"This fund will enable Oregonians to propose ways to help preserve or repair the priceless resources that are part of our river systems," Governor Kulongoski said. "I'm grateful for the ongoing commitment from the national Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the federal Fish and Wildlife Service¿this commitment is making a difference in the quality of the water, fish, wildlife and plants in Oregon's rivers."

Oregon Governor's Fund for the Environment

A $2.0-million court settlement with an international shipping company resulted in the creation of the Oregon Governor's Fund for the Environment, which is a sustained granting program to benefit Oregon rivers and streams. The grant program makes up to $300,000 a year available for projects that will restore the quality of Oregon's rivers and associated fish, wildlife, and plants. The people who live in or near such habitats are the intended beneficiaries of the fund, on behalf of the habitats and their species.

This is the second year of the grant funding and will now help finance projects in the Willamette River basin that support implementation of the Governor's Willamette River Legacy program and meet the following purposes:

• Develop and implement strategies to eliminate or reduce pollution, and otherwise restore the quality of Oregon rivers, streams and coastal areas.
• Restore and conserve fish, wildlife, and plant resources critical to Oregon rivers, streams and coastal areas.
• Identify continuing sources of pollution of Oregon rivers, streams and coastal areas.
• Improve state and local criminal enforcement of environmental and wildlife protection laws that protect Oregon rivers, streams and coastal areas. The people living in or near such habitats are intended to be the beneficiaries of the Fund, on behalf of such species and habitats.

"We are inviting pre-proposals requesting funds from $5,000 to $50,000 and priority will be given to projects that improve conservation on private lands through incentive programs for private landowners," said Krystyna Wolniakowski, Director of the Foundation's Northwest Region.

During this second round, priority will go to projects that request funds to:

• Provide technical assistance to private landowners to address environmental issues. Technical assistance may include conducting landowner workshops, community meetings, or direct meetings with landowners.
• Encourage participation and additional enrollment in existing landowner incentive programs available through the Farm Bill (such as CREP, WRP etc) or other similar state and federal programs.
• Provide public awareness through outreach and education on the significance of aquatic resources and the importance of environmental laws to protect those resources.
• Provide technical assistance to small municipal governments to address non-point source water quality issues (such as the development of TMDL implementation plans).

Applicants should submit "pre-proposals" to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation by October 13. Pre-proposals will be evaluated and ranked. Those applicants who submit the strongest pre-proposals will receive invitations to submit full proposals by December 22.

Full proposal applicants will receive notification of grant awards by the end of March 2007, with funds becoming available for projects shortly thereafter. Approved projects should be completed within two years.

Columbia River Estuarine Coastal Fund

The Columbia River Estuarine Coastal Fund was established in 2004 to receive community service payments ordered by court settlements that resulted from violations of federal pollution laws. Together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Foundation used the funds to establish the Columbia River Estuarine Coastal Fund as a grant-making program to be used to finance the following types of projects:

• On-the-ground habitat conservation, restoration and management projects in and along the Columbia River below the Bonneville Dam and the adjacent coasts of Oregon (up to and including Tillamook Bay) and Washington (up to and including Willapa Bay) that may be affected by estuarine flows to benefit the fish and wildlife resources and the habitats upon which they depend.
• Landowner outreach and incentive programs for restoration and management of natural resources in the same geographic area.
• Public use and natural and cultural projects that benefit the Service's National Wildlife Refuge System.
• Collaborative projects from local communities seeking environmentally and economically sustainable solutions to natural resource problems.
• Applied research that is directly related to improvement of natural resources management in the same geographic area.

"We are inviting pre-proposals requesting funds from $10,000 to $200,000, as well as small grants of $10,000 or less for local conservation or education projects," said Krystyna Wolniakowski, Director of the Foundation's Northwest Region.

"These funds are an opportunity for Lower Columbia River and coastal conservationists to form local and state partnerships to conserve ecosystem functions and make a significant contribution in protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and habitat resources in these areas."

Priority will be given to projects that address at least one of these purposes:

• Education to enhance public understanding of ecosystem and environmental conservation.
• Public outreach activities and information to promote conservation activities and ethics.
• On-the-ground habitat restoration and improvement to enhance fish, wildlife and habitat resources.
• "Fee-simple" acquisition or conservation easements on high conservation value lands.
• Outreach to landowners and incentive programs for management and restoration of natural resources.
• Public use and natural-cultural projects that benefit the National Wildlife Refuge System.
• Collaborative projects from local communities seeking environmentally and economically sustainable solutions to natural resource problems.
• Development of resource information data systems to better evaluate and monitor river and coastal water impacts and past restoration efforts.
• Applied ecological studies and assessments to advance knowledge and improve management practices for conservation.
• Address issues related to protection and enhancement of threatened or endangered fish and wildlife species and other species at risk (such as seabirds.)
• Development of multi-partner local community initiatives for guiding coastal watershed conservation activities.
• Control and management of invasive species that directly impact the water and riparian areas of the Lower Columbia River and coastal ecosystems

Applicants should submit pre-proposals to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation by September 29. The Foundation will evaluate the pre-proposals and rank them. Applicants who submit the strongest pre-proposals will receive invitations to submit full proposals by December 15. Full proposal applicants will receive notification of grant awards by the end of March 2007, with funds available for projects shortly thereafter. Approved projects should be completed within two years.

Additional Information for Both Grant Programs

Those who may apply for grants include non-profit conservation organizations, watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts, tribes, schools, local, state, and federal government agencies, and other special districts.

Grant funds may not be used for political advocacy, litigation expenses, illegal activities, legally required mitigation, equipment purchases not primarily related to the direct completion of the project, website development, or videos.

While the program requires no matching funds, applicants should utilize matching funds where possible. These matching funds can come from federal and non-federal sources, cash, or in-kind contributions.

Applicants should submit pre-proposals through the Foundation's on-line pre-proposal application form. When submitting the application, applicants should select the specific program using the drag-down menu at the bottom of the form and choosing either the Oregon Governor's Fund for the Environment or the Columbia River Estuarine Coastal Fund, depending on which grant program the application is being submitted to for consideration. To avoid technical problems, please print out a copy of your pre-proposal for your records before submitting the form.

**The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, established by Congress in 1984 and dedicated to the conservation of fish, wildlife, and plants, and the habitat on which they depend. Our goals are to promote healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants by generating new commerce for conservation. The Foundation meets these goals by creating partnerships between the public and private sectors and strategically invests in conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. The Foundation does not support lobbying, political advocacy, or litigation.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations.

The Service enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

To contact Governor Kulongoski, go to http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/contact_us.shtml