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $150,000–$600,000 per grant; approximately $3 million was available in the 2026 solicitation
Summary: Grants support programs that restore and permanently protect riparian areas in Puget Sound watersheds.
Key Information: Projects must focus on Puget Sound watersheds within Water Resource Inventory Areas 1–19.
Description
The Washington State Department of Ecology administers Puget Sound Riparian Systems Lead Grants with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency. The program brings Ecology together with the Washington State Conservation Commission, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, University of Washington Puget Sound Institute, and EPA. It aims to accelerate voluntary restoration and permanent protection of riverside habitat, supporting salmon recovery, water quality, and Tribal Treaty Rights.
The program supports work with communities and landowners to improve river and stream riparian systems. Its funding categories span collaborative planning and outreach, native plant materials, restoration implementation, monitoring and adaptive management, landowner incentives, and permanent habitat protection. Ecology encourages proposals that build on a longer-term local vision for sustained riparian management.
