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Featured Projects

Wilkeson's Bacon and Eggs Skate Park

Funding Source: Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program

Funding: $30,024

Recipient: Town of Wilkeson

Location: 22212 163rd Street East

The Town of Wilkeson used this grant to build a bacon-and-eggs-inspired, skateable, pop art structure at its skate park. Nestled against a tree-covered hillside, the 3,600-square-foot structure added four skating elements to the park. Each piece was hand-formed with gravel and custom forms. Volunteers contributed hundreds of hours to help build the new feature. Located along the Foothills Trail, the park’s improvements enhanced opportunities for bikes, scooters, rollerbladers, and skateboarders.

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Featured Projects

Spokane's Riverfront Park Great Floods Play Area

Funding: $500,000

Recipient: City of Spokane

Location: Riverfront Park

Spokane converted a dirt parking lot in its downtown Riverfront Park into a playground that tells the story of the Ice Age Floods that sculpted the region. The former location of Expo ’74, The Worlds Fair, Riverfront Park had not had a significant investment since 1978. There was only one small and outdated playground in the park and in downtown. The playground lacked equipment for older children, didn’t serve children with disabilities, had no elements connecting it to nature, and did not engage children in activities essential to early development. Not so now!

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Featured Projects

Mountlake Terrace Evergreen Playfield

Funding Source: Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, Youth Athletic Facilities

Funding: $585,870

Recipient: Mountlake Terrace

Location: Evergreen Playfield

The City of Mountlake Terrace used two grants to renovate Evergreen Playfield 1. The City converted the dirt surface to a synthetic turf playfield and added lighting, fences, and landscaping. The refurbished field will host baseball, fast pitch, soccer, rugby, lacrosse, flag football, ultimate disc, and other sports.

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Featured Projects

Port of Allyn Boat Launch Expansion

Funding Source: Boating Facilities Program

Funding: $386,100

Recipient: Port of Allyn

Location: Allyn

The Port of Allyn held an opening ceremony May 3, 2021 for its expanded boat launch. The Port used an RCO grant to buy the last piece of privately owned land next to its boat launch near Allyn Waterfront Park. The Port them demolished the 1940s-era house on the land and converted the land to a staging area for boaters waiting to use the boat ramp. There was no waiting area for vehicles towing boats, which meant they often blocked access to the ramp and the parking lots, parked on private property, and created waiting lines that extended onto State Highway 3.

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Featured Projects

Edgewood Community Park

Funding Source: Land and Water Conservation Fund, Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program

Funding: $1 million

Recipient: Edgewood

Location: Edgewood

The City of Edgewood broke ground in October on its first community park! Using two grants, worth a combined $1 million from RCO, the City will develop 18 acres at 36th & Meridian. The community vision for the park includes a half-mile loop trail, an inclusive destination playground, a picnic shelter, grass amphitheater, and multi-use programmable space, and a permanent site for the iconic 1902 Edgewood-Nyholm Windmill that will be used to generate power for the new park.

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Featured Projects

Spruce Railroad Trail

Funding Source: Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program

Funding: $4,107,950

Recipient: Clallam County

Location: Clallam County, about 15 miles northwest from Port Angeles

Clallam County used more than $4 million in four grants to rebuild part of the 36-mile Spruce Railroad Trail in Olympic National Park. The trail originally was a railroad built to deliver spruce for World War I airplanes. A blocked tunnel, steep trail, rocky and muddy trail surfaces prevented people from using the trail and forced them to veer onto U.S. Highway 101 along Lake Crescent. During five phases, the County created a 10-mile bypass around the highway, restored parts of the trail including two mountain tunnels, and expanded a trailhead. The trail is part of the Olympic Discovery Trail.

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Featured Projects

Kettle River Boat Launch

Funding Source: Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program

Funding: $660,000

Recipient: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Location: 10 miles northwest of Curlew

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife used a grant to buy 115 acres along the Kettle River in northern Ferry County and then built a primitive launch for canoes and kayaks there. The boat launch will allow more people to enjoy trout fishing, tubing, kayaking, canoeing, and bird watching on the river. There are only three places where the public can get on the 29-mile reach of the river between Ferry and Danville and none with developed boat launches. Buying the land allows the department to conserve for the public important habitat critical to a variety of rare species.

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Featured Projects

Cedar Field

Funding Source: Youth Athletic Facilities

Funding: $341,000

Recipient: Marysville Parks, Culture and Recreation Department

Location: Marysville

The City of Marysville fully renovated its oldest youth baseball field. Cedar Field got new turf, fencing, lighting, and a drainage system. The field is used by boys’ and girls’ T-ball, baseball, softball, kick ball, and other recreational activities.

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Featured Projects

Reardan Audubon Lake Wildlife Area

Funding Source: Habitat Conservation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program

Funding: $325,000

Recipient: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Location: Reardan

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife used a grant to buy 150 acres to expand its 277-acre Reardan Audubon Lake Wildlife Area, north of Reardan and 20 miles from Spokane. The department also built a parking lot and worked with students from Reardan High School to build a kiosk there. This special wildlife viewing spot is used by more than 125 species of birds and is their last stop during spring migration to Canada. In addition to birds, many animals use the land, including many at-risk of extinction.

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Featured Projects

Stevenson Waterfront Boardwalk

Funding Source: Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account

Funding: $354,000

Recipient: Port of Skamania

Location: Stevenson

The Port of Skamania is using a grant to develop a park on the Columbia River in Stevenson. The Port is building a waterfront trail and a scenic overlook, a public access point to the river, a restroom, and parking lot. In addition, the Port is renovating the existing restroom and part of a trail and paving a gravel parking lot. The new trail will feature lighting, benches, kiosks with historical information, picnic tables, and a nature-inspired play structure.

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Featured Projects

Lake to Sound Trail

Funding Source: Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program

Funding: $500,000

Recipient: King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks

Location: King County

King County cut the ribbon on 1.2 miles of the Lake to Sound Trail, which eventually will run 16 miles from the south end of Lake Washington to Puget Sound, linking the cities of Renton, Tukwila, SeaTac, Burien, and Des Moines and connecting four existing regional trails.

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Featured Projects

Middle Fork Newaukum River Fish Passage Project

Funding Source: Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board

Funding: $1,016,993

Recipient: Lewis County

Location: Onalaska

Lewis County used a grant to replace a barrier under the Middle Fork Road in Onalaska. The new crossing helps fish access 2.5 miles of upstream habitat. "This project is an incredible achievement for the board, the people of Washington, and our environment,” said Kaleen Cottingham, director of the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. “In addition to improving access for fish, these projects also will enhance the roads that cross over them, support public safety, and protect our communities from flooding.”

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Featured Projects

Lehman Uplands Conservation Easement

Funding Source: Habitat Conservation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program

Funding: $1,134,050

Recipient: The Methow Conservancy

Location: Okanogan County

The Methow Conservancy used a grant to buy a conservation easement on 1,028 acres of undeveloped shrub-steppe and wetlands in the Methow watershed within Okanogan County. The project protects priority habitat, provides habitat linkages to existing protected land, conserves at-risk species, and maintains seasonal wildlife movement corridors. Priority species supported include gray wolves, mule deer, sharp-tailed grouse, peregrine falcon, and Brewer’s sparrows, among other species.

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Featured Projects

Erickson Playfield Pump Track

Funding Source: Youth Athletic Facilities

Funding: $350,000

Recipient: City of Port Angeles

Location: Port Angeles

The City of Port Angeles is using a grant to build a bike pumptrack in Port Angeles at the Erickson Playfield. In a first for pumptracks in Washington, the track will include an inclusive loop with features suitable for beginning riders and people who use a wheelchair. The pumptrack will support opportunities for increasing youth cycling, racing and public events which attract thousands of riders annually.

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Featured Projects

Nisqually River Habitat Protection

Funding Source: Salmon Recovery and Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration

Funding: $1,047,711

Recipient: Nisqually Land Trust

Location: Yelm

The Nisqually Land Trust used a grant to preserve 185 acres along the Wilcox Reach of the Nisqually River, near Yelm in Pierce County. This property is one of the last large undeveloped shoreline properties on the Nisqually River. Prior to protection, this forested area was at risk of development for up to 37 homes. The project protects shoreline habitat and also connects two substantial blocks of permanently protected Nisqually River shoreline.

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Featured Projects

Wilkeson's Bacon and Eggs Skate Park

Featured Projects

Spokane's Riverfront Park Great Floods Play Area

Featured Projects

Mountlake Terrace Evergreen Playfield

Featured Projects

Port of Allyn Boat Launch Expansion

Featured Projects

Edgewood Community Park

Featured Projects

Spruce Railroad Trail

Featured Projects

Kettle River Boat Launch

Featured Projects

Cedar Field

Featured Projects

Reardan Audubon Lake Wildlife Area

Featured Projects

Stevenson Waterfront Boardwalk

Featured Projects

Lake to Sound Trail

Featured Projects

Middle Fork Newaukum River Fish Passage Project

Featured Projects

Lehman Uplands Conservation Easement

Featured Projects

Erickson Playfield Pump Track

Featured Projects

Nisqually River Habitat Protection

News and Events

Governor Announces $4.5 Million in Grants to Get Kids Outside

New State Orca Recovery Coordinator Named

Public Invited to Submit Art Highlighting the Dangers of Releasing Pets and Plants into the Wild

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Public Lands Inventory

State Recreation and Conservation Plan

State of Salmon in Watersheds

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