Eighteen South King County Organizations Receive $687,000 for Environmental Improvements

The Port of Seattle’s South King County Community Impact Fund awarded environmental grants to 18 organizations that serve communities around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The Port provided $687,000 for public improvement projects in Burien and Des Moines, Federal Ways, Normandy Parks, SeaTac, Tukwila, Federal Way, Federal Way, Normandy Parks, SeaTac, SeaTac, SeaTac, Tukwila, and Federal Way. These projects are led by the community and include urban forest restoration, park trail maintenance, youth environmental management, community garden improvements, and the installation of a public bike skills track.

The chosen projects reflect the richness of South King County and aim at improving the quality life in the communities surrounding the airport. The Ports’ commitment to its South King County neighbours who have been the most severely affected by COVID-19 and are less able to access green space and parks, demonstrates its commitment to them.

Community-led projects are a way to drive equitable recovery and make our systems more inclusive. said Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa. These programs help create welcoming spaces, green jobs pathways, and safe access to outdoor recreation.

Collaboration in the community

The Port’s Environmental Grants Program revolutionized the way it works closely with communities to improve funding opportunities. The Port has been working with multilingual liaisons from across the globe to identify and remove obstacles to participation in the program. This includes co-creating grant materials, and supporting liaisons to do community outreach to promote the grant opportunity.

As a Des Moines resident, it was an opportunity to be a community liaison with the Environmental Grants Program. This allowed me to better understand the role of the Port of Seattle in South King County, and to learn more about funding opportunities. It was great to work with Port staff, to meet other liaisons, as well as to learn from our consultants regarding strategies to engage new groups. Nimo Ahmed (Port community liaison) said that I was thrilled to hear that our outreach resulted in an increase in applications from community projects like African Young Dreamers Empowerment Program International. These will be funded to clean parks with youth of color in South King County.

Through support and liaisons, many projects were able to be completed by groups that are first tackling environmental issues.

“We are so excited that we can bring together a community to tackle environmental awareness in communities that are often overlooked by environmental movements. This project will produce exciting results, with minority youth taking initiative at Federal Way and Des Moines. Nimo, the Ports community liaison, reached out to us at a time when we needed resources to support environmental awareness. Her support and consistency helped us find the courage to apply to the Port of Seattle grant. Beatrice Kiraguri is the Executive Director of African Young Dreamers Empowerment Program International, (AYDEPI)..

Tilth Alliance, a non-profit organic gardening and urban ecology organisation, is a first-time grantee. They will use Port funding as a partner with communities to implement a culturally relevant edible plants starts project.

The project will act as a catalyst to increase food productivity and empower BIPOC and immigrant communities to grow food that is appropriate to their diets, for themselves and their families. Some of the market crops can also be grown for farm stands in Southwest King County. We will meet with each partner to discuss varieties and choose types that can be used by multiple cultures. Then we will engage each group in a class where they can help to start the plants. Selena Ligrano is a Garden Hotline Educator at Tilth Alliance.

Multi-year funding

The Port offered multi-year grants to applicants for projects that lasted one, two, or three years, up to $20,000 per annum, in its second year of funding. Ten organizations were granted three-year grants, which shows the popularity of this option. Multi-year funding allows community groups the opportunity to invest in long-term planning, implementation, and support sustainable project planning.

Find out more about the 18 organizations that will be funded:

1. Weed WarriorsGreen infrastructure will be installed at the New Start Community Garden to provide electricity and internet for workshops, educational events, and classes at the New Start High School in Burien. The project is being funded at $14,000.
2. Partner in EmploymentThe paid green jobs program for refugee youth and immigrant youth will continue. This training program teaches them how to restore and maintain parks, identify native and invasive plant species, and design and restore planting sites. This project will be in SeaTac and Burien and will last for three years. It is estimated to cost $60,000
3. Tilth AllianceThe program’s year-long environmental training and community capacity building program will continue. Trainees learn and then apply skills to solve food and environmental problems in their local communities. Tilth will be serving communities in Burien and Des Moines, Federal Way and SeaTac. It is funded at $45,000 for the next three-years.
4. EarthCorpsThe City of Burien, community partners and volunteers, as well as youth involved in Partner in Employments (PIE), green jobs training program, will collaborate to restore and steward Hilltop Park’s 7.4-acre. This project is located in Burien and costs $20,000.
5. Amigos Latinos de BurienTogether with community members, we will help restore and promote the use of Arbor Lake Park in Burien. This project is $19,850 and will encourage healthy recreational habits.
6. Environmental Science CenterHighline School District students from kindergarten through third grade will continue to receive beach habitat and stewardship classes at Seahurst Park. This project is for Burien and Highline students. It will be funded at $60,000 over three years.
7. Des Moines Memorial Drive Preservation AssociationSeaTac and Burien will collaborate to install signal boxes at 14 intersections along Des Moines Memorial Drive. The road is dedicated to World War I soldiers who died. The project is funded at $8,000.
8. African Young Dreamers Empowerment Program InternationalThis funding is $60,000 and will fund three years of work with youth from African countries and Black youths to steward and restore parks at Federal Way and Des Moines.
9. Dirt CorpsThe city of Burien will work with youth to improve the 4.5-acre Salmon Creek Park. Paid youth will learn how to remove monoculture species, design planting designs, install native species, and maintain the park. This project is funded at $60,000 per year.
10. Washington, EthiopiansSeaTac will recruit and train forest stewards to clean up Angle Lake Park’s trails and parks. This includes removing invasive plants, installing native plants, and hosting educational opportunities for the community to learn more about waste management. The project will receive $60,000 in funding over the next three year.
11. Federal Way Korean American AssociationIt will continue its five year plan to build a Korean Garden in Federal Way called Hanwoori Korean Garden. This will allow community members to enjoy, care for, and maintain the garden as well as create an opportunity to bond and teach intergenerational lessons. This project will receive $60,000 in funding over the next three year.
12. The Mountains to Sound Greenway TrustThe City of Burien and Green Burien Partnership are partnering to train local youth in support of habitat restoration, trail connections and strong community connections at Salmon Creek Ravine Park. The project is expected to be funded at $44,925.00 over three years.
13. Friends of Normandy ParkMarine View Park will be rehabilitated to its former glory. It will remove invasive species, add biomass to the soil, increase plant diversity, mitigate stormwater runoff, improve air quality, and create a more sustainable and biodiverse forest in Normandy Park. This project is funded by $15,682.
14. Friends of Saltwater State ParkEach month, there will be work parties to restore Saltwater State Park. These parties will remove invasive species, install native plants, monitor water quality, and keep the surrounding communities informed about the status of McSorely Creek estuary. This project will be held in Des Moines and cost $3,310.
15. EarthGen Highline School District middle- and high school students, their families, teachers, parents, and neighbors will collaborate with them to make environmental improvements to three different schools campuses. This includes the development and installation of Green Stormwater Infrastructures (GSI) such rain gardens, native plant garden gardens, or bioswales. This project is being funded at $60,000 for the next three years and will be located in SeaTac (Burien) and Des Moines.
16. Bhutanese Community Resource CenterIt will continue to educate youth, senior immigrants, and refugees in Tukwila regarding native plants, their history, planting techniques, as well as how to reduce waste by composting. The project is being funded at $16,000
17. The Service BoardBIPOC and low income youth will be enrolled in a long-term program of stewardship that combines public space improvement, education, and stewardship. While planting native plants at Tukwila’s Duwamish Hill Preserve. This project will be funded at $60,000 for the next three-years.
18. Toros Cycling ClubThe Burien Community Centre will have a permanent area for bicycle skills and signage that shares safe riding tips. The Club will host classes for members of the Burien Latino community to learn how to ride bicycles, and promote a healthy active lifestyle. The project is funded at $19 184.

About South King County Community Impact Fund

The South King County Community Impact Fund established the Environmental Grants Program in 2019. It is a cycle that includes the South King County Community Impact Fund. This fund has a total of $10 million. The South King County Community Impact Fund was created by the Port of Seattle in order to foster equity-based partnerships and to provide resources and support for historically underserved communities close to airports. This fund addresses noise mitigation, sustainability, and environmental health.

The South King County Community Impact Fund Environmental Grants Program continues work of the Airport Community Ecology Fund (ACE) Fund, which has invested over $360,000 into 42 community-led environmental projects.

Learn more about South King County Fund Environmental Grants Program

Contact

Perry Cooper | SEA Airport Media Officer
(206) 787-4923 | [email protected]