Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office

Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office Our agency manages grants to protect & improve Washington’s natural and outdoor recreation resources. Comments are not screened and will be immediately posted.

The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) uses social media platforms to inform the public about board meetings and grant opportunities and to tell stories about the work of RCO and its partners, connect with our audiences, and provide more opportunities for civic engagement. We respect different opinions and intend for our social media platforms to foster thoughtful and respectful conversation

s. This means that while RCO does not discriminate against any views, we reserve the right to remove comments if they violate this policy. Comments should not contain private information. They are considered public records. RCO may remove a comment for any of the following reasons:

- It’s not topically related to the content of the original post

- It expresses support or opposition to political parties, campaigns, or ballot measures

- It includes profane, obscene, vulgar, offensive, threatening, harassing, or personal attacking language or images

- It promotes commercial products or businesses

- It expresses discrimination based on legally protected status such as race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation

- It promotes illegal activity or an activity that may be illegal based on a viewer’s status (such as age)

- It compromises the safety or security of the public or public systems

- It transmits protected or private information

- It violates a legal ownership interest of any party including copyright and trademark, including, but not limited to, links or hashtags to sites that violate these restrictions and hyperlinks to material not directly related to RCO’s original post

- It contain symbols, numbers, and letters to circumvent any of the above

Posts to RCO’s social media accounts, including but not limited to comments, are not the proper forum for providing RCO with legal notice, submitting petitions or other forms, submitting public comments for official comment periods, or for submitting public records requests under the Public Records Act, Revised Code of Washington 42.56. Please see Washington Administrative Code 220-120 for proper submission of public records requests.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out the new Curtin Creek Community Park in Vancouver at the grand openin...
06/03/2026

Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out the new Curtin Creek Community Park in Vancouver at the grand opening event this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The park has lots to offer the whole family! The Clark County Department of Public Works used $850,000 in grants from RCO and other funds to build a basketball court, pickleball court, reservable synthetic surface sports field with lighting, walking paths, play area, sheltered picnic area, restroom, and more.

The new park is located at 12603 NE 72nd Ave. Vancouver, WA 98686. See you this Saturday!

*FYI: Parking is available at the park, but it is limited. Visitors may also park and carpool from Glenwood Community Church (12201 NE 72nd Ave, Vancouver).

06/02/2026

Orca Action Month, I choose you!

Each week in June, we will reveal a Southern Resident orca behind these mysterious silhouettes.

Orca Action Month events are super effective! They allow us to celebrate these awesome whales and learn how we can make positive change for future generations.

To spread awareness of the threats facing our orca, the Orca Salmon Alliance will be featuring all kinds of activities across the Western region and there's lots of different types of activities to choose from!

There are beach clean ups and kayak adventures for the water types and farmers markets and webinars for those Meowths who hate "wet water."

For more information, see the events calendar: https://www.orcamonth.org/event

Happy International Wild Salmon Day! Every June 1, communities around the world celebrate salmon and participate in the ...
06/01/2026

Happy International Wild Salmon Day!

Every June 1, communities around the world celebrate salmon and participate in the movement to restore their habitat.

Salmon populations in Washington State are at risk largely due to human activity and climate change. In order to save these iconic fish, we all need to work together.

Recovery starts with healthy habitats, meaning reconnecting rivers, rebuilding estuaries, and making other ecosystem repairs.

Here at RCO, we administer grants to restore critical salmon habitat. These grants are used for a variety of projects like removing/replacing fish barriers, replanting stream banks, installing logjams to slow rivers and create habitat, and more.

Learn more about our salmon recovery work: https://rco.wa.gov/grant/salmon-recovery/

Photo by Marc Sanchez

If your community needs a park, splash pad, athletic facility, skate park, or another type of outdoor recreation area, a...
05/27/2026

If your community needs a park, splash pad, athletic facility, skate park, or another type of outdoor recreation area, a Planning for Recreation Access grant can help you with that first step—the planning process.

The program is perfect for people who have never applied for one of our grants before too. It’s been designed to be as simple and straightforward as possible, and we have outdoor grants managers available to assist you along the way.

Learn more: https://rco.wa.gov/grant/plan-rec-access/

The Salmon Recovery Funding Board meets June 9. Attend the meeting to get updates from our Salmon Section on the 2026 gr...
05/26/2026

The Salmon Recovery Funding Board meets June 9.

Attend the meeting to get updates from our Salmon Section on the 2026 grant round, the work being done by the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office, and hear from several of our partners about salmon recovery efforts happening around the state. Meeting starts at 9 a.m.

Attend in person: Room 172; Natural Resources Building; 1111 Washington Street S.E. Olympia, Washington 98501

Attend online: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_N4BJUMcuQjiOxacteHuPHg #/registration

We’re hiring a Community Outreach and Environmental Education Specialist. This position supports the Washington Invasive...
05/21/2026

We’re hiring a Community Outreach and Environmental Education Specialist.

This position supports the Washington Invasive Species Council as the primary staff person responsible for implementing annual plans for communication, outreach, and education.

The position will be the leader in synthesizing outreach and education messages, tracking metrics and project performance, and will support and facilitate meetings and workgroups that align with the council’s statewide strategic plan to prevent and stop invasive species.

Learn more/apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/5348529/community-outreach-and-environmental-education-specialist-3-non-permanent

Make sure your friend keeps their glasses on when boating this summer! Additionally, if you're coming into Puget Sound f...
05/21/2026

Make sure your friend keeps their glasses on when boating this summer!

Additionally, if you're coming into Puget Sound for the World Cup next month, remember to stay at least 1,000 yards away from any Southern Resident orcas. Giving orcas space allows them to forage and travel safely.

Here’s a fun fact to share with your crew the next time you’re out cruising: Orca have white eye patches that make them look cool, but that’s not its only function.

The patches help orca recognize each other in the water. Each orca has a unique eye patch that helps their pod (family) keep track of who is who. Kind of like a fingerprint. For your face.

If you want to learn how to identify Southern Resident Killer Whales in J Pod by their unique eyes, check out the Orca Conservancy’s Eye Patch Guide: https://www.orcaconservancy.org/eye-patch-guide

Photo of L125 by Center for Whale Research NMFS Permit #27038

The oldest playground in Lacey has received a tugboat-themed upgrade and you’re invited to celebrate at the grand openin...
05/20/2026

The oldest playground in Lacey has received a tugboat-themed upgrade and you’re invited to celebrate at the grand opening on May 27.

The City of Lacey used an RCO grant and other funds to replace the 2,600-square-foot playground and install new surfacing at William A. Bush Park.

The upgrades improved the safety and accessibility of the playground, using bright colors and tactile, multifaceted surfaces in the structure and adding rubber surfacing, climbing features, and a tugboat theme to inspire your child’s imagination.

Grand opening is at 5:30 p.m. on May 27. There will be activities, photo-ops, and more!

William A. Bush Park is located at 4400 Chardonnay Drive SE in Lacey.

We’re considering making a couple of changes to our acquisition projects manual to respond to increasing costs and align...
05/19/2026

We’re considering making a couple of changes to our acquisition projects manual to respond to increasing costs and align with changes in federal policy. Before we do though, we want to hear what you think of the changes.

We’re proposing raising the limit on appraisal waivers from $10,000 to $35,000 and removing per-acre limits on the amount of grant funds that can be used on noxious w**d control as part of an acquisition project.

Use this form to tell us what you think about the proposed changes: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=F-LQEU4mCkCLoFfcwSfXLcJqf9RaAfxLhTL12bFu9T1URUlFUEFCMFFWSk1WUkgxNzlCUk01NU5JNS4u&route=shorturl

Photo by Kanonsky

Does your community need an outdoor space like a park, pool, or athletic facility? Attend our webinar tomorrow to learn ...
05/12/2026

Does your community need an outdoor space like a park, pool, or athletic facility?

Attend our webinar tomorrow to learn more about how the Planning for Recreation Access grant can help with that!

The grant provides funds for long range and site-specific planning and prepares you for getting your project built, whether it’s with RCO funding or other sources.

Never applied for a grant before? No problem! The program is specifically setup with users like you in mind. We try to keep the process as simple as possible, and we have outdoor grants managers available to assist you along the way.

Webinar is tomorrow at 9 a.m. Register to attend using the link in the comments.

Address

1111 Washington Street SE
Olympia, WA
98501

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+13609023000

Website

https://www.boat.wa.gov/, https://www.orca.wa.gov/, http://stateofsalmon.wa.gov/

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