Alexandria, VA – April 11, 2011 – The FishAmerica Foundation, the conservation and research foundation of the American Sportfishing Association, through its partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Restoration Center, has $1 million available for marine and anadromous sportfish habitat restoration projects in the coastal United States, the Great Lakes region and the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
These grants will be awarded to community-based, on-the-ground projects to restore marine, estuarine and riparian habitats including salt marshes, mangrove forests and freshwater habitats important to anadromous fish species such as salmon and striped bass that spawn in freshwater and migrate to the sea. Projects in the Great Lakes must restore habitat for diadromous sportfish such as lake sturgeon, walleye and brook trout in the Great Lakes and applicable tributaries. Projects that will benefit both sportfish and threatened and endangered fish species under NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service’s jurisdiction may receive additional consideration.
The FishAmerica Foundation will accept grant proposals up through May 16, 2011. Grants of up to $75,000 each will be awarded in October 2011. Anticipated awards however are contingent on the provision of federal funding to the FishAmerica Foundation. Eligible applicants include community-based nonprofit organizations, such as local sporting clubs and conservation associations, as well as state and local agencies. Applicants are strongly encouraged to partner with NOAA’s regional offices and other staff to develop and implement the restoration projects. The announcement and full grant package information are available at www.FishAmerica.org.
Since 1998, FishAmerica and NOAA Restoration Center have invested in more than 270 projects, leveraging $6 million in funds into more than $14 million in vital fisheries habitat conservation in 25 states.
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The FishAmerica Foundation is the conservation and research foundation of the American Sportfishing Association, working to keep our sportfish and waters healthy. FishAmerica unites the sportfishing industry with conservation groups, government agencies, fishing tournaments, corporations and charitable foundations, investing in fisheries conservation and research across the country. FishAmerica invests in local projects to enhance sportfish populations, restore sportfish habitat and improve water quality – increasing the opportunity for sportfishing success and ensuring the future of fishing. Since 1983, FishAmerica has provided more than $11 million for nearly 1,100 fisheries conservation and research projects nationwide.
