Lewis County says it will spend money to improve as many as five parks across the county ahead of the summer season.
It will also, in honor of the nation's 250th anniversary, begin flying a larger American flag atop the Lewis County Courthouse.
The county announced Wednesday a number of small projects intended for parks across the county that include replacing barbecue pits at Schaefer County Park near Centralia and new metal picnic tables at Schaefer, Rose County Park in Adna and South County Park in Toledo. The picnic tables are funded as part of a donation from Country Financial.
“Our parks are important gathering places for families, recreation and community events,” Lewis County Facilities Director Alex Murray said in a news release from the county. “These improvements help ensure our parks remain safe, welcoming and enjoyable for everyone.”
Improvements also include new signs throughout area parks and improved maintenance across the county, such as mowing, pest control, painting and even consultation with an arborist who, according to the county, is currently assessing the state of trees at the South County Park and the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds.
According to the news release from the county, it has recently applied for multiple grants that could support more improvements and repairs down the road. The most significant is planned repairs to a footbridge at the Cowlitz River Access Park near Packwood, which is currently closed due to flood damage.
Repairs to the footbridge will be handled in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), but a timeline is not yet available.
The concrete boat ramp at the South County Park is currently closed due to erosion damage causing gaps in the concrete slab. Boats are still permitted on the lake and, thanks to a recent county ordinance, electric propelled boats are allowed on Wallace Pond and Carlisle Lake in Onalaska.
Lewis County parks are open from 8 a.m. to dusk. Overnight camping, waste dumping, abandoning vehicles, drug or alcohol consumption and fireworks are all prohibited in county parks.
