Sen. Maria Cantwell

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A trio of local projects have seen their prospects for winning federal funding grow this summer, as Congress continues work on the 2025 federal budget.

While likely still months away from being passed and signed into law, the appropriations committees in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have approved initial drafts for a slate of spending bills that provide funding for federal departments, agencies and programs. These bills include hundreds of millions of dollars in congressionally directed spending — more commonly known as earmarks — for projects in Washington state, including in Pacific County.

During the annual federal budget process, members of the state’s congressional delegation are permitted to submit a certain amount of earmark requests on behalf of the municipalities, agencies, tribes and community organizations that they represent in Congress. Not all projects that end up being requested are ultimately included in the spending bills, as is the case this time around for several local projects where funding had been sought.

Ilwaco reservoir

Requested by U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Skamania) on behalf of the City of Ilwaco, $1 million has been included in the House’s agriculture spending bill to help fund a floating intake system in the city’s reservoir at the Indian Creek Dam. The original funding request had been for $1.5 million.

Floating intakes allow water to be drawn from closer to the surface, which normally contains less debris and contaminants than at the bottom.

Perez stated in her funding request for the project that the intake system would enable the city to draw water from the ideal depth, stabilizing the acidity of the water and minimize levels of iron and manganese. She said the updates would allow Ilwaco to reduce its treatment costs, and therefore lower costs for residents.

“By optimizing water quality, reducing chemical usage, and conserving water,” the congresswoman wrote, “investing in a floating intake system aligns with their commitment to environmental stewardship and cost-effective resource management, securing reliable water access and ensuring a sustainable water supply for the community’s current and future needs.”

Gray & Osborne, the engineering firm that Ilwaco contracts with, said the project would lead to “immediate improvements” in drinking water quality while also yielding long-term benefits for human consumption due to the reduced need for chemical and mechanical treatment.

Along with Gray & Osborne, the city’s funding request received letters of support from the City of Long Beach, Port of Ilwaco and Pacific County Economic Development Council.

Raymond veterans housing

Perez’s other local request, to support construction of an affordable housing and resource center for veterans in Raymond, was included in the House’s draft transportation bill. The bill includes $250,000 in federal dollars for the project; the congresswoman’s original ask was for $1 million.

The project is being undertaken by the Willapa Community Development Association (WCDA), in partnership with American Legion Post 150, while Housing Opportunities of SW Washington would manage the residential units following the project’s completion. If ultimately awarded, the funds would go toward the demolition and reconstruction of the American Legion building in downtown Raymond.

Expected to support 17 residential units prioritizing veterans as well as provide community resources once built, the project has received nearly $10 million from a host of sources in recent years. According to Perez’s request, four of the units would be for formerly homeless households earning less than 30% of the area’s median income (AMI), while the remainder would be for households earning up to 60% of the AMI.

Sixteen letters of support for the request were received, including from the City of Raymond, Joint Pacific County Housing Authority, Willapa Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Pacific County Health and Human Services Department, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Long Beach City Administrator David Glasson, in his capacity as chair of the Joint Pacific County Housing Authority, said in a letter of support that while housing veterans would be the priority, “others in need will also be served.”

“The Joint Pacific County Housing Authority owns and operates similar residential apartments in Pacific County, all with very long waiting lists,” he added. “Investments in housing have lagged for many decades, leaving our community with a severe housing shortage.”

Tribal water system

Requested by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, the Senate’s spending bill on the interior and environment includes $2 million to support the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe’s planned relocation upland. Her original funding request had been for $2.7 million.

The funds would go toward the construction of a water system to support the relocation of the entire tribal community to an elevation better protected from rising sea levels, erosion and tsunami risk that are endangering the Shoalwaters’ existing reservation and infrastructure.

Cantwell, in the 2024 spending bill that was signed into law, secured $1.49 million to help the tribe conduct a feasibility study as well as the planning and design of a water and wastewater treatment system. The system would support residential and government buildings in the Shoalwaters’ new location.

The tribe has received tens of millions of federal dollars in the past several years to aid their relocation, including about $25 million in 2023 to construct a nearly four-mile loop access road to support the development of the planned upland village. Earlier this year, Cantwell helped secure $1.2 million in federal dollars from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to support the drafting of a Master Community Relocation Plan.