Tester secures more than $1.5 M for fish passage projects in Montana

This 12 months, almost $38 million from Senator’s Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act will help numerous group and aquatic conservation wants

OFFICE OF SEN. JON TESTER

BIG SANDY – U.S. Sen. Jon Tester in the present day introduced greater than $1.5 million to help Montana fish passage initiatives funded by his bipartisan Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act.This fiscal 12 months 2022 funding will go towards enhancing connectivity for native Montana fish in Ravalli, Deer Lodge, Powell, Lewis and Clark and Beaverhead Counties.

Tester negotiated the IIJA and helped move it into regulation final 12 months, and he was the one member of Montana’s Congressional delegation to help the bipartisan laws.

“Clear water and wildlife conservation are two key tenants to preserving the general public lands that assist energy our recreation financial system and are on the coronary heart of our state’s pure magnificence,” Tester mentioned. “I’m proud to have labored with my colleagues in each events to make sure that our infrastructure invoice secured funding for this important program that can help our native fish and guarantee Montana’s future financial development.”

A breakdown of the initiatives is beneath:

• The Ravalli and Deer Lodge County initiatives will obtain $230,000 in IIJA funding and $846,700 in companion match funding for fish passage and infrastructure enhancements to learn native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. The enhancements will re-open 55 miles and 270 acres of habitat to permit these species higher migratory entry to spawning grounds.
• The Powell, Lewis and Clark and Beaverhead County initiatives will obtain $250,000 in IIJA funding and $190,000 in companion match funding to enhance connectivity for native bull trout and arctic grayling by restoring 20 miles of upstream habitat.

A longtime champion for fish and wildlife preservation, Tester final September helped safe $1.3 million to assist Montana, Fish, Wildlife & Parks purchase over 100 acres of land alongside the north shore of Flathead Lake for a brand new state park, and an extra $472,500 to assist FWP clear up and renovate Westside Park in Missoula. He was additionally a robust supporter of President Biden’s nominee for Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana’s personal Martha Williams, and pushed for her swift affirmation in February, citing the significance of balanced oversight and masterful administration of the nation’s fish and wildlife restoration.

Since 1999, the Nationwide Fish Passage Program has labored with over 2,000 native communities, tribes and landowners, offering monetary, engineering and planning help in an effort to reopen entry to 57,736 miles of upstream habitat and 193,783 acres of wetland habitat for fish and different animals. Sensible investments to enhance developments assist restore fish whereas guaranteeing Montanans can proceed making a dwelling on the identical footprint. The IIJA contains $200 million over 5 years for this program and can allocate almost $38 million for 40 fish passage initiatives.