OLYMPIA - Franklin County
commissioners will receive a $450,000 symbolic check Wednesday
for a state grant to improve the Wade Park boat launch.
Jeff Parsons, of Leavenworth, one of
the five citizen members of the Interagency Committee for
Outdoor Recreation (IAC), will present commissioners with
a giant check at their meeting at 9:45 a.m., Feb. 15, in
commission chambers, Franklin County Annex, 412 West Clark,
Pasco.
The boat launch project was the top
ranked local project competing statewide in the Boating
Facilities Program, managed by the IAC. A total of 17
projects requested a combined total of $5.3 million in state
funding. The IAC was able to award grants to only seven
projects, totaling $1.7 million, because of limited funding.
Franklin County will use the grant to develop the boat launch area at the west end of Wade Park. Development will consist of a new boat ramp, courtesy float, bulkhead, and gangway. Work also will include grading and paving of a staging area and parking lot, graveling an overflow parking area, landscaping, lighting, trail work and signs. All areas will be accessible to people with disabilities.
"Washington has more than 250,000 registered boats plying its waterways," Parsons said. "We must ensure that we are providing good services to those boaters so that we can preserve the recreational and commercial boating opportunities in Washington."
The Boating
Facilities Program was created in 1964 by a voter-approved
initiative. The program provides grants for projects that
acquire, develop and renovate boating facilities, including
launching ramps, transient moorage and support facilities
on both freshwater and saltwater. Money for the grants comes
from a portion of the motor vehicle gasoline tax paid by
boaters.
Since 1965, the IAC has awarded more
than $86 million to local and state governments for 552
projects statewide to accommodate boaters. In addition,
the program has a map of all public boat launch ramps in
the state, which is on the agency's Web site at: www.iac.wa.gov/maps.
The program is successful because grant recipients have contributed another $56 million or a 35 percent match of the total project costs. Franklin County and the City of Pasco are teaming up on this project and contributing $150,000 in funding, donations and donated labor. |
