PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County commissioners approved six grants from the lodging tax fund for a combined total of more than $400,000 to benefit tourism in the county.
The commissioners approved the grants as part of their consent agenda at their regular meeting Tuesday morning.
The grants come from the Hotel Motel (Lodging Tax) Fund and are given to five nonprofits throughout the county: Tourism Coordinating Council, Forks Chamber of Commerce, Jefferson County Historical Society, Quilcene Historical Museum and Jefferson County Parks & Recreation.
The Tourism Coordinating Council will receive $200,000 — the largest grant — to benefit their services such as implementing a tourism marketing and promotion strategy for unincorporated Jefferson County and coordinating with city, state, federal and other agencies in the use of the Hotel Motel Tax funds and the promotion of tourism activities, commissioner documents said.
The Forks Chamber of Commerce will be given a grant of $49,470 to assist with seasonal staffing of the Olympic National Park at the Kalaloch Visitor Center, summer staffing at the Forks Visitor Information Center, updating the West End tourism map and participation in tourism promotion.
The Jefferson County Historical Society will get a grant of $72,500 to will assist the society with acting as a pass-through agency for staffing and operating the Gateway Visitor Center, promoting tourism in the Tri-Area and Port Ludlow, and other ways to promote tourism in the county.
The Quilcene Historical Museum will receive a grant of $44,430 to help fund the operation of the museum and the coordination between the museum and other tourism organizations in the county.
Jefferson County Parks & Recreation will be given two grants from the county, one for $13,269 and the other for $44,159.
The $13,269 grant will be used specifically to upgrade the RV campsite electrical hook up system at the Upper Oak Bay Campground.
The $44,159 grant will go toward funding Parks and Recreation’s operation and to promote the use of the Lake Leland Campground, Upper and Lower Oak Bay Campground and the Quilcene Campground.
All of the organizations are responsible for proving a quarterly financial report to the county commissioners.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
