Spokane Parks to receive $1.4 million for Riverfront Park

The Spokane Parks and Recreation Division will receive $1.4 million in federal grants, the U.S. National Parks Service recently announced.

Spokane was one of three Washington cities, including Seattle and Lynnwood, to receive $4 million worth of grants through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The money was administered through the state’s Recreation and Conservation Funding Board, according to a news release.

Money for the Land and Water Conservation Fund comes from the federal government’s selling and leasing of off-shore oil and gas resources. The fund provides grants to preserve and develop outdoor recreation resources, including parks, trails and wildlife habitat.

The Spokane grant was earmarked to replace the bridge deck, rails, corroded steel and ends of the south suspension bridge over the Spokane River at Riverfront Park.

The bridge, which was originally built for Expo 74, provides a major recreational connection for users of the park.

Spokane recently closed the south bridge because of a risk of failure. This grant is expected to extend the life of the bridge.

Grants will also be used for a $2 million project to build a quarter-mile boardwalk and two wildlife viewpoints on the shore of Scriber Lake in Scriber Lake Park in Lynnwood; and $960,430 of the grant money will be used to renovate 9.4-acres of Maple Wood Playfield in the Beacon Hill neighborhood in Seattle.

Commission appoints Kuttel in Spokane Valley

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission met on Friday and appointed Mike Kuttel, Jr., to serve as the new director of the department’s Eastern Region, located in Spokane Valley.

In other news, the commission denied a petition for spring black bear recreational hunting, but it approved a proposed land transaction for public recreational opportunities in Grant County, according to a news release.

After hearing a status review for white pelicans, the commission voted to downgrade the pelican’s conservation listing from protected/threatened to protected/sensitive.

State seeks grant applicants

Washington state officials are seeking organizations that offer outdoor-education experiences for public students to apply for available grants.

The Legislature in 2022 created the Outdoor Learning Grants program, which is jointly managed by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Recreation and Conservation Office. The program is designed to help fund education programs that provide outdoor activities for public students.

Organizations can submit preapplications by June 15 and final applications are due by July 13. Applicants can learn more about the program, and whether they are eligible for the grants, through the RCO website at rco.wa.gov/grant/outdoor-learning-grants/

“All students deserve and need access to the outdoors, but they don’t always get it,” Sheila Wilson, the OSPI Outdoor Education Program manager, said in a news release. “These grants will help get the most vulnerable students outside to reap these benefits.”

Federally recognized Native American tribes; local, state and federal governmental agencies; and qualified nonprofit organizations that offer outdoor education programs may apply.

The state received 72 applications requesting more than $8 million last year.

“The large number of applicants for this new grant program shows the tremendous need for this kind of outdoor education,” Megan Duffy, RCO director, said in the release. “Getting kids outside is so important and teaching them while they are in an outdoor environment will benefit all Washingtonians as those kids grow up and become parents, employees, business owners, entrepreneurs and leaders.”

Leavenworth Adventure Park will open soon

A new adventure park, featuring an “Alpine Coaster,” is scheduled to open June 1 in Leavenworth, Washington.

The park is set on a mountain at the entrance to Tumwater Canyon, located a short walk from Leavenworth’s downtown.

It’s the brainchild of Dave Moffett, who for years helped operate ski resorts at Snoqualmie Pass, according to a news release.

“With more than 3 million visitors per year, the Bavarian town of Leavenworth is the perfect place to be,” Moffett said in the release. “We have worked almost exclusively with local experts to build the park, while taking care of the environment.”

In advance of the grand opening, Leavenworth Adventure Park is hosting a digital “first rider” Fundraising Auction. Some 28 winners will get the chance to be the first official riders on the alpine coaster. All proceeds are being donated to a local high school student association.

Officially called “Super Lou’s Tumwater Twister Alpine Coaster,” the ride will offer views of Tumwater Canyon, the Wenatchee River and Leavenworth, according to the release.

By using brakes, riders can choose a slow tour or full speed ride, up to 27 mph, along the track’s three helix circles, drops and curves. Each sled holds two people.

“What makes this coaster so thrilling is definitely the three 360-degree helix circle turns and the incredible views,” Moffett said in the release.

The park will also feature a climbing wall, the “Bavarian Bungee Bounce Trampoline” and the “Gems of The Enchantments Mining Sluice.”

For more information, visit www.leavenworthadventurepark.com