Preserve Pierce County’s open spaces: 2025 Conservation Futures Grant application opens Dec. 2

The Pierce County Conservation Futures Program application period opens on Dec. 2, offering an opportunity for local organizations to apply for funding to support conservation projects.

The Conservation Futures Program offers a critical pathway to preserving Pierce County’s natural spaces for future generations. Funded through the Conservation Futures Tax Levy (CFT), the program provides essential support for preserving open spaces, including recreation areas, fish and wildlife habitats, agricultural and forest lands, and shorelines.

The application cycle opens every two years in the odd years. Applicants propose an open space project, identify its conservation values, contribute a minimum of a 10% match and provide a stewardship and public access plan. Projects with greater public benefit are prioritized higher for funding. Applicants must either be or partner with an eligible receiving agency that will steward the land. Eligible agencies include cities, towns, municipal park districts, nonprofit nature conservancies or historic conservancies.

Since 1991, the program has helped conserve over 6,700 acres, contributing to cleaner watersheds, secure local food sources and expanded recreational opportunities for residents. Projects funded by Conservation Futures include:

• Swan Creek Park (Tacoma) – protected 60 acres of the 323-acre park, expanding outdoor recreation access for Tacoma’s east side and preserving critical wildlife habitat.
• Filucy Bay Preserve (Longbranch) – protects a marine shoreline and estuary critical for salmon habitat and mature forest with a fantastic variety of wildlife and a quiet cove for kayakers, providing both recreational and ecological value.
• Little Eorthe Farm (Orting Valley) – protected farmland and contributes to our local food economy while also preserving priority forest and streams for White River Elk and salmon.

New for the 2025 grant cycle, applicants now have access to a suite of online resources, including video tutorials designed to guide them through the application process and support the development of robust, competitive submissions.

Applications are due by Feb. 21, 2025. For application guidelines and to apply, visit www.PierceCountyWa.gov/ConservationFutures.