OLYMPIA–Barriers will be removed for migrating salmon, trees will be planted to shade rivers and stream habitat will be improved thanks to a new round of salmon recovery grants announced today. The Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the Puget Sound Partnership announced the award of 150 grants in 29 counties, culminating in a […]
OLYMPIA– The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is looking for people to help decide where millions of dollars should be invested in Washington’s parks, trails and other outdoor recreation amenities. RCO is recruiting nearly 50 volunteers to fill positions on 19 advisory committees that evaluate grant applications and score proposals for parks, trails, […]
OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office is looking for comments on a new program that will provide grants to increase youth access to community athletic facilities. The new Community Outdoor Athletic Facilities program will provide grants to buy land and develop or renovate youth outdoor athletic facilities in communities that lack recreational opportunities and […]
OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office will begin accepting applications Aug. 15 for a new grant program to help maintain local parks. The Local Parks Maintenance grant program provides funding to address maintenance backlogs in local parks. These grants may be used for a variety of costs such as labor, materials, and equipment. Informational […]
OLYMPIA–Organizations offering outdoor education experiences for students now can apply for state grants. The Outdoor Learning Grants program, created by the Legislature in 2022, provides funding to develop and support educational experiences for Washington public school students. Grant recipients must provide education programs with activities learning in, for or about the outdoors. Grant recipients are […]
OLYMPIA–Three cities received good news this week when the National Park Service awarded more than $4 million for park improvements. Lynnwood, Seattle and Spokane were notified they will receive funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is administered in Washington state by the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board. “We’re very excited about […]
Boating Facilities, Kids Outdoor Education and Recreation and More
OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) will begin accepting applications Aug. 10 for grants to provide outdoor education and recreation programs for kids and to build and maintain trails, boating facilities, and firearm and archery ranges. RCO is offering free, online workshops to showcase these grant opportunities and explain application requirements. RCO grants […]
Free Webinars Feb. 17 and 22 OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) will begin accepting applications in mid-February for grants to build parks, trails, ball fields and boat moorage as well as to conserve wildlife habitat and working farms and forests. These grants are the largest source of state funding for many of […]
OLYMPIA–The Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board today announced the award of $21 million in grants across the state to aid in salmon recovery. The grants, given annually, went to 105 projects in 29 of the state’s 39 counties. The grants will pay for work to restore salmon habitat, including repairing degraded habitat in rivers, […]
OLYMPIA–The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) announced today the award of $3 million for park projects in economically disadvantaged areas of Lakewood and Seattle. The grants are from the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, which targets economically disadvantaged urban communities that do not have enough park and […]
OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office is recruiting 45 volunteers to fill positions on advisory committees that help determine how the state invests in the outdoors. The 18 committees evaluate grant proposals for parks, trails, boating amenities, firearm and archery ranges and other outdoor recreation facilities. They also evaluate proposals to conserve wildlife habitat […]
OLYMPIA–Getting kids outside to explore parks and other wild places will be a bit easier this year thanks to $4.5 million in grants, Gov. Jay Inslee announced today. Awarded by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the No Child Left Inside grants focus on programs that expand outdoor education and recreation opportunities to under-resourced […]
OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office is taking applications for grants to build or renovate facilities that serve large boats. The federal Boating Infrastructure Grant program provides funding to develop and renovate public boating facilities. Grants also may be used to provide information and enhance boater education. “Washington has nearly 230,000 registered boats, which […]
Long-time Salmon Recovery Advocate Phil Rockefeller Retires OLYMPIA–The Salmon Recovery Funding Board, which awards about $80 million biennially to projects to improve salmon habitat, will see a change in leadership. Jeff Breckel, 70, from Stevenson, is the new chair of the funding board. Breckel has more than 20 years of experience in salmon recovery, much […]
OLYMPIA–The Salmon Recovery Funding Board today awarded $18 million in grants to organizations around the state to repair rivers, remove barriers blocking fish passage and replant riverbanks in an effort to recover salmon from the brink of extinction. The grants, given annually, went to 91 projects in 29 of the state’s 39 counties. In addition, […]
OLYMPIA–On Sept.1, eligible organizations may begin applying for grants to conserve community forests, the Recreation and Conservation Office announced today. The new state Community Forests Program will offer grants of up to $3 million. But organizations need to hurry. Applications are due Oct. 1. The grants must be used to buy at least 5 acres […]
OLYMPIA–Communities wanting to conserve forestlands now have a state grant program to help, the Recreation and Conservation Office announced today. Beginning September 1, communities can apply for grants of up to $3 million in the newly created Community Forests Program. The grants must be used to buy at least 5 acres of forestland and the […]
OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) will begin accepting applications in mid-February for grants to build parks, trails, ball fields and boat moorage as well as to conserve wildlife habitat and working farms and forests. These grants are the largest source of state funding for many of Washington’s outdoor recreation experiences, and the […]
OLYMPIA—Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed a Wenatchee resident and an Okanogan resident and member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to serve on the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board. The board awards about $250 million in grants every biennium for the development of parks, trails, boating facilities and other outdoor recreation […]
OLYMPIA–Trails contribute more than $8.2 billion to the state’s economy, according to companion studies released today by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Done in collaboration with Washington Trails Association, Washington Bikes, and the University of Washington, the studies look at the economic, environmental, social and health benefits of trails and recommend that state […]
The Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board today announced the award of $26.1 million in grants for projects across the state aimed at bringing salmon back from the brink of extinction. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the board’s creation and the suite of projects announced today brings the total amount of salmon recovery since […]
OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office is recruiting 50 volunteers to fill positions on its 17 advisory committees, which evaluate grant proposals for parks, boating infrastructure, working farms and forests, and habitat conservation statewide. “As one of the state’s biggest investors in Washington’s outdoors, we want our state’s network of parks, trails, boating facilities […]
OLYMPIA–Migrating fish soon will have access to more than 82 miles of streams in Washington, thanks to $25 million in grants from the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board. The board will fund more than 50 projects in 20 counties to remove fish passage barriers that block salmon and steelhead from swimming upstream to their spawning […]
OLYMPIA–More than 14,000 kids who might not otherwise have opportunities to explore parks, forests and other outdoor places in Washington soon will be able to thanks to about $1.3 million in funding, which Gov. Jay Inslee announced today. Awarded by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the No Child Left Inside grants focus on […]
OLYMPIA–Efforts to restore Chinook salmon, a critical food source for endangered southern resident orcas, and other Puget Sound salmon populations just got a boost thanks to more than $45 million in grants announced today. The Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board, in partnership with the Puget Sound Partnership, awarded 64 grants in counties surrounding Puget […]
OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board today announced the award of more than $126 million in grants to a suite of 333 projects that build and maintain outdoor recreation facilities and conserve wildlife habitat and working farms and forests around the state. “Not only do these grants support our state’s parks, forests and […]