Wasco awarded $2.2M grant for park

The city was recently awarded an Urban Greening Grant for $2.2 million for the Central Avenue Neighborhood Park, City Manager Daniel Ortiz-Hernandez told the City Council Tuesday night.

Ortiz-Hernandez reported that the Natural Resources Agency announced $28 million was funded in the Urban Greening Program grants.

The grant provides funding for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide multiple benefits including expanding access to parks and green spaces in underserved areas across the state.

Ortiz-Hernandez said the funding is available to convert built environments into green spaces, such as replacing asphalt with native plants, pollinator gardens and nature-based outdoor play areas or constructing new commuter paths to reduce vehicle miles traveled. The grant is funded by Cap-and-Trade revenues, also known as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

“Access to the outdoors for all Californians is more important than ever,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “Time spent in parks and amidst trees improves our physical and mental health and enhances our wellbeing. Unfortunately, too many Californians live in communities without green spaces and tree cover. The projects announced today focus on these communities, bringing parks, trees and open space to large and small communities across the state.”

Assembly Bill 74 allocated $30 million from the GGRF to the Natural Resources Agency for green infrastructure projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The full list of awards:

Alameda County:

• The Trust for Public Land, $1,101,400, Bridges Academy Green Schoolyard Project

Contra Costa County:

• Groundwork Richmond, Inc., $900,000, Treefense: Best Offense is a Good Tree Fence.

Fresno County:

• City of Parlier, $2,878,230, City of Parlier Community Park Development.

Imperial County:

• City of El Centro, $1,143,831, City of El Centro Construction of Buena Vista Park.

Kern County:

• Kern County, $815,700, Panorama Vista Preserve Greening & Connectivity Project.

• City of Wasco, $2,200,047, Central Avenue Neighborhood Park.

Los Angeles County:

• Amigos de los Rios, $764,852, Emerald Necklace Jackson Watershed Discovery Campus.

• CCC Foundation, $1,182,313, Grant Elementary Greening Project.

• City of Baldwin Park, $342,850, Big Dalton Wash Trail Pocket Park.

• City of Bell Gardens, $346,408, Trees for BG Planting Project.

• City of La Verne, $561,825, Arrow Highway Urban Greening Project.

• City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Street Services, $713,804, Broadway-Manchester Active Transportation Equity Project.

• Koreatown Youth and Community Center, $360,000, South Los Angeles Urban Greening.

• Los Angeles County, Department of Parks and Recreation, $560,000, Magic Johnson Park Shade Equity Tree Planting Project.

• Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, $1,480,837, Esperanza Elementary Urban Greening Project.

• TreePeople, $787,938, The Pacoima Middle School Living Schoolyard.

Mendocino County:

• City of Ukiah, $3,563,212, South Ukiah Link to Active Living (SoUL).

Orange County:

• City of Fullerton, $1,777,200, Union Pacific Trail Phase II.

Riverside County:

• City of Perris, $455,000, Perris Green City Farm and Community Park Access Enhancement.

• Riverside County, Transportation Department, $1,093,708, Mecca Neighborhood Park and Greening Project.

San Diego County:

• San Diego County, $1,000,000, Fallbrook Local Park.

San Francisco County:

• Literacy for Environmental Justice, $361,406, Healthy Habitats & Lifestyles Project – Phase III.

San Luis Obispo County:

• City of San Luis Obispo, $1,705,225, Anholm Neighborhood Greenway.

Solano County:

• Solano Transportation Authority, $410,180, SF Bay Trail (Enterprise Dr. Gap Closure).

Tulare County:

• City of Farmersville, $1,994,034, Farmersville Community Park Phase 4: Freedom Field.