1. If I do not enroll in the FFFPP, am I still obligated to fix any fish passage barriers on my property?
Yes. As part of Washington State's salmon recovery planning efforts, all large and small private forest landowners are required to fix artificial instream fish barriers by 2016. In May of 2003 the State Legislature committed to helping small forest landowners pay for these repairs by passing House Bill 1095. HB 1095 specifically stated that any small forest landowner who voluntarily enrolls in the Family Forest Fish Passage Program would not be required to fix any fish blockage until the state can provide financial assistance. However, if a landowner does not enroll in the Program, they will be required to fix the blockage at his or her own expense by 2016 and any future Forest Practices Application for timber harvest may be denied until the barrier is corrected.

2. If I sign up for the FFFPP and am willing to pay for fixing a fish passage barrier at my own expense, can I still receive technical assistance for the project?
Yes. If you choose to fix a fish passage barrier at your own expense, you can still receive technical assistance from the Small Forest Landowner Office and/or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Technical assistance could include: identifying necessary permits, guidance with completing applications, engineering assistance, etc.

3. How will I know when my barrier becomes a high priority in my watershed and will be selected for funding?
Once the Fish Passage Team has evaluated your fish passage barrier, it will be prioritized and ranked against other barriers in your watershed as well as other barriers across the state. The Small Forest Landowner Office will make the final determination on which of the highest priority culverts will be funded during a given funding cycle. Projects applications accumulated throughout the year will be ranked annually. Therefore, depending on when an application is submitted to the state, it may take up to 12 months to make a determination on a project's priority status. If your project does not rank as a high priority during one funding cycle, it will be reconsidered during the next funding cycle.

4. How will barriers be prioritized for funding?
The Fish Passage Team will review existing watershed information to identify locations of other blockages within the watershed, make an assessment of the habitat, and evaluate fish use in the project area. The review will consider:

• Numbers of fish species estimated to have potential benefit from correction of the fish passage barrier as well as the quality and quantity of habitat estimated to be opened by the project.
• Cost of project.
• Additional comments or data available from the Lead Entity or watershed group in your area.

6. Once a barrier has been fixed, who is responsible for maintaining the new structure?
Once the project has been completed, it becomes the responsibility of the landowner to properly maintain the new structure in perpetuity. Maintenance may include: removing debris that accumulates at the mouth of a culvert or on the upstream side of a bridge, maintaining roads to prevent sediment delivery at a stream crossing, preventing damage to the structure during normal road maintenance activities, etc.

7. If I am willing to pay for fixing a fish passage barrier at my own expense, at what point will I be required to fix it?
If you decide not to enroll in the Family Forest Fish Passage Program, you will be required to fix your fish passage barrier either before 2016 or before you plan to harvest timber on a unit where the road crossing will be utilized, whichever comes first.

8. What are the various organizations I can contact to serve as a sponsor for my project?
Please see Appendix C: Project Sponsors in the program guidelines, for a partial list of organizations who can sponsor your project. If there is no organization listed in your area, please contact the Small Forest Landowner Office for further assistance.

9. If I have more than one barrier on my property, can I receive compensation for all barriers?
Yes. There is no cap on the amount of money the Program will spend on any particular parcel if more than one fish barrier is identified on that parcel. However, each barrier must be deemed a high priority in order to receive funding. A second barrier will not necessarily be fixed at the same time as the first if it is not deemed to be a high priority.

10. How do I determine whether or not I have fish in my stream, thus making an instream structure a potential fish barrier?
Many streams that do not initially show signs of fish use actually provide habitat to various species of fish during different stages of their life cycle. If there is any question whether or not fish utilize the stream running through your property, you are encouraged to contact the WDFW to have a fish biologist visit your stream to make a determination.

11. If my culvert or bridge was damaged or destroyed during a flood event, can I receive compensation to have my culvert or bridge replaced?. If I have more than one barrier on my property, can I receive compensation for all barriers?
If, following a storm event, the previously intact culvert or bridge still serves as a fish blockage, your project may be eligible for funding.