For decades, NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation has supported habitat restoration efforts across the country through large-scale competitive funding opportunities and expert technical assistance through our Community-based Restoration Program. With funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we are continuing our work to support fisheries and communities through habitat restoration. This includes:
- Fish passage projects that restore access to healthy habitat for migratory fish
- Habitat restoration projects that support fisheries and protected species while also strengthening the resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities
- Capacity building and on-the-ground restoration projects that advance the coastal habitat restoration priorities of tribes and communities
Results to Date
The Office of Habitat Conservation has run four funding opportunities under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. To date, we have funded 229 awards totaling approximately $1.1 billion through three rounds of funding. Explore the awards across the first and second rounds of funding through our interactive map.
News and Project Updates
Learn more about how these projects are helping to sustain fisheries and benefit communities by reading our latest feature stories and project updates:
- Saving a Chesapeake Bay Watershed Marsh for Fish, Wildlife, and People
- Reconnecting Rivers Boosts Oregon Coast Coho Recovery
- Decades of Effort Restore Steelhead and Salmon Passage on California's Alameda Creek
- Restoring Habitat for Great Lakes Fish at the Historic Edsel and Eleanor Ford Estate
- Yakima River Salmon Get a Lifeline with Removal of Causeway
- Investing in Indian River Lagoon Restoration Pays Dividends
See all of our content about efforts funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Fish Passage
With this funding, NOAA is continuing our work to reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish. A portion of this funding is specifically dedicated to support tribes and organizations that represent tribes in implementing fish passage projects and building tribal organizational capacity.
Every year, millions of fish migrate to their spawning and rearing habitats to reproduce. Some fish need to swim thousands of miles through oceans and rivers to reach their destinations. They are often blocked from completing their journey by barriers like dams and culverts. When fish can’t reach their habitat, they can’t reproduce and maintain or grow their populations. As a result, many fish populations have declined. NOAA works to reopen these migratory pathways, restoring access to healthy habitat for fish. These efforts also provide community and economic benefits, like increased opportunities for fishing and boating and reduced risk of flooding.
Fish Passage Awards
NOAA has announced funding for 89 fish passage awards under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Learn more about these efforts:
Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience
NOAA is using this funding to invest in large-scale habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects across the country. NOAA has dedicated a portion of this funding specifically to advancing the coastal habitat restoration priorities of tribes and communities, to provide capacity for them to more fully participate in restoration activities.
Communities, businesses, and infrastructure in coastal areas are under increasing pressure. Habitat restoration provides a safe, effective, and affordable approach to coastal protection. Efforts like restoring coastal wetlands and reopening rivers to migration help strengthen coastal communities and ecosystems while also supporting our nation’s fisheries. Capacity building and on-the-ground restoration activities helps to ensure tribal and community needs and priorities are at the center of habitat restoration efforts where they live.
Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Awards
NOAA has announced funding for 140 habitat restoration and coastal resilience awards under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Learn more about these efforts:
- Transformational habitat restoration and coastal resilience awards
- Coastal habitat restoration and resilience grant awards for tribes and underserved communities
Habitat Restoration and NOAA
Healthy habitat is the foundation of our nation’s fisheries. NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation works to ensure fish have access to high quality habitat, which helps support sustainable populations and preserve these valuable resources for future generations. We have a long history conducting habitat restoration efforts with large-scale competitive funding opportunities and expert technical assistance through our Community-based Restoration Program.
