12.23.22

Omnibus Bill Includes Funding for 8 Grassroots Projects in Olympic Peninsula

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that 8 grants for grassroots projects in the Olympic Peninsula she supported are included in the final version of the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, securing nearly $20,000,000 for the region. The bill also includes billions in nationwide investments that are likely to benefit Washingtonians. Yesterday, the Senate passed the Omnibus by a vote of 68-29 and the House passed the Omnibus today by a vote of 225-201. It is now headed to the President’s desk for signature.

Olympic Peninsula - $19,980,300 total. Projects include:

Aberdeen-Hoquiam Flood Protection Project – Grays Harbor County: $4,943,000:

This funding will help significantly reduce or eliminate repetitive flood impacts to vulnerable, at-risk neighborhoods in the Aberdeen-Hoquiam area, protecting residential, commercial, and publicly owned property as well as critical infrastructure.

Tsunami Evacuation Center – Jefferson County: $1,875,000

This grant will be used to construct a tsunami evacuation center for the Hoh Tribe. The Hoh Tribe’s reservation is located on between the Hoh River and the Pacific Ocean. The Tribe’s population center is located within a tsunami inundation zone and, in the event of tsunami, the Tribe’s population would currently only have minutes to evacuate along the one road leading out of the reservation.

West Sound STEM Network/SK School District – Kitsap County: $1,077,000

This grant will be used to improve the capacity of education systems and communities to create impactful STEM educational experiences for students and teachers, and prepare the 21st century technical workforce by creating four STEM teacher cohorts aligned with high-demand regional job sectors and with national security needs.

The full list of all 8 projects included for the Olympic Peninsula is available HERE.

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