The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is a small state agency that manages grant programs to create outdoor recreation opportunities, protect the best of the state’s wildlife habitat and working farms and forests, and help return salmon and orcas from near extinction.
The office supports the following organizations:
- Recreation and Conservation Funding Board
- Salmon Recovery Funding Board
- Invasive Species Council
- Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office
- Habitat and Recreation Lands Coordinating Group
Together, this collection of boards and offices provide leadership, funding, and technical assistance.
A Billion Dollar Investment
Since the agency began in 1964, it has awarded nearly $4 billion in grants to more than 12,500 projects. On average, RCO awards more than 450 grants for about $209 million every year.
Doubling the State’s Investment
RCO doesn’t do the work alone. Since 1964, grant recipients have contributed more than $1.8 billion in matching resources, making the total investment in Washington’s great outdoors nearly $5.8 billion.
