Eastside getting nearly $7 million for 15 projects

A boost in state money for wildlife habitat and recreational projects will provide nearly $7 million for Eastside projects.

Until this past year, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) had only about $50 million to distribute statewide in the form of competitive grants for projects. But a push from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, a nonprofit that helped start the state WWRP program in 1990, encouraged lawmakers to double that to $100 million statewide for the next two-year budget.

The money, which will be available in July after final approval today from an oversight board, will help fund 15 Eastside projects:

• In the largest grant, King County will get $2 million to help buy the BNSF Railway corridor from Renton to Highway 520 for use as a trail. The county also is receiving about $117,000 to help buy the section of corridor that runs from Highway 520 to Woodinville.

• In Bellevue, $300,000 each will go to a water play area at Crossroads Park and a skate park at Highland Park. The city is receiving $500,000 to buy park property at Meydenbauer Bay and $500,000 to buy parkland in the Wilburton neighborhood.

• In the Snoqualmie Valley area, about $315,000 will be used to help preserve the Bonlie farmland near Carnation; $265,000 will buy property along Cherry Creek, east of Duvall; $250,000 will help build a parking area and trail at the Little Si Trailhead near North Bend; and about $236,000 will go to buy property on the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River.

• In the Issaquah area, the city is receiving $500,000 to help buy land in the Cougar and Squak mountains wildlife corridor, and $500,000 to buy land along Issaquah Creek. King County will get $300,000 to help buy land in Taylor Mountain Forest.

• Woodinville will also use $300,000 to renovate sports fields near City Hall.

• Kirkland will get $500,000 to help redevelop Juanita Beach Park.

Ashley Bach: 206-464-2567 or abach@seattletimes.com