09.26.18

Sen. Cantwell Announces Over $2 Million in LWCF Grants for Outdoor Recreation Projects in Washington State

Land and Water Conservation Fund expires on September 30 - Senator Cantwell has introduced legislation to permanently reauthorize and fully fund LWCF

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that Washington state will receive over $2 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for five outdoor recreation projects throughout the state.

“These grants will help ensure communities throughout Washington continue to have access to local parks and outdoor recreation opportunities,” said Cantwell. “Not only will this money help make improvements and create new parks, it will also provide an economic boost for these communities by supporting local jobs and attracting new business.”

Five projects throughout Washington will receive a total of $2,248,040 in funding. The grants include $500,000 to the City of Edgewood for a new park; $500,000 to Snohomish County for work at Flowing Lake Park; $500,000 to Spokane County for work at Bidwell Park; $448,000 to the City of Shoreline for creek restoration at Shoreview Park; and $300,040 to the City of North Bend and the Si View Metropolitan Park District to create a new park.

The LWCF has supported more than 42,000 state and local projects in communities across the country since it was created through the leadership of Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson in 1965. Without congressional reauthorization, however, the program is set to expire on September 30.

“These grants are another reminder of why it’s critical we reauthorize and permanently fund the LWCF as soon as possible,” said Cantwell.

Senator Cantwell is the leading champion of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In March 2017, Senator Cantwell introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) to permanently authorize and fully fund the LWCF. It now has 47 cosponsors in the Senate.

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