The House of Representatives announced yesterday at its hearing for the state capital construction budget that the Covington area is set to receive over $1.28 million in funding for three key outdoor recreation and wildlife protection projects. The projects are part of a proposed $50 million appropriation to the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP), which funds high priority wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation projects across the state.

The $540,828 Green River Gorge – Icy Creek Trail Easement grant will ensure that the Green River Gorge trails remain open to the public and that houses are not built on the edge of the gorge.  The City of Covington will use the $500,000 Covington Community Park Sports Field grant to build a municipal sports field so kids don’t have to travel to other cities for sports events.  The $247,870 Tiger Mountain State Forest Trail Bridges grant will be used to replace a collapsed trail bridge and installs two new bridges along a new trail connection within Tiger Mountain State

Forest.

Projects funded by the WWRP — a highly respected grant program with bipartisan support that had been slated for near elimination in Gov. Gregoire’s proposed budget — are determined using scientifically based, objective criteria.  However, these grants could be put at risk if the Senate cuts funding for the program or alters the selection criteria for which

projects receive funding.

“We are thrilled to see that the House of Representatives understands the critical role that preservation projects like [this one] play in local communities across the state,” said Joanna Grist, executive director of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, which advocates for the program.  “WWRP projects help maintain critical habitat for wildlife, protect our waterways and ensure that outdoor recreation can continue to be major source of income in rural communities across the

state.”

Statewide, renewing WWRP funding is an essential investment in our long term prosperity because of the billions of retail dollars and millions of tax dollars a year that flow to the state and local economies through tourism and outdoor recreation.  Outdoor recreation generates $8.5 billion in revenues annually to Washington’s economy and supports

115,000 jobs.