The Biden-Harris Administration is investing US$60 million for NOAA Fisheries to address tribal priorities and tackle the impacts of climate change on Pacific salmon.
Made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act — which is making US$3.3 billion available to NOAA — these funds are available for Columbia River Basin hatcheries through the Mitchell Act.
“This historic investment by the Biden-Harris Administration furthers NOAA’s efforts to help Americans prepare, adapt and build resilience to weather and climate events,” said US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
“This new funding that was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, a key pillar of Bidenomics, is critically important because it will update hatchery facilities to continue to provide the fishing opportunities guaranteed by treaties.”
Since 2019, NOAA Fisheries has been working with hatchery operators in the Columbia River Basin to determine a schedule of needed maintenance and upgrades.
The funding will focus on shovel-ready and high-priority hatcheries that are funded with Mitchell Act grants, which include the Yakama Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe, and the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
The Mitchell Act was passed by Congress in 1938 for the conservation of salmon and steelhead fishery resources in the Columbia River Basin. Since 1946, Congress has continued to appropriate Mitchell Act funds on an annual basis, and NOAA Fisheries has administered the Mitchell Act since 1970.
