WA Marine Patrols Get Boost From Federal Grants

OLYMPIA, WA — Marine law enforcement agencies in five counties will receive more than a half-million dollars in federally funded grants to help each replace their primary patrol vessels, state officials announced Thursday.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission awarded the grants after a competitive process and noted each of the counties selected are home to some of the region's most popular waterways, which attract thousands of boaters each day in the summer.

The grants are contingent on agencies covering a quarter of the vessel's cost, which varies by each agency's unique needs.

"Different counties face their own set of waterway patrol challenges that this grant will help solve," state parks officials wrote Thursday. "In Clallam County several lakes have gone unpatrolled because their boat was unfit to patrol them due to its age. Franklin County has shallow waterways, which require a shallow-hulled vessel to traverse. Funding from this grant allows these counties to purchase vessels to meet their specific needs and expand safety patrols to ensure adequate coverage across the jurisdiction."

Parks officials said replacing the primary vessel in each of the counties will improve capacity and help ensure that marine units keep the waters safe for decades to come. Each boat covered by the grants has an estimated lifespan of 30-40 years, even with frequent use.

Here is where the grant money is headed:

• Clallam County - $125,326
• Franklin County - $36,552
• King County - $150,000
• Kittitas County - $92,169
• San Juan County - $150,000