State parks awarded grants

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board announced July 3 it will award almost $4 million to Whitman County for preservation of parks, forests and trails. The grants will go through 2020.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources was awarded $1,238,510 to preserve Steptoe Butte.

DeAnna Beck, Washington Recreation and Conservation Office outdoor grants manager, said the department plans to buy about 437 acres in the Steptoe Butte surrounding area from private landowners.

She said the state plans to designate the purchased land as either a Natural Area Preserve area or...