WOODLAND — Cowlitz County commissioners this week awarded the Port of Woodland a $10,000 Rural Development Planning Grant to help pay for a feasibility study on a proposed new boat launch in the Woodland Bottoms.
The port’s project was one of six applications and one of four that were awarded funds. County commissioners awarded a total of $42,000 out of a fund that had $50,000 available this year from a grant program funded by a portion of state sales tax revenue set up for economic and infrastructure development. The port’s feasibility study was awarded to Waterfront Engineering of West Linn, Ore., and is under way.
Other Cowlitz County projects that received funding included $12,000 for test drilling at the city of Woodland’s Ranney Well; $10,000 to the city of Castle Rock for planning improvements to its north entrance; and $10,000 to the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments for a study on broadband access to rural areas along the two state highway corridors — 503 from Woodland to Windy Ridge and 504 from Castle Rock to Johnston Ridge to Mount St. Helens.
