Puget Sound Riparian Systems Lead Grants

In 2023, EPA awarded funding to Ecology to administer a grant program aimed at enhancing riparian systems in Puget Sound. The program is a coalition between Ecology, the Washington State Conservation Commission, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute, and EPA. The goal of the program is to promote programs that catalyze sustainable, effective riparian restoration and permanent protection in Puget Sound.

The Puget Sound Riparian Systems Lead grant program focuses on protecting and restoring riparian areas that have been damaged or are struggling to support the plants, animals, and waters of Puget Sound. It also aims to maintain and learn from pristine riparian systems. The new program will support riparian restoration programs that work with communities and landowners to improve the overall function of river and stream riparian systems.

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Funding cycle

Amount of funding available: Approximately $3 million
Grant award limit: $150,000 – $600,000
Amount of matching funds required: No match required

Applications are not being accepted at this time.

Applications will be accepted between 8 a.m. on March 25, 2026, and 5 p.m. on June 3, 2026.

Complete proposals received at or before the deadline will be scored and rated by a review team.

All applications must be submitted directly through Ecology’s EAGL (Ecology's Administration of Grants and Loans) system. Applicants are encouraged to use our Application Instructions and Prep Tool to prepare answers. Additional templates and resources are available on the PSRSL Application Resources Webpage.

Applicants are encouraged to confirm with the Request For Proposal (RFP) Coordinator (Libby Gier) that their application was complete and received before 5 p.m. on June 3, 2026.

Potential applicants are highly encouraged to contact Ecology staff early in the project development process. The Technical Lead (Michelle Quast), Grant Project Manager (Yolanda Holder), and/or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst (Connor Racette) are available to answer questions regarding project eligibility, applying for funding, and spatial data/mapping components. These staff members are also available to provide technical assistance on pre-application project concepts and early scopes of work to identify ways to help applicants craft a stronger application.

Ecology will host an informational applicant webinar to answer questions on this funding opportunity. Applicants can email the Technical Lead (Michelle Quast) with questions as well as attend one or more virtual technical assistance opportunities. A recording of the webinars will be available on the Grant Application Resources webpage. Program staff will be available to provide advice for pre-application projects during two scheduled virtual “office hours” opportunities. Times are listed on the first page of the solicitation. The office hours are an opportunity for applicants to ask project- and program-specific questions before submitting an application.

Funding is available for the following entities:

The project’s geographic focus area must be within the Puget Sound region. The Puget Sound region includes Puget Sound, related inland marine waters, and all salt waters of Washington south of the international boundary line between Washington and British Columbia, lying east of the junction of the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This includes all the rivers and streams draining to Puget Sound as mapped by water resource inventory areas (WRIA) 1 through 19.

Eligible applicants for the Puget Sound Riparian Systems Lead competitive grant solicitation include the following: 

Special purpose districts (conservation districts, flood control districts, water improvement districts, ports,¹ etc.)
Local governments: counties, cities/towns
Federally-recognized Tribes and Tribal organizations
Non-profit organizations that are recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS
Institutions of higher education if the project is not included in the institution’s statutory responsibilities

State agencies and for-profit entities are not eligible to apply and cannot be lead applicants on a proposal. However, they may serve as supporting partners with a non-profit or otherwise eligible entity to submit applications. The review team will prioritize proposals with a significant portion of the work being completed by eligible applicants.

¹Ports may be eligible depending on the entity that manages them and the ownership of the land on which the proposed project will occur. Ports are encouraged to confirm eligibility before submitting an application.

Funding is available for the following project types:

Puget Sound Riparian Systems Lead investment priorities included in the 2024 Investment Plan include the following. Find more details in our March 2026 Solicitation Funding Guidelines.

Priority A: Collaborative, reach-scale planning and outreach
Priority B: Native plant materials
Priority C: Riparian restoration implementation
Priority D:  Monitoring and adaptive management
Priority E: Landowner incentives
Priority F: Permanent protection of riparian habitat

Applicants are encouraged to propose activities that connect to a longer-term vision for riparian systems in their area and that help catalyze sustained riparian management. This could include projects that incorporate activities from one or multiple investment priorities, up to and including all categories, depending on local needs, capacity, and partnerships.

More information about this funding program

Funding List Announcement 2025

We are proposing $12 million in implementation funding for six high priority riparian programs completing riparian management and protection in Puget Sound watersheds.

Project Name	Applicant Name	Award Amount	WRIA's	Description
Stillaguamish Riparian Collaborative, Phase 1	Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians	$2,182,564	3, 5, 6, 7	The Stillaguamish Riparian Collaborative Phase I project will restore, maintain, and monitor riparian habitat. This project is centered on a group of riparian practitioners with the goal of increasing communication and collaboration on landowner outreach and engagement, and improving riparian restoration planning and implementation. Environmental benefits include restoring riparian systems, improving water quality, and supporting diverse native riparian plant communities.
Skagit Basin Riparian Program Strategy Integration and Climate Adaptation	Skagit Watershed Council	$1,370,054	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	The Skagit Watershed Council is seeking funds on behalf of a coalition of riparian restoration practitioners that will build on previous work to assemble a basin-wide riparian strategy, identify potential future restoration sites, create and staff a landowner outreach plan, build climate-adapted plant stocks, test novel methods for planting, and provide funding for riparian restoration and stewardship.
Snohomish Basin Riparian Collaborative	King Conservation District	$2,647,279	7	The Snohomish Basin Riparian Collaborative proposes a coordinated effort to catalyze riparian restoration in priority reaches across the Snohomish Watershed. Facilitated by King Conservation District in partnership with Snohomish Conservation District, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, Tulalip Tribes, Snohomish and King counties, and many others. This effort will connect diverse partners to support establishing and maintaining riparian systems.
Enhancing Riparian Habitat Resilience in the South Prairie Creek Watershed	Pierce Conservation District	$2,326,167	10	Pierce Conservation District proposes a programmatic solution to address a key threat to restoration efforts along an important Puyallup River tributary: infestation by invasive knotweed. It includes extensive landowner outreach, a survey of knotweed infestations using novel methods, basin-wide knotweed treatment, and installing native plants in riparian areas. It will result in improved water quality and salmon habitat and culminate in a summary report detailing a path to ensure this essential work continues.
Nooksack Riparian Resilience Project (NRRP)	Whatcom County - Public Works Department	$2,244,875	1	The NRRP will address key gaps in riparian restoration by developing a programmatic and strategic approach to restoration planning, partner coordination, landowner engagement and incentives, and restoration implementation. The NRRP will also facilitate and fund conservation easements for restored and intact riparian areas, ensuring that past investments in priority reaches are protected in perpetuity.
Innovating Solutions to Riparian Corridor Challenges in Chimacum Creek	North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC)	$1,229,060	17	NOSC, Jefferson County Conservation District, and Jefferson Land Trust are partnering on a multi-faceted and programmatic approach to riparian recovery in the Chimacum Watershed through planning and design for restoration of unvegetated reaches, wetland restoration at Kodama Farm, and stewardship of past riparian restoration projects.

More grant information

Funding program guidelines

Note: The Puget Sound Riparian Systems Lead grant program may assign and distribute any funding returned to the program early or savings in other work as needed to high performing recipients with programs demonstrating capacity and potential for increased positive impact.

Contact information

Libby Gier
Puget Sound Riparian Systems Grant Lead
libby.gier@ecy.wa.gov
564-669-8819