The recent round table meeting in Ephrata yielded a productive discussion about how conservation grant programs support the local economy and healthy communities
Coalition staff organized a round table with stakeholders in Ephrata last week to discuss the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP), the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and the importance of these grant programs in creating healthy communities and a robust outdoor economy.
The meeting was co-hosted with Ray Towry of Ephrata Parks and Recreation and the Grant County Economic Development Council, and is part of the Coalition’s campaign to ensure that communities across the state have knowledge of and access to these vital grant programs, as well as an understanding of how integral these programs are to quality of life and a healthy local and state economy.
To date, Grant County has enjoyed over $13 million in WWRP grants and over $3 million in LWCF funds for projects like Sun Lakes/Dry Falls state park, Steamboat Rock, and a number of regional parks and trails. Projects such as these contribute to an outdoor recreation industry that supports 2,187 Grant County jobs and $13 million in state and local tax revenue.
Round table attendees included Representative Tom Dent, regional city and county officials, members of the Grant County Health District, and local recreation and conservation interests.