Announcements
Changes to evaluation criteria in 2024
- Watch the April Criteria Changes Webinar
- 2024 Grant Criteria Change Fact sheet
- 2024 Project Need Changes and Map to Determine “Project Need-Statewide Priorities” Score
Resources
Outdoor Recreation Inventory: The 2023 Outdoor Recreation Inventory map and dashboard includes information on more than twenty-three thousand outdoor recreation areas, facilities, trails, and water access sites. It is used to understand the quantity and distribution of key outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. The dashboard also includes a service area analysis for outdoor recreation opportunities, such as accessing a local park or trail.
Typical Projects
- Buying land for a park
- Building ball fields, courts, regional athletic complexes
- Renovating community parks
- Developing regional trails
- Building waterfront parks
- Developing state lands
Who May Apply?
Local Parks Category
- Cities, counties, towns
- Federally recognized Indian tribes
- Special purpose districts, port districts, or other political subdivisions of the state providing services to less than the entire state
State Lands Development and Renovation Category
- Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources
State Parks Category
- Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Trails and Water Access Categories
- Cities, counties, towns
- Federally recognized Indian tribes
- Special purpose districts, port districts, or other political subdivisions of the state providing services to less than the entire state
- State agencies (Departments of Enterprise Services, Fish and Wildlife, and Natural Resources, and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission )
Planning Requirement
To apply for this funding, grant applicants must have completed a comprehensive recreation or conservation plan. See details on the planning page and in Manual 2: Planning Guidelines.
Funding
Funding comes from the sale of state bonds and is awarded every two years.
Grant Limits
Local Parks
| Category | Grant Limit |
| Local Parks | |
| Acquisition Projects | $1 million |
| Development Projects | $500,000 |
| Combination Projects (Acquisition with either development or renovation | $1 million, of which not more than $500,000 may be for development costs |
| State Lands Development and Renovation | Minimum $25,000, maximum $325,000 |
| State Parks | None |
| Trails | None |
| Water Access | None |
Match Details
State agencies do not have to provide match.
Match may include the following:
- Applicant’s labor, equipment, and materials
- Appropriations or cash
- Bonds
- Donations of cash, land, labor, equipment, and materials
- Other grants
Match Reductions
Some local agencies applying for grants in the Local Parks, Trails, or Water Access Categories may reduce their match if they meet any of the criteria below:
- Communities in need
- Underserved populations
- Counties in need
- Federal disaster area
Eligible Projects
Land Acquisition
Acquisition includes the purchase of perpetual interest in real property or non-perpetual interests such as leases and easements. Acquisition of non-perpetual interests must be for at least fifty years and may not be revocable at will. Incidental costs related to acquisition are eligible.
Development
Local and State Parks
- Buildings
- Campgrounds, cabins
- Fishing floats
- Hard court areas
- Interpretive kiosks, signs
- Outdoor swimming pools
- Picnic shelters
- Play areas
- Playing fields
- Restrooms
- Roads, paths, and parking
- View areas
Note: Renovation projects are NOT eligible in the State Parks Category.
State Lands Development and Renovation
- Campgrounds
- Fishing piers and platforms
- Interpretive kiosks, signs
- Launch ramps and floats
- Picnic shelters
- Restrooms
- Roads, paths, and trails
Trails
- Benches, tables
- Bridges and boardwalks
- Interpretive kiosks, signs
- Restrooms
- Trails
- Trailheads
- Viewpoints
Water Access
- Buoys
- Fishing piers and platforms
- Interpretive kiosks, signs
- Launch ramps, floats
- Picnic shelters
- Restrooms
- Roads and paths
Ineligible Projects
- Animal species introduction or propagation, other than biological controls for invasive species, etc.
- Concessionaire buildings
- Costs not directly related to implementing the project such as indirect and overhead charges
- Environmental cleanup of illegal activities, such as removal of derelict vessels, trash, meth labs)
- Wildlife production facilities such as fish hatcheries
- Indoor facilities such as community centers, environmental education or learning centers, gyms, swimming and therapy pools, and covered ice-skating rinks
- Offices, shops, residences, and meeting and storage rooms, except for some limited exceptions in the Local and State Parks Categories
- Properties acquired via condemnation of any kind
- Specific projects or actions identified as mitigation as part of a habitat conservation plan approved by the federal government for incidental take of endangered or threatened species or other projects identified for habitat mitigation purposes
- Routine operation and maintenance costs
Long-term Commitment
Land acquired or developed must be kept and maintained for public outdoor recreation use for at least fifty years. Long-term obligations for structures or facilities for outdoor recreation will be tied to a reasonable, agreed-upon service life for the structure or facility.
More information is in Manual 7: Long-term Obligations.