Sonoma County to receive nearly $15 million from Biden Administration for environmental projects

Through three separate environmental projects, Sonoma County could be the benefactor of nearly $15 million in federal funding thanks to the efforts of the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, the Greater Farralones Association and the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of Stewarts Point Rancheria, Congressman Jared Huffman announced Friday, Apr. 21.

According to a press release from Huffman, Vice President Kamala Harris announced the Department of Commerce recommended the three projects receive the funding, along with nine other projects across Northern California, as part of the Biden Administration’s Climate-Ready Coasts initiative. The initiative and funding are an effort to make the community and the economy resilient to climate change by creating jobs and boosting economic and environmental outcomes for coastal communities.

“The importance of healthy, climate-resilient coasts cannot be overstated. The economy, jobs, recreation and the culture and subsistence of tribes are all centered around the iconic coastlines and thriving ecosystems of our region. But climate change and underfunding have left our coastal communities under serious threat,” Huffman said. “We have a responsibility to protect these places, which is why I strongly advocated for this funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. I’m incredibly glad to see investments going towards so many great projects in my district that will have an enormous impact for all that rely on our coasts.”

At this point, the application approval and obligation of funds is still waiting final approval.

Administered by the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Climate-Ready Coasts initiative is focused on investing in high-impact projects that create climate solutions by storing carbon; build resilience to coastal hazards such as extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris; restore coastal habitats that help wildlife and humans thrive; build the capacity of underserved communities and support community-driven restoration; and provide employment opportunities.

“These projects will not only advance floodplain and wetland habitat restoration and protection efforts across northern California, but also greatly strengthen our climate resilience throughout local communities, benefitting the wider ecosystem as a whole,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “NOAA is proud to recommend these projects to help coastal communities invest in their future and build resilience to the impacts of climate change.”

Sonoma County projects

The three projects aim to protect, conserve or enhance waterways within Sonoma County.

Gold Ridge RCD, which is poised to be awarded $8.4 million, plans to lead a Coho habitat restoration project at seven sites within two high-priority tributaries within the lower Russian River watershed. The goal is to improve connectivity between streams and the floodplains, enhance stream connectivity, improve wetlands and remove stream barriers.

The work will advance recovery efforts for the Central California Coast coho salmon, which is at high risk of extinction, according to NOAA. NOAA states that coho salmon populations are at a fraction of their previous populations and continue to decline. This year has been particularly difficult for local fisheries, with the National Marine Fisheries Service canceling the salmon season until 2024.

With their recommended award of $4.9 million, the Greater Farralones Association will work to restore bull kelp at four locations along the northern Sonoma County coastline within the Greater Farralones National Marine Sanctuary. The project aims to restore 50 acres of kelp forest habitat be removing purple sea urchins and outplanting bull kelp.

Since 2016, the bull kelp forest habitate has been reduced by nearly 90% because of warming oceanic waters. Bull kelp is a foundational species in the ecosystem and its decline has had cascading effects on recreational and commercial fisheries.

The Kashia Band of Pomo Indianas of Stewarts Rancheria will focus on red abalone restoration within the kelp forest ecosystem in their ancestral lands. Their recommended award of $1.9 million will enable them to establish a tribal breeding program for red abalone and train and employ tribal dives to conduct ecological monitoring. The band also aims to pilot experimental removals of purple sea urchins to help reduce pressure on bull kelp.