WA coastal communities get millions to protect shorelines

Washington Senator Maria Cantwell has announced that six coastal resilience projects across the state will receive a total of $3.4 million in federal grants.

The projects are set to help protect coastal communities from the impacts of storms and flooding and enhance natural habitat for fish and wildlife.

The grant funds come from the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF) and were awarded by a partnership of federal agencies and private companies. The NCRF invests in conservation projects that restore or expand natural features, which minimizes the impacts of storms and other naturally-occurring events on nearby coastal communities.

“Washington’s beloved coastlines are on the front lines of climate change. These investments will help ensure that communities on the coast have the tools they need,” Cantwell said.

The following grants have been awarded to projects in Washington state:

– $1,000,000 for the Washington Department of Enterprise Services to restore 260 acres of estuary habitat at the mouth of the Deschutes River in Olympia, Washington,

– $999,000 for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to build program capacity to convert shorelines protected with seawalls or bulkheads to more resilient nature-based solutions in Puget Sound,

– $450,900 for the Pacific Conservation District to develop a preliminary design for erosion control and conduct a geotechnical assessment along the lower Columbia River to protect Highway 101 and public lands from present and future water levels,

– $110,900 for the Makah Tribe to finalize designs for approximately 0.15 miles of beach habitat using a dynamic cobble berm, sand nourishment, and engineered log jams, etc.

Earlier this year, WA coastal communities received an additional $75.5 million from NOAA for coastal resilience projects.