Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP) Beach Restoration Small Grants is sponsored by Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). This program supports projects that enhance and conserve near-shore environments in Puget Sound, aiming to maintain resilient estuaries and shorelines in the face of climate change. Grants are provided to create demonstration sites for local landowners.

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wa. gov/species-habitats/habitat-recovery/puget-sound/esrp) # Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program **ESRP is now accepting grant applications for the 2026 Grant Round. For more information, please visit the****RCO ESRP application information webpage**.

The Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP) provides capital funding and technical assistance to tribes and organizations working to restore shoreline and nearshore habitats critical to salmon and other species in Puget Sound. The program was established to advance projects using the scientific foundation developed by the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project.

ESRP was established by the Legislature in 2006, which appropriated capital funds to habitat restoration and protection projects in Puget Sound. Since its inception, ESRP has received and invested $120 million of state capital funds, $11 million in Climate Commitment Act funds, and nearly $34. 5 million in direct federal funding awards.

A strong link to science, paired with an ecosystem-scale approach, ensures that ESRP’s investment decisions are strategic and that the program's efforts will translate into healthy and resilient estuaries, bays, and shorelines.

Today, ESRP is a partnership between the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Recreation and Conservation Office and is comprised of four grant programs: * Restoration and Protection Grants * Beach Restoration Small Grants * Regional Pre-Design Grants * Shore Friendly Programs ESRP manages its grant programs by developing biennial investment plans, which include a ranked list of projects and funding recommendations.

As an integral part of a comprehensive nearshore ecosystem recovery strategy, the ESRP helps to advance nearshore science, the Puget Sound Partnership's Action Agenda, salmon recovery, and WDFW's conservation mission. For more information, contact ESRP Manager Catherine Buchalski Smith at catherine. buchalskismith@dfw.

wa. gov. Join the ESRP mailing list and stay informed. Learn more about the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program in this infographic.

(PDF) (PDF) ## 2025-2027 Final Investment Plan The ESRP 2024 grant competition concluded, resulting in a 2025-2027 Final Investment Plan. The coordinated 2025-27 investment plan was the result of years of work together with local project sponsors and over 50 regional technical reviewers with expertise in science, policy, and implementation.

ESRP’s biennial grant process involves thousands of hours of work from local teams, representing input from hundreds of individuals and dozens of project sponsors. This comprehensive, integrated list contains priority Puget Sound nearshore recovery work through restoration, protection, landowner incentives, and pre-design projects.

This work supports voluntary projects that are supported in local communities, restore key fisheries, and provide local jobs across the Sound. ESRP requested $27,532,880 in state capital funding as part of the 2025-2027 regular state legislative session, submitted as part of the Recreation and Conservation Office capital appropriation. The program received a capital appropriation of$14.

6 million in state capital funding for 25 projects identified in the2025-2027 Final Investment Plan (PDF)for all four of ESRP’s grant program offerings. Congratulations to all the successful 2025-2027 ESRP project sponsors! View the2025-2027 Preliminary Investment Plan (PDF) (PDF) and accompanying ESRP factsheet provided to the legislature in the 2025 session.

**The 2026 ESRP grant competition is OPENING soon! ** The Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP) administers four distinct grant programs: * Beach Restoration Small Grants * Restoration and Protection * Regional Pre-Design (e.g. Learning) Each grant program issues its own RFP with a specific grant application and review process.

Projects are evaluated by a technical review team made up of members from multiple agencies and organizations throughout Puget Sound. This team ranks projects using criteria made available to project applicants as they develop proposals. This evaluation results in a fair process that identifies the most promising restoration and protection opportunities.

The ESRP staff team combines the results of each grant program’s technical evaluation process to create a singular ranked project list, referred to as the ESRP Preliminary Investment Plan. This list is presented to the legislature for funding consideration during the biennial budget process.

#### **Restoration and Protection** The Restoration and Protection grant program focuses on protecting and restoring the natural processes that create and sustain the nearshore ecosystem. The intent is to regain some of the ecosystem goods and services that have been lost as a result of more than a century of human development in the region.

#### **Regional Pre-Design** Regional Pre-Design grants are key investments that inform our ESRP Learning Program. These projects direct future investments by investigating potential restoration outcomes at a regional and ecosystem scale to directly inform construction siting and design. The projects help us understand how we can improve the effectiveness of habitat restoration in Puget Sound.

For more information about currently and previously funded Regional Pre-Design projects, visit theLearning Program page on the Salish Sea Restoration Platform. #### **Beach Restoration Small Grants** The Beach Restoration Small Grants Program, (formerly The Small Grants Program), has similar goals as the restoration and protection program, with a special focus on local landowner engagement and restoring and protecting beach systems.

The Shore Friendly program funds 6-year local programs to provide stewardship incentives to landowners to create healthy shorelines. For more information, seeWDFW's Shore Friendly page. **For more information on all of these programs or to view current RFP’s, please visit the****ESRP Grant Program page on the RCO website****.

** The ESRP has created a series of story maps that showcase the importance of restoring the nearshore natural environment using innovative and multi-benefit solutions. The ESRP also created a short documentary, Lifeblood, with funding through the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) and the expertise of Seattle production company CaravanLab.

### Lifeblood: Connected by water, united by hope The environmental problems we face today are rooted in the context of our histories. The documentary Lifeblood shows how groups historically at odds with one another are finding ways to come together for a better future in the Pacific Northwest.

This film explores how four groups of people - anglers, indigenous tribes, farmers, and scientists - are moving beyond mistrust to forge a new path for healthy ecosystems that work for us all. Salmon populations in Puget Sound have decreased due to a variety of factors. Habitat restoration can increase these numbers, and one of the most important habitat types to restore is the estuary, where freshwater and saltwater meet.

Check out the story map to learn why estuaries are so important to salmon, and learn more about the work being done in the Snohomish River estuary to help increase populations. ### Farm, fish, and flood The goal of the farm, fish, and flood story mapis to encourage a growing spirit of collaboration and work toward a common vision for the Snohomish delta.

The story map is intended to showcase multiple benefits of focusing on farms, fish, and flood protection in an integrated way across the landscape. ### Investing in Puget Sound's natural systems Thisstory map illustrates the benefits to investing in Puget Sound estuaries, such as local jobs, community protection, and local economies. It also highlights the integral role estuaries play in our nearshore ecosystem.

### Working together to restore Puget Sound ecosystems This photo slider map highlights nearshore restoration and protection projects funded by the ESRP throughout Puget Sound. Together with restoration partners, these projects are key to restoring Puget Sound's estuaries, bays, and shorelines, creating the foundation for a resilient Puget Sound.

**The following links are for resources that may be helpful in preparing applications for the ESRP Learning Program, Restoration and Protection Program, and Beach Restoration Small Grants Program. ** * ESRP RCO webpage-_Includes the majority of needed resources such as grant round timeline, RFPs, required forms, ESRP specific resources, and general resources.

_ * Restoration and Protection webpage * Learning Program webpage * ESRP Learning Program Page on the Salish Sea Restoration Platform ### **Additional Resources** * Puget Sound Nearshore Chinook Salmon Strategies (PDF) (PDF) * Sea level rise considerations for nearshore restoration and protection in Puget Sound (PDF) (PDF) * PSNERP Change Analysis Geodatabases * Puget Sound Partnership Action Agenda * The Nature Conservancy Ecoregional Assessment * Ecology Oblique Aerial Photography * WA Dept.

of Ecology Coastal Atlas * Puget Sound Partnership Salmon Recovery and Watershed Work Plans * Local Integrating Organizations * Shore Friendly Programs ### **Communication Resources** * Strategic communications planning template * Communicating Science Effectively * The Message Box - COMPASS * Ecosystems in Washington * Biodiversity in Washington * Habitat recovery and protection * Aquatic invasive species * Amphibians and reptiles of Washington * Marine toxic contaminants * Climate change and sustainability * Get razor clam information * Fish and Wildlife Commission * Public Records Requests Request translations or interpretation * WDFW Police on Facebook