Sumner accepts $2.6M additional state funds for White River restoration; total award $17.2M

The Sumner City Council on March 17 unanimously approved an amended resolution to accept an additional $2.6 million in state grant funding for the White River Restoration Project, increasing the project's grant total to $17.2 million.

Assistant Engineering Manager Robbie Wright described the White River Restoration Project as a roughly 200-acre flood-protection and fish-habitat initiative near the industrial area, old golf course and agricultural fields. "This program is state dollars that fund regionally significant projects that benefit fish," Wright said, noting the project ranked third in the program and was the largest award the program had given in Pierce County to date.

Wright told the council the city first applied in 2021 for $14.6 million from the state's Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Program; in 2023, funds returned from an underspent project freed additional dollars within the same grant program and the city, working with Pierce County, successfully requested those funds. The newly allocated $2.6 million will be applied to construction; Wright said the next phase of construction was out to bid and that bids would be opened the following Monday in council chambers, with an award to come back to council for approval in April.

Motion to adopt the amended resolution was made by Council member Clurgett and seconded by Council member Elfers. The roll call recorded seven "yes" votes (passed 7-0).

The project has received state funding from the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Program and was reviewed by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board as part of the award process. No public comment was recorded on the resolution at the March 17 meeting.