Funded Species Recovery Grants to Tribes Proposals

Native Village of Kotzebue Tribe

Passive Acoustic Monitoring to Study Bearded Seals and Ringed Seals in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska. This project seeks to use passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) techniques to investigate the year-round spatiotemporal distribution of bearded seals and ringed seals and their relationship to ice concentration in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska in up to six sampled areas. This project will be the first dedicated PAM effort to monitor bearded seals and ringed seals in Kotzebue Sound, and lays the ground for future research in other areas of Alaska. Results will set the baseline needed to identify changes and characterize trends in seal presence and habitat use in relation to ice concentrations. Additionally, an outreach and education component is included in the project that includes at least one peer reviewed scientific paper and the creation of flyers and posters providing information of the project’s results to the local Kotzebue community. (NA23NMF4720182)

FY23:
$209,553

FY24: 
$197,792

Total:
$407,345

Addressing data gaps: improving knowledge on Chinook salmon movements, survival, and stock composition during the winter off the coast of Washington to inform modeling and management decisions for Southern Resident killer whales. The overall goal of the project is to increase the potential for the successful recovery of the endangered Southern Resident distinct population segment (DPS) of killer whale by determining the availability of Southern Resident killer whale primary prey, Chinook salmon, during the winter months off the coast of Washington. This will be accomplished through a series of activities conducted by the Makah Tribe’s Fisheries Management Department staff in coordination with their proposed consultants and collaborators. This project will involve a combination of field, laboratory work, and outreach designed to improve management and conservation of Southern Resident killer whales. Proposed activities include: (1) trolling for Chinook salmon using a commercial style trolling method during the winters in areas where Southern Residents are known to frequent and where large Chinook are expected to congregate; (2) collecting scales, fin clips, and lengths from Chinook salmon using a custom made tagging cradle; (3) tagging large (> 55 cm) Chinook salmon with MiniPAT popup tags; (4) laboratory work to analyze fin clips, scale samples, and tag data; and (5) office and outreach based work to write a manuscript on the project’s results and host a local Natural Resource Fair for the local community to highlight results from the proposed study and Southern Resident killer whale conservation efforts. (NA22NMF4720096)

FY22: $99,875

FY23: $99,692

FY24: $99,250

Total:​​​
$298,817

Atlantic Salmon Management and Outreach Project. The overall goal of the project is to continue to increase the potential for the successful recovery of Atlantic salmon populations within the geographic area of the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment. This will be accomplished through a series of activities of the Penobscot Indian Nation's Department of Natural Resources fisheries program in cooperation with ongoing Atlantic salmon management and restoration initiatives by federal, state, and non-governmental organization entities. The proposed activities include: participation in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission process for major dams in the drainage, aquatic connectivity projects, aquatic connectivity projects to provide increased access to resilient, diverse, cold-water habitats in the face of climate change, active diadromous fish management on Tribal trust lands, coordination of recovery actions identified in the Recovery Plan for Atlantic salmon (2019) with other agencies, extensive public outreach with the Tribal and non-tribal communities, and active participation in the Atlantic salmon Collaborative Management Strategy recovery framework. (NA21NMF4720288)

FY21: $100,000

FY22: $100,000

FY23: $100,000

Total:​​​
$300,000

Monitoring Southern DPS Eulachon in Northern California Using Environmental DNA Sampling. This project will use environmental DNA sampling to evaluate presence/absence and run-timing in streams at the southern end of the Eulachon’s range. This objective is also integral to a larger effort with joint partnerships and collaboration among members of the Eulachon Technical Recovery and Implementation Team (ETRIT) to evaluate the spatio-temporal distribution of eulachon throughout their entire range using environmental DNA. (NA20NMF47200046)

FY20: $51,700

Total:​​​
$51,700

FY19: $46,212

FY20: $50,122

Total:​​​
$96,334

Santuit river herring research project. This project will analyze the Santuit River ecosystem to discover if there are any physical or biological features that are threatening alewife and blueback herring. The goal is to determine if population restoration, stream habitat restoration or relocation strategies would be effective for protecting the herring population in the Santuit River. (NA19NMF4720114)

FY19: $100,000

Total:​​​
$100,000

FY18: $100,379

FY19: $94,238

FY20: $93,440

Total:​​​
$288,057

FY17: $53,098

Total:
$53,098

FY16: $99,858

FY17: $96,259

FY18: $89,491

Total:​​​
$284,731

FY15: $70,000

FY16: $100,000

FY17: $100,000

Total:
$270,000

FY14: $79,998

Total:
​​​​$79,998

FY13: $100,000

FY14: $125,865

FY15: $123,972

Total:
$349,837

FY13: $100,000

FY14: $77,088

FY15: $90,621

Total:
$267,709