Pacific Salmon Habitat Improvement Partnership (PHSIP)

Updated 02/06/2013

Partner proposals for PSHIP are due to NRCS offices by 4:30 pm PST on 3/1/2013.
Partnership EQIP applications must be made by 4/5/2013.

Partnership seeks to protect and maintain salmon habitat

Wild Pacific Northwest salmon, an incredible natural resource important for tribes, jobs, and the economy are rapidly declining in numbers. This is due in part to impairment of water quality and habitat necessary to protect the variety of species that are synonymous with the Pacific Northwest lifestyle.

NRCS is partnering with other governmental agencies, tribes, and non-governmental organizations to protect and maintain salmon habitat. This partnership, called the Pacific Salmon Habitat Improvement Partnership (PSHIP), is being offered in multiple states. In Washington, partnerships will focus on habitat and water quality throughout the Puget Sound Basin, and in priority watersheds:

• Nooksack
• Lower Skagit
• Stillaguamish
• Skykomish
• Snohomish
• Nisqually

Role of Partners

NRCS is seeking partnership proposals by March 1, 2013. An in instruction packet can be found here.

Partners are being sought to help leverage NRCS technical and financial assistance in implementing individual producer EQIP contracts. Preferred partnerships will take a systematic and comprehensive approach to address salmon habitat that has been negatively impacted by historic or current agricultural use.

Approximately $2 million is available to leverage public/private partnerships and additional financial commitments to promote innovative conservation solutions that benefit our valuable natural resources; water and wildlife. Successful project proposals will help identify willing landowners who are interested in voluntarily implementing conservation practices on their land. Working lands, agricultural operations and private, non-commercial forestland, must be eligible for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Potential partners can assist NRCS by offering outreach to potential EQIP applicants, delivering engineering services, providing cost-share and conservation planning to landowners, monitoring, or implementing other innovative approaches consistent with salmon recovery.

Financial and technical assistance will be provided by NRCS and partners to enhance and restore priority salmon habitat under the EQIP program. Potential conservation measures for PSHIP include the establishment or improvement of riparian buffers, removal of fish passage barriers, and other fish-friendly practices.

The primary conservation practices that will be offered include:

• Riparian Herbaceous Cover
• Riparian Forest Buffer
• Stream Habitat Improvement
• Aquatic Organism Passage
• Restoration and Management of Declining Habitats
• Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management

Partnership Proposals

Project proposals from potential partners are due by March 1, 2013.

For more information on the Request for Proposals, view the press release and instructions packet.
 

For Individual Applicants selected through Partner Proposals

2013 EQIP Pacific Salmon Habitat Improvement Partnership Practice Payment Lists and Payment Rates

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2013 EQIP Pacific Salmon Habitat Improvement Partnership Practice Payment List - COMING SOON!

Eligibility

To be eligible for the program, applicants must be farmers or ranchers who earn a minimum agricultural income and meet other EQIP program requirements. For more detailed information, go to the EQIP Application Process FAQ. Eligible lands for the Organic Initiative are Cropland, Headquarters, Pasture and Rangelands.

How to Apply

To participate in the program, landowners must work with NRCS to identify and plan conservation measures. NRCS works with landowners to develop a conservation plan that includes a detailed description of the conservation activities and practices they want to implement on their land.

Funding Selection and Priorities

Priorities for EQIP funding are based on identified natural resource needs that are consistent with state and national EQIP priorities. Applications that best address natural resources as described in the ranking criteria are prioritized for funding.

EQIP National, State and Local Ranking Questions - COMING SOON

For additional information, contact your nearest NRCS field office or:

State Point of Contact

Rick Noble
West Area Conservationist
1835 Black Lake Blvd, Suite E
Olympia, WA 98512-5623
360-704-7782

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