MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, WA – Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced the City of Mountlake Terrace will receive $3.25 million in new funding for the City’s Lake Ballinger ecosystem restoration project from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The announcement comes as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers outlined its plans to invest $14 billion in 500 projects nationwide to improve infrastructure resilience, address climate change and create green jobs.

“Thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure law, Mountlake Terrace can move forward with its long-term plans to restore wildlife habitat at Ballinger Park,” said Larsen, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “This critical investment enables the City to revitalize the park for the community to enjoy while making significant improvements to ensure native fish, migratory birds and other wildlife can thrive in an urban environment.”

“We are grateful to Congressman Larsen for support and stewardship of this project over the past decade, and this funding will complete the restoration of habitat at Ballinger Park for the region,” said Mountlake Terrace Mayor Kyoko Matsumoto Wright.

The Lake Ballinger project includes a substantial ecological restoration component for the portion of Hall Creek that runs through Ballinger Park, together with the park’s ponds and wetland areas. In 2015, the City estimated the environmental restoration portion of the plan would cost $5 million. In 2018, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined the project met federal interests by improving the quality of the environment and having a positive impact on ecosystem resources. For more information on the project, click here.

Additional federal funding for the Lake Ballinger project comes from the disaster relief law enacted in the September 2021 government funding law.

Larsen has been a strong supporter of local efforts to improve wildlife habitat and protect Washington state’s environment. For more information on how the bipartisan infrastructure law benefits Northwest Washington, click here.

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