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threatened in the boundary region stretching across the northern half of California and into southern Oregon. Steelhead trout were listed as endan- gered in the central California coast, the south-central California coast, southern California, and the Central Valley; and they were listed as threatened in north- ern California. As George Marshall noted, drastic situations call for drastic measures, and the first place to start is by investing in communities. NFWF has adopted this strategy by investing in numerous salmon restoration, protection, and education projects in California and throughout the Pacific Northwest. In California alone, the Foundation has funded fifty-four salmon projects total- ing $7.8 million. Eighteen of these pro- jects were funded just this year under the California Grassroots Salmon Initiative, a partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/ National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA!NMFS). In the spirit of the Marshall Plan, the California Grassroots Salmon Initiative (CGSI) was formed to catalyze and support salmon-friendly activities at the grass roots level in California. The CSGI's mission is to find and fund pro- jects that will benefit coho salmon, spring-run chinook, and steelhead trout and their aquatic ecosystems. Activities considered for challenge grant funds include salmon habitat protection and restoration projects, efforts to encourage and assist communities in key salmon California Office watersheds to engage in watershed planning and management, and public outreach. The CSGI has successfully pooled $450,000 from both BuRec and NOAA! NMFS for a total of $900,000, which has leveraged an additional $2 million for a totaL on-the- ground investment of almost $3 million. A list and description of projects funded under the CGSI follow at the end of this section. CALFED BAY- DELTA RESTORATION PROGRAM If the CGSI grants embody the principles of the Marshall Plan, the CALFED Bay- Delta Program may be the most far-sighted ecosystem restoration program ever proposed in the U.S., and it has been orchestrated from the ground up by the many California stakeholders affected by water policies and ecosystem health. The CALFED Bay-Delta program seeks to restore ecosystem quality and function in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries, the delta, and the San Francisco Bay, while ensuring California's water supply for future generations. Our presence in California, our extensive experience in managing and administering environmental funds, and our ability to develop programs that translate dollars into tangible results make us uniquely suited to assist CALFED in implementing the state's ecosystem restoration programs. The Foundation is currently managing Bay- Delta grants for private water districts and is negotiating contracts to assume a criti- cal role in managing up to $20 million in Bay-Delta funds for the state Resources Agency and the BuRec. NFWF's participation in the program to date has been viewed as an essential element in ensuring that projects are managed efficiently, resulting in solid, timely conservation achievements. Courtesy oj National Marine Fisheries Service SUPPORT FOR THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME In the spring of 1997, the Foundation was invited to enter into an agreement with the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) to serve as the state wildlife foundation. The agreement will allow the department to continue Adult winter-run chinook salmon returning receiving and disbursing the small donations, while tosp.1wointheSacramentoRiver. increasing CDFG's capacity to capture additional federal and private funds for priority programs. Through increased outreach to local part- ners and with an emphasis on listening and leadership, the California program is poised to build on NFWF's traditional strengths: responding to the needs of our agency partners and operating in an entrepreneurial fashion to create and assist new partnerships and projects. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 9