Ex-Chelan Co. Commissioner Chosen By Gov. Inslee To Serve On State Board
Former Chelan County Commissioner Bob Bugert has been appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to serve on the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board.
The board awards roughly $200 million in grants biannually to tribes, non-profits, and government agencies to create parks, trails and outdoor recreation opportunities.
"We basically set the policy for what the things are that we're looking for in those grants," says Bugert. "We also look at what the important things are statewide that are needed. We get a lot of our direction from the state legislature and the governor about what the priorities are and we make sure that those needs are fulfilled through the grant process."
The board also awards grants to conserve the state’s natural resource heritage by protecting working farms and forests, and wildlife habitat.
Bugert says his appointment to the board gives North Central Washington a leg up for grant opportunities.
"This is a great opportunity for North Central Washington. The fact that it's a five-member board and two of us will now be representing North Central Washington is a great advantage to us."
Bugert will join Wenatchee Valley resident and Douglas County PUD lobbyist Shiloh Burgess on the board. He fills the open seat left by Bellevue Parks and Community Services Department director, Michael Shiosaki, who has served on the board since 2016 and was appointed as its new chair by Gov. Inslee.
Bugert, who also served as a policy advisor for the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office and spent eight years on the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board, will serve on the board until his first term expires on December 31, 2026.
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