Action 15: Attract New Funding Streams to Accelerate Resilience-building and Salmon Recovery
   

Monitoring, assessing and adapting to these changing environmental conditions will help plants and animals, support healthy habitat, create improvements for public infrastructure and help communities withstand the adverse effects of climate change.
To create more resilient landscapes that accelerate salmon recovery, we must enhance the number of restoration and protection projects being implemented on the ground and attract new audiences to support these projects. Resilience and restoration needs are frequently well-understood but consistently underfunded. Part of DNR’s intent in creating this plan is to grow the total amount of funding being made available for salmon recovery and resilience projects in this watershed, with a focus on bringing new partners and funders to the table
 
Outcome 34: Facilitate the investment of $200M in public and private funding by 2031, as part of approximately $1 billion of restoration need identified by the watershed.
 

0-3 Year Actions

Action 15.1 Multiple Benefits Assessment 

Include multiple benefits assessments in WatershedConnect mapping tool, project comparison tool and communications about WatershedConnect. Use these tools to reach out to new funders.

Action 15.2 Green Jobs Needs Assessment

Conduct a needs assessment with green infrastructure employers to identify workforce needs in industries connected to salmon recovery and watershed resilience.

Action 15.3 Watershed Resilience Funding 

Use WatershedConnect, Economic Impacts study and other resources to establish funding processes with private sector actors in the watershed. Explore public-private partnerships to move forward implementation of priority projects. Connect to and collaborate with Puget Sound Partnership Mobilizing Funding work group.

Action 15.4 Resilient Grant Programs

Develop grant proposals that enhance resilience, including Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR), Innovative Finance for National Forests (IFNF) and other grant programs.

Action 15.5 Good Neighbor Authority II 

Work with the US Forest Service to implement Good Neighbor Authority Actions that support resilience, while funding habitat projects on federal forestlands.

Action 15.6 Green Jobs

Pilot local job-creating efforts related to green infrastructure, restoration or related activities. Engage in planning around equitable career pathways opportunities. Identify WRIA 7 pilot efforts.

4-10 Year Actions

Action 15.7 CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR SALMON RECOVERY III

Implement a large suite ($50M+) of capital projects developed for salmon recovery, workforce development and job creation using WatershedConnect.

Action 15.8 WATERSHED RESILIENCE FUNDING II 

Identify and implement additional actions as needed to support the increase in total funding for restoration projects in the Snohomish Watershed to at least $200M.