Habitat conservation projects in Clallam and Jefferson counties have been awarded grant funds along with 105 projects statewide.
The state Recreation and Conservation Office announced the award of more than $67 million in grants this week to support outdoor recreation and conservation of wildlife habitat, according to a press release.
The projects develop parks, renovate recreational facilities and preserve wildlife habitats.
“This investment in our communities is critical,” said Megan Duffy, director of the Recreation and Conservation Office. “It provides more spaces for people to enjoy the outdoors and helps protect the natural environments that make our state unique.”
Clallam County
The projects awarded funding in Clallam County are:
• $1.5 million to the city of Port Angeles to extend the Race Street Trail.
The city will use the grant to complete a half-mile of the 2.7-mile Race Street Trail, a multi-use trail that connects the Olympic Discovery Trail to the Olympic National Park Visitor and Back Country Information Center.
This is the second phase of the project. The new section bisects Port Angeles in a north-south direction and will provide greater connectivity for non-motorized traffic to Olympic National Park.
• $42,500 to the Washington Water Trails Association to maintain the Cascadia Marine Trail. The association will use the grant for work parties to maintain 66 Cascadia Marine Trail campsites along the shorelines of the U.S. portion of the Salish Sea.
Work will include improving trail surfaces, removing fallen trees, clearing debris, controlling erosion, and building and repairing signage and kayak racks.
Jefferson County
• $113,000 to the Jefferson Land Trust to expand parking in a community forest. The land trust will use the grant to expand the parking lot in the 918-acre Chimacum Ridge Community Forest. Access is limited because of the small parking lot and lack of trails accessible to people with disabilities and equestrians.
The land trust will expand the narrow parking area to accommodate school buses, horse trailers and vehicles for accessibility needs.
• $205,657 to Olympic Peninsula YMCA to build a skate park. The YMCA will use the grant to build a state-of-the-art concrete skate park in Quilcene. The park is designed for action sports, including skateboarding, BMX riding, wheelchair motocross, in-line skating and scootering.
Located at the Quilcene Community Center and Campground complex, the park will serve as a social hub that fosters skill development and intergenerational interaction.
• $88,527 to Port Ludlow Marina to replace piling at Port Ludlow. The marina will use the grant to replace 14 creosote pilings with steel ones, each 85 feet long. The guest dock’s pilings, installed in 1973, are overtaken by high tides due to rising sea levels, causing damage and operational disruptions.
The new pilings will withstand current and projected sea level changes, reducing the risk of closures and disruptions. Upgrading these pilings is crucial to maintain safe and reliable docking for boaters and staff.
• $350,000 to the city of Port Townsend to build a golf park playground: The city will use the grant to build a playground at a golf course that will be inclusive for children with disabilities. The playground will accommodate multiple ages and have a swing set, climber, covered picnic area and rubber tile flooring.
The playground will be next to the parking lot and near restrooms.
The statewide grants fund a range of projects, including building a boat ramp at Lake Wenatchee’s only public launch, preserving an orchard and shrub-steppe habitat on the foothills overlooking Lake Chelan and building a skate park on the Colville Indian Reservation in Ferry County.
“All of these projects help keep Washington a place where people want to live, tourists want to visit and businesses want to locate,” Duffy said. “And the money they spend recreating supports Washington’s economy and provides jobs.”
The grants are distributed through a competitive process, ensuring that the most impactful projects receive funding, Duffy said.
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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.
