Washington State Parks News Releases

News Release 11-074

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
1111 Israel Road S.W., P.O. Box 42650, Olympia, WA 98504-2650, (360) 902-8500
Don Hoch, Director

State Parks offers clean vessel grants

OLYMPIA – Dec. 19, 2011 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is accepting applications for $80,000 in grant funds available through its Clean Vessel Program.

Applications are being accepted for grants that will fund the installation of floating restrooms, boat pumpouts and disposal systems designed to prevent boater-generated sewage from being dumped into Washington’s waterways. Normally, grants provide 75 percent reimbursement, but this special program provides 100 percent reimbursement. Applications and instructions can be downloaded from the State Parks website at www.parks.wa.gov/boating/pumpout/, then select grant program.

Grant funds are made available through a grant generated by the Sport Fish Restoration Act and administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and dedicated to activities that support the boating public.
v Grants are available to any inland marina that allows access to recreational boaters during normal business hours and agrees to do so for the usable life of the installed equipment. Grants also include continued reimbursement of up to 75 percent of annual operating and maintenance (O&M) costs once a year. Grant recipients must report the number of gallons pumped and submit for O&M reimbursement at the close of the federal fiscal year (forms provided by State Parks) for the usable life of the equipment.

Application deadline is Jan. 31, 2012, and projects must be completed by Dec. 15, 2012. For more information, call the Clean Vessel Program at (360) 902-8659.

The Commission manages a diverse system of more than 100 state parks and recreation programs, including long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation. The 98-year-old park system will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013.

Washington State Parks is now on Twitter at WaStatePks_NEWS and YouTube at WashingtonStateParks.

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