The Biden administration announced Thursday it will fund up to $240 million to support salmon and steelhead fish hatcheries, part of the federal government’s bid to restore fish populations vital to Native American tribes in the Columbia River Basin.
The Interior Department via the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Commerce Department through NOAA will distribute funds to 27 tribes in both the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
An initial pool of $54 million will be available for hatchery facility maintenance and modernization projects, while the remaining funds will be distributed by a competitive grant process.
“Since time immemorial, Tribes in the Pacific Northwest have relied on Pacific salmon, steelhead and other native fish species for sustenance and their cultural and spiritual ways of life,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement, who added the funds will “empower Indigenous communities and safeguard resources.”
