Shore Friendly Grant Program

Shore Friendly is an incentive program for private landowners of marine shorelines in Puget Sound that was originally developed and federally funded in 2014. The goals of the program are to reduce shoreline armor and restore shoreline habitat across the Sound for fish, wildlife, and communities. The Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP) works together with local lead organizations to implement the Shore Friendly program and offer stewardship incentives that inspire and engage landowners and communities to change how they manage shorelines. 

If you are a landowner and would like to learn more about the Shore Friendly program, please visit the Shore Friendly website or check out this example of a Shore Friendly project. If you’d like to connect directly with resources for your area, select your local Shore Friendly organization from the table below.

Find Your Local Shore Friendly Program

Program Coverage Local Program Program Lead

Clallam County

Northwest Straits Shore Friendly Northwest Straits Foundation
Island County Island County Shore Friendly Island County
Jefferson County Northwest Straits Shore Friendly Northwest Straits Foundation
King County Shore Friendly King County King Conservation District
Kitsap County Shore Friendly Kitsap Kitsap County
Mason County Shore Friendly Mason Mason Conservation District
Pierce County Shore Friendly Pierce Pierce Conservation District
San Juan County Northwest Straits Shore Friendly Northwest Straits Foundation
Skagit County Northwest Straits Shore Friendly Northwest Straits Foundation
Snohomish County Northwest Straits Shore Friendly Northwest Straits Foundation
Swinomish Reservation Shore Friendly Swinomish Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
Thurston County Shore Friendly Thurston Thurston Conservation District
Whatcom County Northwest Straits Shore Friendly Northwest Straits Foundation

Program History

Incentive programs for landowners of marine shorelines in Puget Sound have been implemented since 2014 by numerous organizations and governments throughout the Sound. These programs have successfully engaged landowners to consider armor removal and restoration on their property through incentives. When federal grant funding for these programs expired, the Puget Sound Partnership's Ecosystem Coordination Board requested that WDFW ask the Legislature for ongoing state funds to support the continuation of these types of programs and the program is now part of the ESRP's biennial investment plan with strong support and current grant funding awarded through 2023.

Before and after shoreline restoration of property in Dyes Inlet with the Shore Friendly program.
Shoreline of Dyes Inlet before (left) and after (right) armor removed with Shore Friendly. Kirvie Mesebeluu-Yobech

Shore Friendly Grant Program Information

The Shore Friendly program has received funding through the 2021-2023 biennium as part of the ESRP Investment Plan.

How is the Shore Friendly program funded?

ESRP received a $15.7 million appropriation from the Washington State Legislature for the 2021-23 biennium, including nearly $2.5 million in funding for the Shore Friendly program. Acknowledging the potential for a wide funding gap at the outset of the 2019-21 grant process, ESRP actively sought to support the program with outside funding partnerships. The Habitat Strategic Initiative generously offered to leverage and align Environmental Protection Agency National Estuary Program funding to support the transition of Shore Friendly programs to ESRP in the short-term.

What type of work will these programs fund?

ESRP is primarily funded by state capital dollars. Local and sub-regional Shore Friendly programs conduct many activities that are eligible for funding through the capital budget. Examples of eligible activities include technical site visits, permit support, engineering designs, construction cost shares, and capital program administration. Workshops and other general education activities will be funded in the 2021-23 biennium through a state/federal partnership with the Habitat Strategic Initiative.