PORT ANGELES — State grants totaling $726,500 have been awarded to improve main athletic fields in Port Angeles and Forks and build a new field on the Lower Elwha Klallam reservation.

The state Recreation and Conservation Funding Board has awarded $250,000 for renovating the Quillayute Valley School District’s Spartan Stadium field in Forks; $250,000 for the new Elwha tribal field; and $226,000 for new lighting at Civic Field in Port Angeles.

Out of 44 Youth Athletic Facilities Project awards totaling $9.5 million, the state Recreation and Conservation Funding Board, under the aegis of the state Recreation and Conservation Office, ranked the Forks project third, the Port Angeles project sixth and the Elwha project 13th.

“These projects scored so well because they are addressing a big need,” Susan Zemek, an RCO spokeswoman, said Monday in an email.

“The improvements will allow the ball fields to be used more, in bad weather or at night, or allow those fields to attract tournaments, which bring needed dollars to their communities.”

The $453,000 Civic Field project is also funded with a $226,000 state Local Parks Grant and requires matches of $22,650 each from the city and the Port Angeles School District.

The new Elwha field will be built on cleared tribal land two blocks west of the tribal center on Lower Elwha Road west of Port Angeles.

The project includes a $291,559 tribal match for a total project cost of $541,559.

It will include a synthetic turf infield bleachers, restrooms and off-street parking, according to the application.

Forks project

The Forks project, which will include replacing the grass field with artificial turf, will be funded with $1 million in existing matching money from the Quillayute Valley School District to complete the $1.25 million project, City Attorney Rod Fleck said.

The $250,000 grant will go to the city of Forks.

Work will get underway on the joint school district-city project next summer, Fleck added.

“It’s a neat opportunity,” he said.

“It ensures continued community access to the facility.”

Corey Delikat, Port Angeles parks and recreation director, will meet this afternoon with Port Angeles School District Superintendent Marc Jackson and Director of Maintenance and Facilities Nolan Duce to discuss district funding for the project, Delikat said Monday.

“This is great news,” he said.

“I’m totally excited about the whole thing.”

Delikat said any funds not spent from the two grants for Civic Field will be returned to the state Recreation and Conservation Office.

The new lighting will be installed in August or September 2016, between baseball and football seasons.

Two of 14 banks of lights have gone out at Civic Field and remain extinguished.

“We don’t have anything to replace them with,” Delikat said.

“That’s why there was urgency to get funding for the project.”

Delikat said the current lighting does not meet minimum safety standards set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

“I can’t say that it’s so bad it’s unsafe,” Delikat added.

“It’s just that the light levels are so poor.”

The lighting replacement effort is “a great project,” Duce said Monday.

“It’s going to benefit a lot of the kids in the community and multiple sports teams,” he added.

Artificial turf

Renovation of Spartan Stadium field in Forks will consist of installing artificial turf and a new drainage system on approximately 100,000 square feet, according to the application.

“Because of inclement weather in our area, maintenance of the field is not adequate enough to allow safe, year-round use,” according to the application.

“The new field will create a better playing experience and will encourage and support the long-term benefits, including social interaction, physical and mental health benefits, educational value and economic contributions to the community that a new athletic field will provide.”

Elwha tribal field

Teams using the Elwha tribal field will include members of area tribes and nontribal youths from the North Olympic Peninsula and region, according to the project application.

Competition will initially be focused on softball, but the site also will be suitable for soccer and middle school football.

“As there are no other developed outdoor recreational facilities on the reservation, this facility is needed and of high importance to the tribal community,” according to the application.

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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.