September 22, 2016

Kilmer Announces Grant for Point Defiance Park

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) announced that Point Defiance Park won a grant through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The investments totaling more than $500,000 will help develop new trails and a pedestrian bridge and help install new park furniture on the Loop Trail. Point Defiance Park draws more than 3.1 million people each year and includes forests, saltwater beaches, and hiking trails.  

“This investment will help Point Defiance Park continue to draw in visitors and remain a top Tacoma destination,” said Kilmer. “It’s also a prime example of why the Land and Water Conservation Fund is essential. The fund helps protect our natural landscapes that further job opportunities and enhance areas like Point Defiance where folks can spend time with family and friends.”

“We are grateful for the federal partnership to help us improve one of the best urban parks in the country,” said Erik Hanberg, President of the Metro Parks Tacoma Board of Commissioners. “This project will improve public safety by separating walkers, hikers and cyclists from vehicles, and it will enhance the park experience for all. The pedestrian bridge is sure to become one of the most photographed spots in the South Sound. We thank Congressman Kilmer for his efforts to support the LWCF, which is a vital tool for parks.”

The LWCF was created in 1964 and invests revenues paid by oil and gas companies drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf in parks and outdoor spaces. Since it was first created the fund has awarded more than $600 million to more than 600 projects on parks, trails, and other outdoor spaces across Washington state.

Last fall before the fund expired Kilmer joined a bipartisan call to keep the program up and running. Kilmer was then part of the successful effort to reauthorize it for three years as part of the Fiscal Year 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Act. He is also a cosponsor of a bill that would permanently reauthorize LWCF.