Whatcom County Parks and Recreation just received a $500,000 funding boost for designing and developing the Birch Bay Beach Park, which is expected to cost over $5 million.
The funding, announced June 7, is part of nearly $150 million in grants the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) board has allocated. This is the latest development for the park since Whatcom County Council approved a parks and recreation six-year plan in January 2024. The plan earmarked roughly $5.25 million, with the RCO grant covering around 10 percent of the cost of development and construction.
Plans for the new park include picnic areas, safe beach access, parking, restrooms, activity areas, walking paths, lights and planting improvements, according to the RCO board.
The park is a 4.1-acre property at 7930 Birch Bay Drive, with 9.6 acres of tidelands and 400 feet of waterfront property. The location in central Birch Bay makes it a high priority for development by the county, RCO wrote.
RCO director Megan Duffy said the grants will help bolster recreation opportunities across the state.
“These grants are critical to keeping Washington a premier destination for outdoor adventure as well as a great place for Washingtonians to live,” Duffy wrote in a statement. “These grants are key to building great communities.”
The RCO funding board granted awards to 242 projects out of a total of 411 grant applications, or about 60 percent.
In total, RCO is providing $2.1 million in grants to nine outdoor recreation projects in Whatcom County. Other county projects to receive funding include conservation efforts in Canyon Creek Forest and Maple Falls Forest, trail maintenance at Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Trail, and protecting salmon habitat along Butler Creek.
Funding for the Birch Bay Beach Park was specifically sourced from the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA), part of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
