More than $275,000 is coming to the North Olympic Peninsula for upgrades to park facilities in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
The Washington Recreation and Conservation Office announced on Nov. 27 more than $4.7 million in grants statewide for repairs and upgrades to local park facilities.
In Clallam County, $90,255 will go for repairs to the bathrooms at the Salt Creek Recreation Area and equipment to maintain trails.
The grant money will be used to replace the restroom’s failing roof and water-damaged walls of the structure, which was built in 1991. The repairs will allow the restrooms and showers at the site to be open year-round instead of closed for the winter as they currently are.
Funds also will go toward purchase of a tractor with various attachments such as a bucket and backhoe to be used for maintenance along the Olympic Discovery Trail.
The City of Forks will receive $50,800 to replace the roof and siding of the 38-year-old restrooms at the Tillicum Park ball fields. The new roofing will be designed to prevent bird and yellow jacket infestations, and the fixtures lighting and outdoor spigots will also be replaced.
The Makah Tribe was awarded $53,148 to repair a playground, trails and parking lots in Neah Bay and will use the remaining funds to purchase a maintenance truck. New cedar planks will be purchased to replace degraded sections of the Cape Flattery Trail boardwalk.
The Local Parks Maintenance Program was created by the state Legislature in 2022 to address the state’s backlogged maintenance needs at community parks.
Recreation and Conservation Officer Director Megan Duffy said in a statement the department received 214 total grant applications totaling more than $19 million but was only able to fund about a quarter of those projects.
Jefferson County
The Jefferson County Department of Parks and Recreation will receive $82,823 to repair and upgrade facilities in six county parks.
The county will replace 22 rotted and broken campground picnic tables with recycled plastic tables accessible to people with disabilities in Lake Leland, Upper Oak Bay, Lower Oak Bay and Quilcene Parks.
Basketball courts at Courthouse Park will receive a fresh coat of paint and repairs to poles and hoops, and a goal in Irondale Community Park will be repaired.
The county will also be able to purchase a pressure washing machine to clean five buildings in HJ Carroll Park, and to clean and maintain amenities throughout the county’s 22 parks.
