Category Overview
Local Parks grants help protect these symbols of vibrant communities, providing places for families to gather and play and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in an era when people spend increasing amounts of their time inside. The WWRP is the largest source of local parks funding in Washington, helping communities fund the acquisition, development, and renovation of vital recreation areas and green spaces.
Project Highlights
In a rural setting, schools serve as community magnets, providing meeting rooms, public events, and athletic facilities. Lopez Island School District #144 has set aside two plus acres of land for tennis courts for public and school use. Unique community fund-raising for this cooperative project has raised over $60,000 in cash donations from over 140 households of the estimated 650 households on the Island. This is exceptionally broad-based support in a locale known for its independent thinkers! These funds, when matched by IAC will provide recreation for the community, for school students, and for the over 325,000 annual visitors to the Island, most of whom come to recreate. At present, there are no tennis courts on Lopez Island while Orcas has three courts and San Juan, four. Dedicated land will be graded from its present use as a livestock grazing field to turnkey tennis courts. The public has been involved since the community tennis association was formed in June, 1994, at a publicly advertised meeting. Two school committees, open to the public and including members of the community, selected the site. More public hearings were held in the process of obtaining the county permits required.