proHNS wrote the NOAA Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal grant that ultimately secured $5 million to replace eight substandard culverts along the Kasaan to Goose Creek Access Road that are impeding fish passage. The new culverts will improve access to spawning and rearing habitat for pink salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon, and chum salmon, as well as steelhead trout.
In addition to writing and administering the NOAA grant on behalf of the Organized Village of Kasaan (OVK), proHNS was contracted to design, permit, and inspect construction of the new Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) culverts. All project management, site surveying, field investigation, hydraulic design, civil engineering, permitting, grant administration support, Tier 1 Monitoring Plan support, and construction support services are being conducted to meet NOAA, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and US Forest Service regulations and design standards.
Site surveys began in Fall 2024 with design ongoing. Construction is anticipated to commence in Summer/Fall 2025 and complete in 2026. Grant administration has involved establishing an account in eRA Commons (NOAA’s web-based grant administration system), coordinating with the project’s assigned NOAA Program Officer and Technical Monitor, compiling and submitting Performance Progress Reports (PPRs), and establishing the required Tier I Monitoring Plan.
