About the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP)

The Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP), managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), was established in 1981 in response to rapidly declining populations of wild salmon and steelhead trout and deteriorating fish habitat in California. FRGP administers a competitive grant program that has invested millions of dollars to support various projects throughout coastal California that lead to process-based restoration, enhancement, or protection of anadromous salmonid habitat. For more information on FRGP grants, please visit the FRGP Grant Process page.

CA Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 

Traditionally, implementation and non-implementation projects funded by FRGP received CEQA coverage under a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), which is written each year for a batch of projects. For reference, this web page has the 2022 MND and previous MNDs. Starting in 2023, FRGP utilized the Water Board Statewide Restoration General Order’s Programmatic Environmental Impact Report for CEQA compliance.

State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)

The FRGP program provides coverage under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act through a 401 Water Quality Certification for a batch of projects annually. The CEQA compliance and 401 certification are exclusive together. Therefore, projects obtaining their own CEQA compliance will also need to obtain their own 401 certification.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 

Projects in the FRGP program can receive Section 404 coverage under an Army Corps Regional General Permit (12, 16, or 78) depending on what Corps district your project is in.

RGP 12 is under the San Francisco Corps District.

• RGP 12 Full Text
• USFWS Biological Opinion
• San Francisco Corps District Map
• Project Drawings

For projects that would be constructed within the coastal zone, FRGP has an efficient process for eligible FRGP funded projects that obtained CEQA compliance through FRGP.  The Coastal Commission will assess the eligibility of FRGP coastal zone projects annually. Coastal Commission staff will help determine the appropriate jurisdictional authority (i.e., whether the project requires a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) from the Coastal Commission, a local government, or both) and to consolidate the permit (request the local government and the Coastal Commission to issue one CDP).

Projects that obtained their own CEQA compliance outside of FRGP may find the North and Central Coast Federal Consistency Determination (CD) with the NOAA Restoration Center as an alternative approach to obtaining the CDP.

Projects occurring in the coastal zone in the San Francisco Bay region must be permitted by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC).

Regional General Permit 16 – Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Activities is under the Sacramento Corps District.

• RGP 16 Full Text
• RGP 16 Attachments
  • Sacramento District Regulatory Division Map
  • USFWS Statewide Restoration Programmatic Biological Opinion (PBO)
  • Central Valley NMFS Programmatic Biological Opinion (PBO)
  • USFWS Letter of Concurrence

RGP 78 is under the Los Angeles Corps District.

• RGP 78 California Department of Fish and Game’s Fisheries Restoration Grant Program

For projects that would be constructed within the coastal zone, FRGP has an efficient process for eligible FRGP funded projects.  The Coastal Commission will assess the eligibility of FRGP coastal zone projects annually. Coastal Commission staff will help determine the appropriate jurisdictional authority (i.e., whether the project requires a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) from the Coastal Commission, a local government, or both) and to consolidate the permit (request the local government and the Coastal Commission to issue one CDP).