NOAA 2002-R101 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Crystal Straughn 1/2/02

NOAA News Releases 2002 NOAA Home Page NOAA Public Affairs

NOAA ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COASTAL STREAM HABITAT RESTORATION The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded $70,000 for two community-level restoration projects designed to improve northern California coastal stream habitats today. The projects, funded by the Community-Based Restoration Program within the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), will improve and restore the waterways important to salmon, steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout. One coastal California project will repair several fish migration barriers on Widow White Creek in Humboldt County, allowing native fish to reach their historic spawning grounds. The other project is focused on reducing stream sedimentation caused by roads in the Klamath River watershed of Siskiyou and Humboldt Counties. "We are delighted to support the efforts of northern California coastal communities in restoring these areas," said Rod McInnis, NOAA Fisheries acting regional adminstrator for the Southwest Region. "These restoration projects, and the community participation they provide, will be essential components in the recovery of these species on the north coast." Widow White Creek NOAA awarded $40,000 to the Redwood Community Action Agency for a culvert replacement, riparian planting and fish habitat improvement project on Widow White Creek in Humboldt County. Three culverts, which are currently migration barriers to coho salmon, steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout, will be replaced, allowing these species access to additional spawning and rearing areas for completion of their life cycles. Additionally, woody debris and boulders will be installed in the stream to enhance fish habitat. Willow stakes will be planted to restore native riparian vegetation to the area. "Treating the culvert barriers will improve anadromous-fish access to three miles of in-stream habitat," said Don Allan of the Redwood Community Action Agency (RCAA)." RCAA will also be working with the local schools and groups to increase community awareness of Widow White Creek's potential for providing high quality fish habitat." Klamath River Watershed NOAA awarded $30,000 to the Northern California Indian Development Council (NCIDC) and the Karuk tribe of California for a road decommissioning project in Humboldt and Siskiyou counties. The project will involve the removal of abandoned logging roads and stream crossings throughout the Klamath River watershed. This will decrease current stream sedimentation caused by these roads, and reestablish natural hill-slope drainage patterns along Wooley Creek, Salmon and Mid-Klamath River Sub-basins. Excess sediment in streams can prevent oxygen from reaching developing salmon and steelhead eggs, causing their mortality. The goal of this project is to reduce sediment influx into the Klamath River and its tributaries, improving spawning habitat and offspring survival of fall- and spring-run chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead trout. "Partnership development is essential for leveraging federal, state, tribal and private funding to bring about critical implementation of long-term and wide-scale fisheries recovery efforts in the Mid-Klamath River Region," said project coordinator Kelly Helstrom. "NCIDC very much appreciates the support of the NOAA Community-Based Restoration Program in providing necessary funding to the Karuk Watershed Restoration Program and for the overall regional assistance to our fisheries habitat." The NOAA Community-Based Restoration Program has been working with community organizations to support locally-driven habitat-restoration projects in marine, estuarine and riparian areas since 1996. NOAA-funded projects provide strong on-the-ground habitat restoration components that offer educational and social benefits for people and their communities in addition to long-term ecological benefits for fishery resources. To date, over 400 projects in 25 states have been implemented using NOAA funding and leveraged funding from its national and regional habitat restoration partners. For more information on the NOAA Community-Based Restoration Program, visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration. NOAA fisheries is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources through scientific research, management, enforcement, and the conservation of marine mammals and other protected marine species and their habitat. To learn more about NOAA fisheries, please visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov.