The Washington state Recreation and Conservation Office announced approximately $67 million in grant funding across counties in Washington on Wednesday.
The grant funds will support more than 100 projects across the state, but just a few will bring investment to Lewis County and South Thurston County.
Each project is designed to support recreation and conservation by developing parks, renovating recreational facilities and preserving important wildlife habitat, according to a recent news release.
Two large scale multi-county projects will see networks of backcountry and motorcycle trails that wind their way through Lewis County receive some new attention. One project will also bring half a million dollars to South Thurston County for a new trail.
A total of $500,000 will go to the city of Tenino to create a loop trail for hiking, biking and horseback riding in Tenino City Park.
“Despite the rural nature of South Thurston County, there are few public spaces for hiking,” reads the project description.
According to the description, the new trail will be within a 60-acre plot of woodlands recently purchased from the Norseman Timber Company. The project will also improve parking for the trail to accommodate equestrian use, improve the nearby bathrooms and the East End Trailhead and add more trail maps and signs. The grant is funded through the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program.
A total of $75,000 will go to the Northwestern Motorcycle Association to support crews to complete heavy maintenance projects on approximately 1,800 miles of multiuse, motorized, single-track trails on public lands that wind through 11 counties in Washington state, including Lewis County.
According to information from the state, the association will focus on water management, restoration of trail surfaces, and repairs of structures such as bridges, turnpikes and puncheons. The project was partially funded earlier in the year, and the additional funding from the Recreational Trails Program will fully fund the project.
Another $75,000 will go to a Wenatchee Valley chapter of Trails and Recreation Engagement Advocacy and Development, or TREAD. The group will use the grant funds to engage staff and volunteers in maintenance of backcountry trails in the Gifford Pinchot and Okanogan-Wenatchee national forests.
According to information from the Recreation and Conservation Office, crews will clear trails blocked with logs and debris and repair trail surfaces on four, four-day work events throughout the field season. This grant also comes from the Recreational Trails Program.
