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HomeMy WebLinkAbout051524 - RCO Newsletter-May 2024ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/1d9e606c-e643-9cc9-ddd8-3c4e3a1ffa7e.png> Message from the Director Welcome to the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office’s (RCO) newsletter. In this bimonthly newsletter, we share useful news about important policy changes, upcoming grant deadlines, and approaching issues, as well as celebrate successful projects that are making sure Washington stays a great place to live, work, and play. Please enjoy! Announcements * Welcome new employees: Elizabeth Spaulding <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=1989b55175&e=186c5ff3d1> , a habitat policy specialist working on salmon recovery riparian projects; Karen Edwards <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=d2f31f4522&e=186c5ff3d1> , supervising recreation and conservation grant staff; and Nicole Tjoa <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=1b12f32a39&e=186c5ff3d1> , working in information technology. Congrats to Karl Jacobs <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=a39c0a0535&e=186c5ff3d1> , who promoted to supervising recreation grant staff. * The Salmon Recovery Funding Board meets June 12-13 <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=1ad7c79a5f&e=186c5ff3d1> in Forks and will tour salmon recovery projects nearby. * The Recreation and Conservation Funding Board meets July 24-25 <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=b4725c61bd&e=186c5ff3d1> in the Tri-Cities and will tour projects in the area. * Washington Invasive Species Council meets June 27 <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=103f4055f1&e=186c5ff3d1> . * Applications are due soon in these grant programs: --May 22: ESRP Restoration and Protection projects <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=6774166784&e=186c5ff3d1> --June 6: Washington Coast Restoration and Resiliency Initiative <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=8312a0778b&e=186c5ff3d1> --June 13: ESRP Learning Program projects <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=9b454a21f4&e=186c5ff3d1> --June 20: Community Outdoor Athletic Facilities <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=a46027dfc9&e=186c5ff3d1> --June 24: Salmon Recovery <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=12bde55ff0&e=186c5ff3d1> --June 24: Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=e534d8e779&e=186c5ff3d1> --July 1 (estimate): Boating Infrastructure Grant <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=ade87b42e5&e=186c5ff3d1> What's Happening Changes Proposed to Backcountry Trails Read Full Story Climate Commitment Act to Support Salmon Recovery Read Full Story Tough Competition for This Year's Grants Read Full Story <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/fc4f5818-5958-01f8-752f-ca97724d5f12.png> Poets Get Creative for Invasive Species Contest Read Full Story Be Whale Wise This Boating Season Read Full Story <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/a82881f3-0051-dee4-cb0f-8bcfdf4c7ecf.png> North Bend Opens Park for Mountain Biking and Hiking Read Full Story <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/32fbc82f-03df-5f9c-3b33-4437cbe3b349.png> Changes Proposed to Backcountry Trails Grants RCO is proposing changes to its Nonhighway and Off-road Vehicle Activities (NOVA) grant program and will be seeking feedback from the public in May. NOVA generally funds maintenance on trails, riding areas, and campgrounds in backcountry settings, as well as education and enforcement activities in those areas. Staff are considering multiple options for raising the amount of money an applicant may request to $350,000 for maintenance and operations projects and to $500,000 for all other projects. Staff also are considering changing the format of the program’s advisory committee grant evaluation meetings from virtual to a combination of virtual and written to make this process more efficient. Staff will seek public comment and return recommendations in July to the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board, which sets NOVA policy, for a decision before August, when applications are accepted. See more details and take a survey <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=69a186d189&e=186c5ff3d1> on RCO’s website. <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/d9c9a2b2-54f3-5ccc-57b9-33bebf99802b.png> Tough Competition for This Year’s Grants RCO closed applications for five recreation and conservation grant programs May 1 and saw 310 applications, requesting $308 million. There is $150.6 million available in those grant programs. Now staff will get busy verifying that the applications are eligible before turning them over to advisory committees for review and ranking. Here are the numbers: * Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account: 15 applications requesting $7.1 million with $9.1 million available. * Community Forests Program: 15 applications requesting $37 million with $16.3 million available * Land and Water Conservation Fund: 27 applications requesting $36.9 million with $14 million available * Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program: 194 applications requesting $182.5 million with $100 million available * Youth Athletic Facilities: 59 applications requesting $44.5 million with $11.2 million available Up next, the Community Outdoor Athletic Facilities grant program applications will close June 20. With a little more than one month to go, there are 201 grant applications requesting more than $153 million. <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/417005ae-7e9f-aa18-3b14-06721f9f3cd9.png> Be Whale Wise This Boating Season May marks the start of the boating season in Washington and RCO would like to remind boaters about new rules for keeping safe distances from endangered Southern Resident orcas. Vessel traffic is one of the things impacting the survival of orcas. There are only 74 Southern Residents alive as of May 1. Boaters can do their part to protect these orcas by following Be Whale Wise regulations <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=5c43026b3d&e=186c5ff3d1> , which include: * Staying at least three hundred yards from either side of the orcas, four hundred yards behind them, and at least four hundred yards out of their paths. * Slowing down to seven knots within a half-mile of them. * Watching for and using the Whale Warning Flag <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=3ef402db4e&e=186c5ff3d1> , which helps notify boaters of whales nearby. Slow down if you see the flag. * Turning off fish finders and depth sounders when you see southern residents in the distance. * Reporting violations on the Be Whale Wise website <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=38310d8895&e=186c5ff3d1> to promote safer waters. Please be aware that as of January 1, 2025, boaters will need to keep a distance of one thousand yards from Southern Resident orcas. For more information, see the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s news release <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=3843f5d572&e=186c5ff3d1> . Because there are so few endangered Southern Resident orcas remaining, boaters are encouraged to give whales room to communicate, navigate safely, and find food. For more information, details about the Southern Resident orcas, and what you can do, visit RCO’s Saving Southern Resident Orcas website <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=b1e199ea14&e=186c5ff3d1> . Photograph by Jeanne Hyde <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/3ad5f3ee-24fd-3c64-1baa-afa41c781bf9.png> Climate Commitment Act Funding to Support Salmon Recovery New funding from the Climate Commitment Act is slated to boost salmon recovery projects in Washington. In 2021, Governor Jay Inslee signed the Climate Commitment Act. The act created a program that requires the state’s largest polluters to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trap the sun’s heat and are raising the temperature of the earth. The act is the centerpiece of the state’s climate action efforts. Money from the program will support thousands of projects that reduce pollution and improve the environment. At RCO, act-generated funding will be used to support six different salmon recovery grant programs that fund projects designed to improve waterways for salmon, which also benefits people and helps mitigate climate change. Visit RCO’s website to see initial project applications <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=6273edeb7c&e=186c5ff3d1> in these programs. <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/5ce20db1-ac46-b439-da58-a6689d00dce5.png> <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/8302f01f-bbde-dedb-9a52-964cfbaea2a5.png> Poets Get Creative for Invasive Species Contest The creative juices were flowing for participants in the Washington Invasive Species Council’s poetry contest. Contestants had to write either a haiku, limerick, acrostic, or free verse about one of the council’s priority species. How do you write a haiku on spongy moth or free verse about invasive mussels? Check out this submission from a member of the Nez Perce Tribe. Summer storm rolls over the hills through the Columbia River valley, warm winds kiss the crests of river waves as they mask the storm brewing beneath the chaotic surface. Mussels upon mussels choking life from the water, elongated shadows treating salmonids like fodder. Rows of razor sharp teeth lurk behind thick mats of invading pointed leaves whirling towards the river's sky, as viruses and hitchhikers cling on for the ride. Bilge pumps, live wells, anchors, they're all vectors. Clean them off quick, here come the inspectors! Protect all you can see, known by fin, wing, and car. Efforts to treat them may not get you far. Call all your scientists, both citizen and doctor, they're friends. Spread awareness beyond the campaign week’s end -Kúulkul Cimúuxcimux The winners received swag and had their works posted on social media during Washington’s Invasive Species Awareness Week webinars. Additionally, winning poems were displayed at the council’s March meeting. Visit the council’s Facebook page <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=2d7fde33a6&e=186c5ff3d1> to see all the winners. <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/68dd17aa-9bb7-9724-8574-8dd4e39e7e21.png> North Bend Opens New Park for Mountain Biking and Hiking Thanks to a multi-agency partnership, the City of North Bend and the Si View Metropolitan Park District, in April opened Tennant Trailhead Park, a 32-acre park on the side of Rattlesnake Mountain that offers family friendly mountain biking and hiking trails. In the next two years, the trail system will connect to Rattlesnake Mountain Scenic Area and Raging River State Forest for more advanced trail opportunities. The park was slated for a housing development until the City and park district teamed up with King County and the Trust for Public Land to conserve the land, using funding from King County and RCO’s Land and Water Conservation Fund <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=af31df9a91&e=186c5ff3d1> . The Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance helped design and build the trails. The project partners worked with the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe to post trail names in the tribe’s Lushootseed language. The trailhead kiosk includes a pronunciation guide and information about tribal history. See more details about the project <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=0f802389bd&e=186c5ff3d1> on RCO’s website. <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=1aeb170cc5&e=186c5ff3d1> <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=a823132f41&e=186c5ff3d1> <http://www.rco.wa.gov/> view this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/rco.wa.gov/rco-newsletter-may-2024?e=186c5ff3d1> © 2024 Recreation and Conservation Office, all rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? 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