| October 23, 2002
News Release A number of King County water bodies will enjoy added protection or restoration thanks to five water quality and habitat grants announced today by the Department of Natural Resources and Parks. Projects include a new water quality lab at Highline Community College, removal of illegally dumped garbage from the Snoqualmie River, and a demonstration low-impact development site on Vashon Island. Recipients of the five grants are the Friends of the Hylebos, Friends of the Trail, Highline Community College, City of Sammamish, and Vashon Household. King County offers a number of grants to help communities protect and restore streams, beaches, wetlands and wild space in urban areas. Recipients and projects announced for the second grant cycle of 2002 are: Friends of the Hylebos-- Hylebos Stream Team The Watershed Discovery Environmental Education Program will introduce 1st and 2nd grade students to watersheds and environmental education while restoring stream and upland habitat at the at Brookline site on Hylebos Creek in Federal Way. Activities will include the placement of woody debris in the stream, the removal of non-native invasive plants, special daylong educational activities and stewardship training for long-term site maintenance and monitoring. Friends of the Trail--Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Drainage Cleanups This is a continuation of an effort to address the problem of illegal dumping and littering in rural areas of Washington State. Friends of the Trail will foster greater protection of the Snoqualmie River by removing litter and illegally dumped refuse. The organization will also conduct an education and public outreach campaign. Clean-ups are conducted with the help of volunteers and people referred by the courts for community service hours. Highline Community College- Marine and Science Technology Center Highline Community College will build a Marine Habitat Lab at their Redondo Pier. The lab is designed to monitor water quality in Poverty Bay as well as in local streams. Four touch tanks and a number of smaller glass aquarium tanks, all with a saltwater flow through system, will be accessible to community members. Marine Science and Technology Stewards will direct the program, recruit and train volunteers, collect data and provide public education activities to the community. City of Sammamish-- Beaver Lake Natural Area Preserve Phase 2 This grant will assist with some of the costs of acquiring 40.91 acres of undeveloped land on the Sammamish Plateau. The property links Hazel Wolf Wetlands Preserve, Beaver Lake Natural Area Preserve and King County's Soaring Eagle Park. Local citizens, the City of Sammamish, and Cascade Land Conservancy have joined the effort to acquire this critical land link which includes an important bog wetland. Vashon Household-- Roseballen Community Land Trust Project Roseballen will be a demonstration site to show developers, homeowners and small farmers innovative ways to develop land, build affordable housing, and grow crops while protecting water quality, improving drainage, and preserving natural habitat. The focus of this project will be systems for water conservation and landscaping that protects watersheds and groundwater. For details about other King County grant opportunities, visit the grants Web site at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/topics/awards-grants/AWDtopic.htm or call Ken Pritchard at (206) 296-8265, Toll-free (800) 325-6165 Extension 68265 or TTY 711. There are no deadlines for most grants up to $5,000. For larger grants, the next deadline is in April 2003. The maximum award is $50,000; however, amounts vary depending on the grant program.
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