The Family Forest Fish Passage Program (FFFPP) is a voluntary program where landowners can receive financial and technical assistance for the removal of fish barriers on their property. A fish barrier is any artificial (human-caused) in-stream structure that impedes the free passage of fish, such as culverts, dams, weirs, and road crossings.

The program is administered by the Department of Natural Resources Small Forest Landowner Office and covers 100% of all removal and replacement costs for eligible landowners.

Small Forest Landowners own 3.2 million acres of Washington’s forests, about half of the private forestland in the state. These family forests are important to fish and include thousands of fish-bearing streams. The program was created to help restore fish populations by eliminating the barriers that keep fish from reaching many miles of habitat upstream.

To Get Started

Contact the Small Forest Landowner Office directly to get started; they can be reached at 360-902-1400 or by e-mail at SFLO@dnr.wa.gov. Once your application is received, your barrier will be assessed and prioritized. Once it is approved for funding, you will work with the SCD as a project sponsor, and we will assist with the contracting and permitting and other aspects of project management.