Conference is April 18 and 19 in Vancouver, WA
Register to Attend
Miles of Trail Created and Maintained
Parks Created and Improved
Acres of Farmland Preserved
Miles of Stream and Shoreline Conserved
Conference is April 18 and 19 in Vancouver, WA
Starting at 8:30 a.m. on February 8 and 9
Learn about the Health and Economic Benefits of Trails
Funding Source: Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program
Funding: $500,000
Recipient: Jefferson County Parks
Location: Jefferson County
Jefferson County used this grant to construct the county’s first inclusive and accessible playground at HJ Carroll Park. The sea creature-themed playground features accessible surfacing and play equipment including an elevated play structure, a net climber, a merry-go-round, two spring riders, musical instruments, a disk swing, an elevated play-mound with roller-slide, and three connected climbing rocks. There is also a central seating area, accessible parking, a pull through drop-off area, and upgraded restrooms.
Funding Source: Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board
Funding: $1,700,000
Recipient: Thurston County
Location: Thurston County
Thurston County cut the ribbon on a bridge that replaces two underperforming culverts on Spurgeon Creek. The new bridge will allow salmon and other fish to move more freely up the creek. In addition to the bridge, large tree roots and trunks were placed in the water to create shade and cover for fish.
Funding Source: Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account
Funding: $500,000
Recipient: Seattle Parks and Recreation Department
Location: Seattle
The Seattle Parks and Recreation Department cut the ribbon on restoration work at Lowman Beach Park in September 2022. The work included removing 130 lineal feet of a failing concrete seawall, which resulted in 7,000 square feet of unobstructed shoreline. This enables the beach to develop and move more naturally.
Funding Source: Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account
Funding: $500,000
Recipient: City of Kirkland
Location: Kirkland
The City of Kirkland used an RCO grant to improve access to Lake Washington and restore the shoreline in David E. Brink Park. The City removed derelict pilings and part of a bulkhead to create two pocket beaches with native shoreline plantings and new access points for canoes and kayaks. The City also built an accessible pedestrian loop, replaced stairs to the water, installed a new seating wall and viewing area, improved the existing pier with new grated decking, and installed terraced rock walls and educational signs.
Funding: $2,250,000
Recipient: Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma
Location: City of Tacoma
The Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma used a $3 million RCO Recreation Grant to renovate Owen Beach, which incorporated climate adaptive designs to plan for sea level rise and increased flooding. Project elements included an elder’s viewing area for canoe launches, two accessible human-powered boat launches, a redesigned lawn, a reconfigured vehicle access, and a renovated picnic shelter, play area, and restrooms.
Funding Source: Youth Athletic Facilities
Funding: $350,000
Recipient: City of Port Angeles
Location: Port Angeles
Port Angeles cut the ribbon on a new pump track at Erickson Playfield in July 2022. The city used an RCO grant to build the largest pump track in the Pacific Northwest. The track was designed for people of various skill levels and also includes an ADA-accessible loop for wheelchairs.
Funding Source: Land and Water Conservation Fund, Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, Youth Athletic Facilities
Funding: $1.3 million
Recipient: City of Lynnwood
Location: 21002 61st Avenue West, Lynnwood, WA 98036
The Lynnwood Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Department used three RCO grants to develop the 4.2-acre South Lynwood Park in south Snohomish County. The City built a basketball court, an artificial turf soccer field, tennis courts, a playground, restrooms, a picnic shelter, walking paths, and parking. This park is along the regional Interurban Trail and in the heart of the South Lynnwood neighborhood, which is the city’s most underserved area. The park development reconnects the community to its local green space, promote active lifestyles, and encourage community connections.
Funding Source: Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account, Salmon Recovery and Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration
Funding: $2,885,764
Recipient: Skagit County Parks and Recreation
Location: Marblemount
Skagit County used RCO grants to develop a day-use area, trails for water and wildlife viewing, a bicycle-only camping area, and to restore and enhance an existing side channel, which created a nearly half-mile flow-through channel that provides more than 2 acres of rearing habitat for Chinook, steelhead, and other salmon species.
Funding Source: Salmon Recovery and Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration
Funding: $673,860
Recipient: Nisqually Land Trust
Location: Pierce County
The Nisqually Land Trust used a grant to acquire more than 40 acres in the Brighton Creek Watershed in Pierce County. Almost 8 acres are undeveloped forest, and 33 acres are in the Nisqually River floodplain. The property will be left undeveloped to protect Endangered Species Act-listed Chinook salmon and steelhead trout, as well was as chum and pink salmon.
Funding Source: Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account
Funding: $500,000
Recipient: City of Mountlake Terrace
Location: Mountlake Terrace
The City of Mountlake Terrace will host a ribbon cutting on May 21 to celebrate new renovations to the 55-acre Ballinger Park. The city used an RCO grant to build a new fishing pier, add restrooms and walking paths, and upgrade the boat launch.
Funding Source: Land and Water Conservation Fund
Funding: $720,323
Recipient: Tacoma Metropolitan Park District
Location: Tacoma
The Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma cut the ribbon in April 2022 on its latest phase of work at Swan Creek Park. This phase included creating a new front entrance, renovating nearly 5 miles of hiking trails with hardened surfaces, and converting nearly 4 miles of paved roads to multi-use trail use for walking, jogging, bicycling, and program use. It also built a 75-space parking lot and installed a restroom, two picnic shelters, signs and kiosks, benches, bike racks, picnic tables, and trash receptacles.
Funding Source: Salmon Recovery and Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration
Funding: $690,000
Recipient: Great Peninsula Conservancy
Location: Seabeck
The Great Peninsula Conservancy held a ribbon cutting ceremony in April 2022 to celebrate the acquisition of about 20 acres of undeveloped shoreline on the tip of a small peninsula on northern Seabeck Bay called Misery Point. This acquisition permanently protects vital nearshore habitat for Endangered Species Act-listed fish, such as Hood Canal summer chum and Puget Sound Chinook salmon. It also protects spawning habitat for surf smelt, sand lance, and Pacific herring, which salmon eat.
Funding Source: Land and Water Conservation Fund, Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program
Funding: $1,000,000
Recipient: City of Edgewood
Location: Edgewood
The City of Edgewood used two grants to turn a field into a community park. The park includes an agricultural-themed playground, a half-mile walking trail, a picnic shelter, restrooms, a multi-use sports field, and stormwater management facilities.
Funding Source: Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program
Funding: $709,000
Recipient: Pierce County Parks and Recreation Services
Location: Pierce County
Pierce County held a ribbon cutting in December 2021 to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of the Chambers Creek Canyon Trail project. Phase 1 included the installation of a 140-foot pedestrian bridge to allow trail users safe crossing over the creek and to prevent wading across the water, which can harm the salmon spawning gravel in Chambers Creek.
Funding Source: Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account, Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program
Funding: $2.2 million
Recipient: City of Lakewood
Location: Lakewood
Lakewood improved Harry Todd Park, which sits on the southern shore of the 1,200-acre American Lake. The City built a fishing pier, enhanced the swimming beach, and replaced finger pier docks, the restroom, and a failing bulkhead. The City also built paths accessible by wheelchair from the parking lot to the shoreline, replacing a path that required visitors to travel down a steep hill to get to the docks. Located in the Tillicum neighborhood, the park is the only community park in the area and the only park that provides free waterfront access.
Funding Source: Land and Water Conservation Fund, Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, Youth Athletic Facilities
Funding: $1.35 million
Recipient: City of Chehalis
Location: Chehalis
The City of Chehalis used funding from three RCO grants to rebuild Recreation Park and Penny Playground. The City renovated four ball fields, replaced the 25-year-old playground with a fully accessible playground, and improved pathways to make them accessible to people with disabilities. The City also replaced failing irrigation and drainage systems. The work will keep the fields more playable during wet weather, which now causes too many cancelled games due to flooding.
Funding Source: Land and Water Conservation Fund, Recreation Projects-Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, Youth Athletic Facilities
Funding: $1.75 million
Recipient: Spokane County
Location: Spokane County
Spokane County cut the ribbon on June 2021 on Bidwell Community Park. The County used four grants from RCO to develop this 20-acre park by adding two playgrounds, a walking path, baseball and soccer fields, pickle ball courts, sand volleyball courts, a parking lot, restrooms, picnic shelters, and open space.
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.
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!
Funding Source: Youth Athletic Facilities
Funding: $295,044
Recipient: City of Sedro-Woolley
Location: Sedro-Woolley
The City of Sedro Woolley used an RCO grant to redevelop and improve 9.5 acres of recreational land used for soccer and other sports. Currently the fields are randomly placed. The City moved the soccer fields, organized the parking, and added a restroom, equipment storage area, and picnic area. The City also installed irrigation to provide better field conditions and extended playing time.
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.
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.
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.
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.
OLYMPIA–Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Trang Lam, the director of the Camas Parks and Recreation Department, to the state Recreation and Conservation Funding Board. The Recreation and Conservation Funding Board awards about $200 million in grants every 2 years to local governments, tribes, nonprofits and state and federal agencies to create outdoor recreation opportunities, such […]
January 17, 2023Read MoreOLYMPIA–Salmon and hungry orcas are about to get a helping hand from state and federal grants announced today. The Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board yesterday approved nearly $18 million in grants for four large restoration projects around the state. The grants will restore land along rivers in Kittitas and Okanogan Counties, conserve habitat next […]
December 8, 2022Read MoreOLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office is seeking public comments on a draft statewide recreation and conservation plan. The plan is meant to guide decision-makers when they prioritize recreation and conservation investments during the next 6 years. The plan includes four priorities, with more than 30 actions to implement them. “This plan provides the […]
November 29, 2022Read MoreFollow @WSRCO on twitter.
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