Habitat Council finalizes funding package and contingency list after wide budget deliberations

Staff presented the division’s habitat council spreadsheet showing an appropriation of about $3.4 million and a current list of proposed projects that, as submitted, exceeded available funds by roughly $3.5 million. Council members and staff worked through the list line‑by‑line, agreeing to put lower‑ranked and partly funded items on a contingency list, to shift eligible projects to other funding pots (for example ICP or ECP funds and blue‑ribbon partner contributions), and to phase or reduce scope for several large asks.

During the discussion council members suggested targeted reductions and replacements: shifting some community fisheries and large landscape projects to ICP, trimming or postponing selected fencing and maintenance asks, and pursuing combined proposals where adjacent projects could be bundled to improve ranking. Staff and regional managers volunteered incremental maintenance savings (seasonal positions and equipment leases) and identified projects that could be delayed without immediate habitat loss.

Council members passed a motion to forward the adjusted project list to the director for final approval; the motion passed by voice vote (recorded as "I"). Staff said contingency items would remain on the list for possible future funding and that other partner commitments could change allocations before final awards.

Council Chair Kobe Jones closed the meeting by scheduling a field tour (Strawberry Ridge/Strawberry River area) for June 30 to view recent burns and projects in the field and asked staff to circulate a final funding packet after spreadsheet reconciliation.