Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (2026)

Department of Fish and Wildlife · State of California

At a glance

Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (2026) is a closed California state grant opportunity from the Department of Fish and Wildlife (State of California). The application deadline was June 4, 2026. Individual awards are listed as $100K – $2M, with $16M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include nonprofit, public agency and tribal government. It is listed on the California Grants Portal. Cost sharing is not required.

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Estimate · calculated by GrantsJunction

Expected to open around January 2027

This program has posted at about the same time each year. If it follows its pattern, the next round should post between Dec 23, 2026 and Feb 21, 2027, with about 66 days to apply.

Based on 6 past postings: Jan 5, 2023, Mar 5, 2024, Jan 21, 2025, Jan 23, 2026 and earlier. Confidence: medium. Agencies can change or skip a year; only the agency's posted notice is official. Watch it and we'll email you when the next round posts.

Key facts

Jan 23, 2026Posted
Jun 4, 2026Application deadline

Opened: Jan 23, 2026
Close date: Jun 4, 2026
Award floor: $100,000
Award ceiling: $2,000,000
Est. total funding: $16,000,000
Expected awards: Not specified
Matching funds: Not required
Funding instrument: Grant

Program details (as published on the California Grants Portal)

Type: Grant
Funding source: Federal — FRGP is funded annually by the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) through a grant administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Matching funds: Not Required — Match is not required, but is strongly encouraged. There are scoring criteria based on the amount of match.
Funding method: Advances & Reimbursement(s)
Estimated number of awards: Between 15 and 25
Award period: until April 2031
Expected award announcement: December 2026
Letter of intent: Not required
Geography: See the FRGP Focus Watershed Tables in the FRGP Solicitation Guidelines for eligibility. Most coastal watersheds and some Central Valley watersheds that support salmonid's life history.
How to submit: Online: https://watershedgrants.wildlife.ca.gov/index.do
Latest change note: The estimated number of awards was updated after the posting of this funding opportunity to reflect a more accurate window. Due to federal funding delays, the 2026 PSN is currently "to be determined" - as such, the PSN close date has been updated. Federal funding NOFO released and the 2026 PSN closing date was updated to reflect the new solicitation window.

Who can apply

Applicant categories as listed on the California Grants Portal. GrantsJunction maps them to detailed applicant types for search and matching.

Nonprofit
Public Agency
Tribal Government

Additional information on eligibility (from the listing)

Eligible applicants include state and local government agencies, public entities, Native American Indian Tribes, and nonprofit organizations. Proposals from private individuals or for-profit enterprises will not be accepted. Private parties are encouraged to partner with an eligible entity if that have a quality salmonid restoration project.

Also named in the notice's eligibility text

For-profit organizations (not small businesses)

Matched from the wording above by GrantsJunction — confirm in the full announcement.

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Purpose and description as published on the California Grants Portal.

Purpose

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is pleased to announce funding opportunities under the 2026 Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP) Proposal Solicitation Notice (Solicitation) for projects that lead to process-based restoration, enhancement, or protection of anadromous salmonid habitat.

Description

Proposal applications will be accepted for the types of projects outlined in the solicitation, subject to the funding program criteria. Priority 1 Projects are those that restore, enhance, or protect salmonid habitat in anadromous watersheds through implementation or design projects that lead to implementation. Approximately 65% of the PCSRF grant award will fund Priority 1 Projects. Priority 2 projects are those that support implementation projects through watershed-scale planning and effectiveness monitoring. Funding support is based on availability. Priority 3 Projects are those that support implementation projects through planning, outreach, and/or education. Approximately 10% of the PCSRF grant award will fund Priority 3 Projects. Proposals for FRGP programmatic permit required effectiveness monitoring are ineligible. Any project requesting $2 million or more must submit a concept proposal to be eligible for the full proposal.

Program page on the agency site ↗

Past applications & awards

Historical data · not a prediction

Reported by the agency for this listing

Fiscal year 2025–2686 applications · 0 awards

Counts as published on the California Grants Portal. Award counts can read zero until decisions are announced.

Program contact (as published)

Timothy Chorey
Timothy.Chorey@wildlife.ca.gov
1-916-838-0760

Quick answers

Who is eligible to apply for “Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (2026)”?

The official listing names these applicant types as eligible: Nonprofit, Public Agency and Tribal Government. It adds: “Eligible applicants include state and local government agencies, public entities, Native American Indian Tribes, and nonprofit organizations. Proposals from private individuals or for-profit enterprises will not be accepted. Private parties are encouraged to partner with an eligi…” Additional restrictions may apply; review the full guidelines.

How much funding is available through “Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (2026)”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $100k – $2m and total estimated program funding is $16,000,000.

How do I apply for “Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (2026)”?

Applications go directly to Department of Fish and Wildlife, not through GrantsJunction. Submission: online at https://watershedgrants.wildlife.ca.gov/index.do. Read the program guidelines on the agency's site first; state programs set their own forms and registration requirements.

Other open California state opportunities, matched on agency, categories and wording.

OpenState of California