OKANOGAN COUNTY – Various organizations, agencies and city governments in Okanogan County want a share of the $1 billion in federal stimulus money the state expects to get for “shovel-ready projects.”

The 360 requests that have come in so far, with no sign in stopping, add up to more than $1.5 billion. In Okanogan County, many of the project requests are coming from the Okanogan Conservation District which has asked for $4.5 million for a building for Okanogan Grow, as well as Farm Projection equipment, $1 million; Irrigation System Upgrades, $1 million; Woody Biomass Utilization and Firewise/Forest Thinning, $500,000; Rabbit Farm and Mobile Rabbit and Poultry WSDA Processing Unit, $120,000 and Whitestone Stream Bank Stabilization, $100,000 and Legacy Park Vegetative Improvements, $30,000.

The City of Oroville would like $1.9 million for their (POWT) Biosolids Improvement Project and $1.35 million for the City Hall Addition and Remodel. Twisp PDA is requesting $1.5 million for the Twisp Town Center.

Other requests in Okanogan County include one from Thomson Custom Meat for a USDA Meat Packing Facility building for $1.5 million; Earth and Sky Studios for Map Dots for $800,000 and Crown S Ranch, a Poultry Processing and Livestock Facility building for $300,000. Travel the Frontier asks $240,000 for Stone Soup and Sea Real asks $85,000 for Livestock Improvement.

Methow Conservancy is seeking funding for several projects ranging from $60,000 for the Chewuch Farmland Irrigation Efficiency Project to $1.04 million for Forestry Projects. The Methow Salmon Restoration Council seeks $600,000 for Irrigation System Efficiencies, Methow Forest Resources wants $315,000 for Small Diameter Wood Products Operation and Partnership for a Sustainable Methow is asking $100,000 for a Local Resource Directory and $85,000 for a Farm Resource Cooperative.

In addition to listing the money being sought each request also includes an estimated number of jobs that could come from the stimulus money. For example, the Okanogan Conservation District’s “Okanogan Grown” building construction requests, the highest cost project in the county so far, estimates 25 jobs. Oroville’s City Hall addition and remodel estimates 25 to 30 jobs and the Biosolids Improvement Project, 10 to 20.