Projects in Pierce and King counties will benefit from grants approved last week by the state Recreation and Conservation Funding Board.
The board awarded grants to 22 projects, valued at more than $802,000. Grants applicants also are contributing more than $1 million in matching resources.
The board received 62 grant proposals for projects requesting more than $2.3 million. Only about half the projects will receive funding.
“These grants will be put to good use, helping local communities provide jobs and keep Washington’s outdoor areas available to everyone,” said Bill Chapman, board chairman, in a news release. The grants were awarded in the Recreational Trails Program, a federally funded program that pays for the rehabilitation and maintenance of backcountry trails, as well as projects to educate trail users about protecting the environment and having a safe experience.
Recent surveys put the number of Washingtonians who recreate in the backcountry at 33 percent, including those who hike, snowshoe, cross-country ski or ride bicycles, horses, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, four-wheel drive vehicles and snowmobiles.
Projects are evaluated on criteria including need, project design, cost-effectiveness, and community support. Grants of local interest are:
Mount Tahoma Trails Association: Was given $21,000 to replace a 21-year-old outhouse on an abandoned road near a backcountry ski cabin. The abandoned road bed is needed by the state Department of Natural Resources, which plans to re-establish the road. A new concrete outhouse will be placed on the other side of the cabin, and a stairway and porch built to access it. The trail association will contribute $28,000 in donated labor.
Mount Baker National Forest: The Snoqualmie Ranger District will use a $75,000 grant to maintain Evans Creek off-road vehicle trails and facilities. This grant combined with federal Northwest Forest Pass collections will pay for a two-person trail crew and a two-person front country patrol and facility maintenance crew, along with supplies and materials. The grant also will pay for contract services to pump the toilets, rent dumpsters and take water samples. The ranger district will contribute $69,000 in equipment, labor, materials, and donations of equipment and labor.
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