For Release:
OLYMPIA–The state Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) today announced the award of $2.1 million in grants to 15 organizations to help them plan for parks, trails, pools and other outdoor recreation amenities.
“These planning grants are helping communities take the first step in defining what, where, and how they want to address their outdoor recreation needs,” said Megan Duffy, RCO director. “The grants target communities that lack adequate access to outdoor recreation opportunities and often don’t have the staff or resources to do the planning.”
The grants are from the Planning for Recreation Access grant program, which is funded by the state Legislature through the sale of bonds. The program focuses on funding planning projects in diverse urban neighborhoods and small rural communities that want to develop shovel-ready park plans and more comprehensive park plans.
“We are so grateful for the funding from the Legislature,” Duffy said. “And the volume of applications shows it is needed. We received 120 applications requesting more than $18 million and were only able to fund about 11 percent of projects that applied.”
Six of the grants were awarded to small cities and Tribes to help them develop comprehensive park and recreation plans that will allow them to apply later for construction grants. Nine grants were awarded to support the development of site-specific planning and design documents needed to move priority outdoor recreation projects toward construction.
“We know that spending time outside provides so many benefits, such as improved health both physically and mentally. And outdoor facilities can contribute to a community’s economic health. It’s a win all the way around,” Duffy said. “This is a fairly new grant program, and we were excited to see all the applications. And we’ll be equally excited when the communities cut the ribbon on new outdoor spaces.”
RCO awarded grants to the following organizations:
Brewster
Grant Awarded: $125,000
Develop a Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan
The City of Brewster will use this grant to develop a Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan to guide future investments in parks, recreation facilities, trails, and open spaces. The plan will include facility assessments, community outreach, recreation needs analysis, and development of a prioritized capital improvement strategy. Located in rural Okanogan County at the confluence of the Okanogan and Columbia Rivers, Brewster serves as a regional hub for surrounding agricultural communities. Despite its strong community identity and access to nearby nature, Brewster lacks a comprehensive parks and recreation plan to assess needs, set priorities, and guide future development. Existing recreational amenities are limited, and the community has expressed interest in expanded opportunities for youth recreation, family gathering spaces, outdoor activities, trail connections, and tourism‑supporting amenities. With about 24 percent of residents living in poverty, access to quality public parks and affordable recreation opportunities is especially important. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1931.
Columbia Park and Recreation Pool District
Grant Awarded: $140,000
Planning the Dayton Pool
The Columbia County Park and Recreation Pool District will use this grant to plan for an outdoor, six‑lane lap pool, renovated bathhouse, and parking lot in Dayton. The pool would replace the former derelict pool that closed in 2017 due to disrepair. The district will pay for architectural and engineering services, permits, and cultural resources work. Since the Dayton Community Pool closed in 2017 and the Prescott Pool closed in the spring, there is no public pool in Columbia County. The nearest pool is in Walla Walla, a sixty-six‑mile round‑trip drive. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1966.
Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group
Grant Awarded: $200,000
Planning Signs and Trails at the Theler Wetlands
The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group will use this grant to complete planning for boardwalk improvements and interpretive signs at the Theler Wetlands in Mason County. The group will get permits, complete a cultural resources survey, design interpretive signs and define approaches for replacing deteriorating trail structures. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1904.
Keller School District 3
Grant Awarded: $125,250
Planning the Keller School Salish Story Trail
The Keller School District will use this grant to develop plans for the Keller School Salish Story Trail, a 1.2‑mile interpretive trail and outdoor cultural learning space on the traditional homeland of the San Poil people, one of the twelve Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The work will engage past and present Keller School students in advancing the project from a conceptual master plan developed by Washington State University to a fully permitted, construction‑ready design. The trail will have interpretive features, a storytelling amphitheater, native plant and permaculture gardens, a rainwater recovery swale, a community garden, and a 4‑H demonstration structure. The school district will complete construction documents, cultural resources documentation, an ethnobotanical survey and language review, Tribal and community engagement in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Americans with Disability Act compliance review, a site‑specific recreation plan, phased construction and operations plans, and permitting support. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1873.
Living Well Kent Collaborative
Grant Awarded: $198,630
Planning Recreation Access at the Green River Farm Stand
The Living Well Kent Collaborative will use this grant for planning at the Green River Farm Stand site next to the regional Green River Trail. The plan will design public outdoor recreation facilities including a community garden, picnic areas, an open gathering space with a stage or gazebo, and safe pedestrian connections to the Green River Trail that address gaps in trail access, parking, and restrooms along the trail’s south Kent segment. To design these facilities, the project will produce conceptual site plans, a feasibility study, and an environmental and cultural resources survey. These recreation facilities will serve the immigrant, refugee, and low‑income residents of south King County, an underserved and racially diverse urban community. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1998.
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
Grant Awarded: $125,000
Developing its first Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will use this grant to develop the Klallam Outdoor Recreation Plan, a community‑wide Parks, Recreation, and Open Space plan for the Tribe’s reservation and service area. The plan will provide a comprehensive assessment of existing outdoor recreation lands, facilities, and access points, including spaces that support youth activities, family gatherings, fitness, trails, play areas, river access, cultural connections, and time outdoors. The planning process will include community outreach to ensure Tribal members, youth, elders, families, and staff can help identify what is working, what is missing, and which outdoor recreation improvements should be prioritized. The final planning documents will include a recreation inventory, facility condition assessment, community engagement summary, demand and needs analysis, access gap analysis, goals and objectives, and a prioritized capital improvement plan with future project recommendations, cost estimates, timelines, and potential funding sources. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1945.
Millwood
Grant Awarded: $22,09
Planning Redevelopment of Millwood Park
The City of Millwood will use this grant to complete the master plan for redevelopment of Millwood Park in Spokane County. The City also will complete environmental reviews, a cultural resources survey, and collect public opinion on the draft master plan. The City plans to completely renovate the park. The new park is expected to have a playground and expanded water feature, tiered plaza for gatherings and events, tennis and pickle ball courts, picnic shelters, wider multiuse paths for walking and park access, a basketball and sport court, and additional parking and bathrooms. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1915.
Northport
Grant Awarded: $87,500
Developing a Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan
The Town of Northport will use this grant to develop a comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan. The grant will support all major components required to complete the plan, with extra emphasis on community engagement. Northport, in Stevens County, wants to ensure that the recommendations for its parks are driven by what people most want and will use. Additionally, the plan will inventory existing resources, make capital improvement recommendations, and analyze walkshed and park needs. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-2020.
Quileute Tribe
Grant Awarded: $100,000
Developing its first Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan
The Quileute Tribe will use this grant to develop its first comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan for the Quileute reservation. The plan will help the Tribe plan and prioritize needs, including sports fields, court facilities, playgrounds, trails and trail maintenance, tsunami evacuation trails, water access and boat launch improvements, marina improvements, and related amenities. The PROS Plan will provide a framework for future investment, recreation development, and stewardship of Tribal lands while addressing community needs and opportunities associated with the reservation’s location next to Olympic National Park. The reservation provides access to the Second Beach trailhead and includes overflow parking near Rialto Beach, serving as a gateway for many park visitors. Combined with a future connection to the Olympic Discovery Trail and La Push’s prominence in the Twilight franchise, these factors have made the area a popular destination, highlighting the need for coordinated planning to ensure recreation facilities, infrastructure, and open spaces can support both the community and visitor use while protecting Tribal resources. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1957.
Quinault Indian Nation
Grant Awarded: $200,000
Planning the Relocation of the Taholah Park and Trail
The Quinault Indian Nation will use this grant to develop 90 percent construction‑ready plans for development of a park with a playground, picnic shelters, open community space, basketball court, and multi‑use trails in the village of Taholah. The work would be part of the Tribe’s efforts to plan for the relocation of the village outside of the tsunami inundation zone. The park would be the first new space providing community outdoor access and recreation amenities outside the inundation zone. This grant will pay for the design, engineering, and technical services; project management; and community engagement activities. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1941.
Seattle Parks Foundation
Grant Awarded: $200,000
Furthering Design of Pioneer Park
The Seattle Parks Foundation will use this grant to further planning for a redesign of Pioneer Park, a historic and culturally significant open space in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of downtown Seattle. The foundation will advance the project toward 60 percent construction documents, including continued public engagement, cultural resource review, and refinement of the approved design. The design will support passive recreation facilities that enhance social gathering, respite, cultural expression, and community use in the park. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1947.
Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe
Grant Awarded: $119,068
Developing its first Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan
The Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe will use this grant to develop a comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan. The plan will establish a ten‑year development roadmap to safely expand recreation access within the reservation and surrounding Tokeland Peninsula community along southwestern Washington’s scenic Willapa Bay. To address the Tribe’s unique coastal geography and ongoing upland relocation, the Tribe will assess the condition of existing assets, including ecologically sensitive beaches, trail networks, and community facilities. Then, the Tribe will launch targeted community outreach and surveys to identify public needs, establish long‑term recreational goals, and create a prioritized project list. Finally, the Tribe will hire a consultant to conduct formal feasibility assessments and generate conceptual designs for the highest priority upland facilities. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-2014.
Sunnyside
Grant Awarded: $171,700
Planning Renovation of South Hill Park
The City of Sunnyside will use this grant to develop concept plans for the renovation of South Hill Park, the largest and most heavily used park in the city. Planning elements will include site assessment, public engagement, and concept‑level design sufficient to advance the project toward construction funding. Located next to the Sunnyside Community Center, South Hill Park serves as a central hub for recreation and community gatherings for residents of all ages. The park has a deteriorating picnic shelter, outdated barbecue facilities and aging electrical systems. The City has received repeated interest from multiple organizations seeking to bring events to Sunnyside, but the current condition of the soccer and baseball fields has prevented the City from accepting these opportunities. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1989.
Uniontown
Grant Awarded: $125,000
Developing a Joint Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan
The towns of Uniontown and Colton in Whitman County will use this grant to develop their first joint Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan. The plan will include an inventory and conditions assessment, robust community engagement to determine need, review of standards of service and maintenance, and development of a prioritized list of improvements. Due to the towns’ small sizes and similar demographics, a joint plan will reflect the historically shared resources including schools, youth activities, and community events, benefiting both communities. Existing facilities are decades old, and the community strongly desires to upgrade them and to build a trail connecting the towns to provide new recreation opportunities, encourage active lifestyles, and create a safe path to local schools. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1935.
Watershed Community Development
Grant Awarded: $200,000
Planning The Bend Live‑Work District Park
Watershed Community Development will use this grant to lead a community‑driven planning process for a neighborhood park next to The Bend Live/Work District in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood. The group will produce an implementation‑ready park master plan, including community engagement, recreation needs assessment, conceptual and preferred plans, landscape architecture and site design, cultural resources review and survey, cost estimates, implementation phasing, and long‑term stewardship recommendations. Watershed is the nonprofit developer of The Bend and owns the parkland. Watershed will work with the Seattle Parks Foundation and community partners to plan the park and develop a way to transfer the park to Seattle for long‑term public ownership. Potential amenities in the park include a children’s play area, community garden, gathering lawn, walking paths, public art, exercise elements, water play, and bicycle and pedestrian connections. Visit RCO’s online Project Snapshot for more information and photographs of project 26-1948.
