Recreation & Conservation Office (RCO) Votes to Reduces Local Match Requirements

A Message from WRPA Lobbyist Doug Levy

On a wet day in early February, 130 advocates descended on Olympia to speak up for our outdoors. Folks from Manson near Lake Chelan to Longview on the Columbia River committed their time and energy to tell lawmakers why the outdoors matters. Their voices made an impact with legislators, and we’re so thankful for the support of so many passionate outdoor advocates from across the state.

Request for Public Comment

If your agency is currently or past the point of contact for a parks and recreation grant or if your agency is interested in RCO's programs, please review the below:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic RCO is proposing reducing an applicant’s match for 2020 parks and recreation grants from a 50% contribution to 25%:

A Message from Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO)

Dear Recreation, Conservation, and Salmon Recovery Partners:

First and foremost, we hope you and your family and friends are safe and doing well in these uncertain times.  At RCO, staff made the transition to working from home and are fully operational and ready to continue our role as an exemplary partner, helping to recover salmon and protect habitats and develop special places to play. 

Summary of “CARES” (Coronavirus Aid Relief & Economic Security) Act

Learn more about the following:

• Relief to Citizens – Direct Income Assistance Payments

American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration Offers Externship

The Externship Program enables outstanding young professionals 35 years of age and younger in the parks and recreation field to interact with and learn from members of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, and other individuals who attend the NRPA Congress and its associated meetings. Up to four Externs are selected each year, of which two are Ernest T. Atwell diversity externships.

IMPORTANT: Revised Due Dates for Current 

Requests for Grant Applications

Serve Washington understands that organizations are responding to community, employee, national service and volunteers needs related to COVID-19. In an effort to recognize the challenge we are all facing together and provide some flexibility, Serve Washington has amended the timelines and due dates, as allowed within our authority, for the following requests for grant applications: 

King County Parks’ Youth Sports Grants

King County Parks’ Youth Sports Grants support fit and healthy communities by investing in programs and facilities that reduce barriers for youth in King County to access physical activity.

Why King County Gives Grants

Physical activity is critical to youth development – intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially. Youth in King County do not get enough exercise. They face many barriers to playing on teams, joining programs, or participating in outdoor recreation, including lack of transportation and financial constraints. And race and place only deepen these disparities, widening the gap between these youth and their more affluent peers. Through its youth sports grants program, King County Parks is striving to reduce barriers and close this gap in communities across King County.

Have you expressed an interest or submitted an application for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program? The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is seeking your input on the possibility of establishing a maximum amount of funding that can be applied for in any one grant in the WWRP Trails Category. Currently, there are no grant limits.

If you could please take 5 minutes to participate in a survey no later than December 10, 2019, we would be most appreciative. We will share the results with the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board to help them make an informed decision about this issue.

Do you want to have a hand in improving and protecting Washington's outdoors?

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is looking for 50 volunteers to serve on its advisory committees, which help determine what new projects will happen around the state. The advisory committees evaluate grant proposals for parks, boating amenities, working farms and forests, and habitat conservation statewide. There’s a committee for just about any outdoor activity you’re passionate about.

Make a Difference for the Outdoors

Created in 1964, the Recreation and Conservation Office provides statewide leadership and funding to protect and improve the best of Washington’s natural and outdoor recreation resources. Volunteering with the RCO, you would join 200 other folks serving on 17 different committees to evaluate about 650 grant applications every 2 years.

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is now accepting applications for Instructor Training Grants for Physical Activity Programs.

This grant allows local park and recreation agencies and their partners to train staff to implement theevidence-based physical activity programs- Walk With Ease, Active Living Every Day and Fit & Strong! A total of 130 Instructor Training Grants will be awarded.

Agency Member Feature: Pierce County Parks & Recreation

Juvenile Court + Parks & Recreation + Cooperative Extension + Community Partners = No Child Left Inside

The Pierce Outdoor LIFE (Leadership Instruction & Field Experiences) Program is an outdoor adventure intervention offered as a "positive probation" alternative for court-associated youth age 13-17. The program is coordinated by Pierce County Parks & Recreation, Pierce County Juvenile Court, and the Washington State University Cooperative Extension and Community Partners. At-risk youth often struggle with school attendance, unhealthy relationships, crime, and violence due to poor social skills, lack of understanding of their learning style, interpersonal conflict, and unresolved personal issues. This program provides positive risk-taking opportunities for teens, replacing negative risk-taking behaviors and building a healthy connection between the youth, nature and their community.  

DOH Seeks Local Partners for the Washington Healthy and Active for Arthritis Management Program

The Department of Health (DOH) recently received a five-year grant from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), as a part of the “State Public Health Approaches to Addressing Arthritis” cooperative agreement and developed the Washington Healthy and Active for Arthritis Management (WHAAM) project. The goal of the WHAAM Project is to increase physical activity among people with arthritis as a way of reducing and managing pain, with a focus on non-metropolitan and Native American communities.

This goal will be accomplished by:

Learn More About This New Opportunity

No Child Left Inside Grant Program

Hello potential grant applicants and other interested parties! Washington State Parks and the Recreation and Conservation Office are excited to announce that the No Child Left Inside Grant Program (NCLI) will officially open for new applications on January 2, 2019.

The Washington State Legislature created the No Child Left Inside grant program to provide underserved youth with quality opportunities to experience the outdoors. Grant funds are available for outdoor environmental, ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based education and recreation programs serving youth.

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