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HomeMy WebLinkAbout070924 - RCO Newslsetter - July 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 will 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 to Teresa Miskovic <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=c1b7d2cd88&e=186c5ff3d1> , a new salmon grants manager. * Welcome to Rachelle Lim <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=db437dee4f&e=186c5ff3d1> and Butch Lovelace <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f1246 1e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=80e7f678e3&e=186c5ff3d1> , new recreation and conservation grants managers. * Recreation and Conservation Funding Board meets July 24-25 and again August 7 <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=0976a31e1c&e=186c5ff3d1> . * Salmon Recovery Funding Board meets August 7 <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=64bdf4f791&e=186c5ff3d1> . What's Happening Applications Accepted for Trail Projects and More Learn more Students Win Invasive Species Art Contest Learn more Salmon Recovery Grant Applications Are In Learn more <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/4cc07434-aafd-cd17-4a0a-f5ea06bb8996.jpg> RCO Staffer Completes Leadership Program Learn more Orca Action Month; Help Sought from Boaters Learn more <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/ed8b676d-9af8-0d36-11ef-4b6e7d0d141a.jpg> Port of Anacortes Improves Marina Learn more <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/b73844c7-bcd6-d851-f1a4-d04bf100d125.jpg> Applications to be Accepted for Trail Projects and More Next month, RCO will begin accepting applications for grant programs that focus on trails, boating, outdoor learning for kids, and firearm and archery ranges. This will be the only time applications will be accepted until 2026, so now’s your chance! Below are details about the grant programs. Informational webinars are set for August 1. Visit the RCO web page links below for registration information coming soon. Trails * Nonhighway and Off-Road Vehicle Activities <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=24bad1964a&e=186c5ff3d1> : Grants for projects that develop and manage recreation such as cross-country skiing, hiking, horseback riding, mountain bicycling, hunting, fishing, sightseeing, motorcycling, and riding all-terrain and four-wheel drive vehicles. A portion of funding also is available for education and enforcement programs <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=9d2691e36e&e=186c5ff3d1> . * Recreational Trails Program <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=0b13866c52&e=186c5ff3d1> : Grants for projects that rehabilitate and maintain trails offering backcountry experiences. Boating * Boating Facilities Program <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=48378fab88&e=186c5ff3d1> : Grants for projects that acquire, develop, and renovate facilities for motorized boats and other watercraft, including launching ramps, guest moorage, and support facilities. Grants also may be used for preconstruction activities, such as completing permits, design, and cultural resources assessments. Youth Programs * No Child Left Inside <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=7135508029&e=186c5ff3d1> : Grants for projects that provide outdoor education and recreation for underserved, underrepresented, and historically excluded youth. Firearms and Archery * Firearms and Archery Range Recreation <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=f2083256a9&e=186c5ff3d1> : Grants for projects that acquire, develop, and renovate firearm ranges and archery training and practice facilities. <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/a25d1153-a320-2c4f-61cb-ad2f6f1835a2.jpg> Salmon Recovery Grant Applications Are In June marked the deadline for applications for grants from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board. More than eighty applicants submitted 212 projects, requesting nearly $258 million. Projects ranged from replacing plugged pipes that carry water under roads and block salmon migration to larger projects that reroute rivers or place logs in streams to slow the water and create more habitat for salmon. “We have a great crop of projects to consider,” said Marc Duboiski, manager of RCO’s Salmon Grants Section. “After twenty-five years of doing projects, the easy projects have been done and we are seeing more complex projects trying to fix tougher problems. The sophistication of these projects is a credit to the hard-working folks in the field who continue to work with landowners and partners to pull off large habitat restoration and protection projects.” The next step is for the projects to go through a final technical review by the board’s scientific panel and for projects to be submitted to the board for grant awards, which will happen in late September. Learn more about the salmon grants <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=8c15f9ee48&e=186c5ff3d1> . <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/ba1c7e88-022c-a526-b876-d909b3c2042c.jpg> Orca Action Month; Help Sought from Boaters Orca Action Month Washingtonians gathered around the state in June to pull weeds, listen to stories, and clean beaches, hoping to make a difference and raise awareness of the plight of orcas. The Southern Resident orcas that spend time in Washington State have seen their numbers fall from a high of ninety-eight in 1995 to seventy-four today. They are in danger of going extinct. More than thirty events were scheduled during the Orca Action Month in June. The goal was to raise awareness about pollution threatening orcas and to empower people to take action to clean waterways. Boating Buffers State officials are looking for comments from boaters about how best to spread the word about keeping clear of endangered whales. Boaters are encouraged to follow Be Whale Wise guidance and laws <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=f82352fc88&e=186c5ff3d1> and consider keeping one thousand yards away from Southern Residents, a law that will go into effect next year. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Orca Regulations Communications Advisory group are seeking input from recreational boaters at a September 12 workshop about how best to shape education and communication efforts. Find more details and registration <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=d5be38cd94&e=186c5ff3d1> online. Another chance to comment on orca guidelines is being hosted by the Canadian government. Canada requires boaters to stay about a quarter-mile from all orcas in southern British Columbia waters. The government is evaluating its protection measures and considering amending marine mammal regulations. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada is accepting comments through September 3. More information about the proposed rules <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=2559cbf2ba&e=186c5ff3d1> can be found online. See more information about all things orca by visiting the orca website <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=ce5abf2f23&e=186c5ff3d1> . <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/62f1d04c-7da4-0a62-bbad-5eb68cd0cbea.jpg> Students Win Invasive Species Art Contest Three students earned the honor of having their posters selected as the first-place winning entries in an art contest held by the Washington Invasive Species Council and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. In all, ninety-four kids submitted entries. In the kindergarten through fifth-grade category, Tyler from Trout Lake School in Trout Lake won first place for a black and white drawing of a mitten crab. In the sixth-through eighth-grade category, Natalie from Mount Baker Middle School in Auburn won first place for her poster on pike, an invasive fish. In the ninth- through twelfth-grade category, Flora from Newport High School in Bellevue won for her emerald ash borer poster pictured above. The winning posters will be displayed for one year at all the aquatic invasive species check stations and in an educational trailer that travels statewide to schools, libraries, and events, educating people about invasive species that threaten Washington’s natural resources, economy, recreation, and ecology. To see all the entries, visit the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s blog <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=7752e32f34&e=186c5ff3d1> . <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/b1c825a9-b107-9290-6eb0-0bb67e092ea4.jpg> RCO Staffer Completes Leadership Program Allison Dellwo, a senior outdoor grants manager for RCO’s Recreation and Conservation Grants Section, recently completed a year-long program to develop community leaders. According to its website, Leadership Thurston County was established to “develop informed, connected, and engaged community leaders.” The program helps participants gain a broad understanding of the complex issues facing the south Puget Sound region and build relationships to help resolve challenges and find new opportunities. Leadership Thurston County is a program of the Thurston County Chamber Foundation, an educational nonprofit organization. Since 1994, more than eight hundred people have completed the program. See more details about Leadership Thurston County <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=7fda5af075&e=186c5ff3d1> online. Way to go Allison! <https://mcusercontent.com/f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e/images/5673d6c6-85d8-11cb-336a-27d512ade877.jpg> Port of Anacortes Improves Marina The Port of Anacortes cut the ribbon in June on an expansion of its Cap Sante Marina RV Park. The Port used $1.1 million from two RCO grants to create twenty-five spaces for recreational vehicles (RVs), an open lawn, and paved pathways and roads to provide access for people with disabilities to waterfront parks and regional trails, restrooms, laundry services, and the marina. See more details <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=d1fbe0ee34&e=186c5ff3d1> about the project. <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=727c761a78&e=186c5ff3d1> <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=976392f922&e=186c5ff3d1> <https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-link-48.png> view this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/rco.wa.gov/rco-newslsetter-july-2024?e=186c5ff3d1> © 2024 Recreation and Conservation Office, all rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? Subscribe <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=b45ee98b7d&e=186c5ff3d1> to newsletter or unsubscribe <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=f12461e10ae d86ddd51107b5e&id=1945f2650d&t=b&e=186c5ff3d1&c=642636bc7b> . <https://rco.us4.list-manage.com/track/open.php?u=f12461e10aed86ddd51107b5e&id=642636bc7b&e=186c5ff3d1>