The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will be expanding its Fisheries Restoration Grants Program into the Central Valley in 2016 to support the recovery of the Central Valley's winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon and steelhead populations.

Program grants were previously only available for projects located within coastal watersheds from San Diego to Del Norte counties. This year's expansion, endorsed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, will allow the program scope to include projects that include high-priority recommended actions from the federal recovery plan in the Central Valley.

Eligible applicants include public agencies, recognized tribes and qualified nonprofit organizations. Funded projects could include habitat restoration, water conservation, education, monitoring and restoration planning. Proposed projects must be located either in anadromous waters the Central Valley or within coastal watersheds from San Diego to Del Norte counties.

The amount of available funding is not known at this time, but last year the program provided $18 million in funding for eligible projects.

The 2016 Proposal Solicitation Notice for Restoration Grant and the application are available online at www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/administration/grants/frgp/solicitation.asp.

Completed applications must be submitted electronically. Applications will be accepted until March 11, 2016. Funding will be disbursed to approved projects no later than June 1, 2017.

For information or questions about the solicitation or application process, please contact Patty Forbes, CDFW Grant Program Coordinator, at (916) 327-8842, or Kevin Shaffer, CDFW Anadromous Program Manager, at (916) 327-8841.