Description
The National Fish Passage Program (NFPP) is a voluntary program that provides direct technical and financial assistance to partners to remove instream barriers, restore aquatic organism passage, and restore climate resilient aquatic connectivity in rivers, floodplains, and coastal habitats. The program aims to maintain or increase native fish populations, improve ecosystem resiliency, and provide quality fishing experiences for the American people. Key activities include project planning, engineering and design, permitting, on-the-ground fish passage restoration, and near-term implementation monitoring.
* The NFPP prioritizes projects that maximize benefits to native priority species and habitats, provide sustainable fish passage benefits, and contribute to regional or watershed priorities for habitat restoration, fish passage, or aquatic connectivity.
* The program is delivered through the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program (FAC) across all States and territories.
* Applicants must work with their local FAC Program staff to ensure the eligibility of their project and develop a proposal that addresses the criteria in the Review and Selection Process.
* The Service may choose to recommend or award funding using FY24 or FY25 funding, and projects may be funded entirely or partially with funding from one or multiple fiscal years.