Governor Jay Inslee this week announced the award of $86 million in state and federal grants that aim to improve outdoor recreation and conservation activities throughout Washington State.
Locally, Metro Parks Tacoma was awarded $2.5 million to develop the final half-mile of a seven-mile waterfront trail from downtown Tacoma to Point Defiance Park. Metro Parks Tacoma was also awarded $500,000 to build an estuary and boardwalk in Point Defiance Park.
In total, Pierce County projects were awarded a little more than $6.2 million in grants. Other local grant recipients include the following:
- Gig Harbor / Grant Awarded: $180,000 / Building the Gig Harbor PlayZone Integrated Playground
- Gig Harbor / Grant Awarded: $302,328 / Expanding the Eddon Boat Waterfront Park
- Gig Harbor Sportsmen’s Club / Grant Awarded: $150,000 / Installing a Lead Shot Containment Curtain
- Key Peninsula Metropolitan Park District / Grant Awarded: $483,350 / Buying Land for a New Entry to a Recreation Area
- Mount Tahoma Trails Association / Grant Awarded: $50,000 / Maintaining Winter and Summer Trails in the Foothills of Mount Rainier
- Washington Department of Natural Resources / Grant Awarded: $95,570 / Designing the Renovation of the Anderson Lake Campground
- Washington Department of Natural Resources / Grant Awarded: $100,000 / Maintaining Nicholson Trails in the Elbe Hills State Forest
- Washington Department of Natural Resources / Grant Awarded: $117,000 / Maintaining Trails and Facilities in Elbe Hills State Forest
- Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission / Grant Awarded: $295,800 / Developing Access to Nisqually Park
- Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission / Grant Awarded: $1,381,500 / Purchasing Land for Nisqually State Park
- Wilkeson / Grant Awarded: $55,400 / Building the Wilkeson Skatepark
The grants, which are awarded through the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board, will be given to cities, counties, state and federal agencies, tribes and non-profit organizations for work in 34 of the state’s 39 counties. The grants are funded through eight different grant programs that receive money from state and federal sources, including the sale of state bonds, gas taxes, and user fees. The Legislature authorizes funding for all the grants.
“Washington’s outdoors are one of the things that make this state great,” said Gov. Inslee. “Outdoor recreation in Washington contributes more than $11.7 billion annually to our economy, supports 115,000 jobs across the state, draws people from around the world to our mountain tops and shorelines, and is one of the reasons people and businesses move here and stay here. Investing in Washington’s outdoor economy just makes good sense.”
A complete list of grant recipients is available online here.
