The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is a small state agency that manages grant programs to create outdoor recreation opportunities, protect the best of the state’s wildlife habitat and working farms and forests, and help return salmon and orcas from near extinction.
The Community Forests Program is aimed at helping communities preserve their working forest heritage amidst growing population pressures and increasing threats from development. The grant facilitates multiple objectives which include the economic viability of forests, environmental protection, climate resilience, and the enhancement of recreational, educational, and cultural opportunities. It mandates the acquisition of land to conserve working forests and also allows for projects that restore forest and habitat health as well as the development of recreational facilities on the purchased land.