The Olympic Peninsula is getting a multi-million-dollar boost, local legislators announced this week, thanks to a long sought-after federal grant.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced on Aug. 5 that the North Olympic Peninsula Recompete Coalition (NOPRC) was awarded about $35 million by the U.S. Department of Commerce to “reinvigorate the economy on the North Olympic Peninsula,” according to a press release.

The funding is through the through the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete Pilot Program) and created based on legislation authored by Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA -06), a Gig Harbor Democrat formerly of Port Angeles.

“I grew up in Port Angeles and was in high school right around the time the timber industry took it on the chin,” Kilmer said in a press release. “I saw a lot of folks in our region lose their livelihoods. It had a big impact on me. It’s why I studied economic development policy in college and grad school. It’s why I worked in economic development, and it’s why I ran for office. And it’s why I drafted the Recompete Act.”

The North Olympic Peninsula Recompete Plan, led by Clallam County, aims to revitalize the marine and natural resources industries in the North Olympic Peninsula, NORPC representatives said this week.

Specifically, the funding will support the expansion of the Composite Recycling Technology Center, a facility that manufactures Advanced Cross-Laminated Timber (ACLT) in cooperation with the Makah Tribe; critical marine transportation infrastructure, and a workforce strategy with social support services, representatives from Kilmer’s office noted.

“We are very grateful for the Recompete grant funding that will enable the CRTC and the Makah Tribe to work in partnership to create new jobs and provide affordable housing opportunities for our community,” said David Walter, chief executive officer of the CRTC, in a press release.

“The beautiful timber milled by the Tribe will be converted into our Advanced Cross Laminated Timber panel in our Port Angeles Building innovation Center,” Walter said.

“It will allow us to create a quick erect wall panel, which will make Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) and tiny homes accessible and affordable. The grant funding will not only stimulate economic growth but will also improve the quality of life for our residents.”

The Recompete Pilot Program, NORPC representatives said, targets areas where employment of workers of “prime-age” (25-54 years) is significantly lower than the national average, with the goal of closing the gap through “flexible, locally driven investments.”

The Recompete program, they said, “aims to support local economic development, create quality jobs, invest in workers and businesses, and ensure sustainable success and economic growth by providing targeted assistance and resources to address the unique challenges of persistently distressed communities.”

NOPRC is led by Clallam County and supported by Jefferson County, and has grown to include all local municipalities and unincorporated communities across the Olympic Peninsula, Tribes (Hoh, Makah, Jamestown S’Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam and Quileute), ports, economic development agencies, community-based organizations, educational institutions, and nonprofits.

Out of 565 applications across 49 states, the North Olympic Peninsula Recompete Coalition was named one of 22 national finalists for phase one of the award, earlier this year, in January 2024 and is now one of six final awardees, a total of $184 million in implementation grants.

NOPRC is the only awardee on the West Coast.

“The Clallam EDC, and the community in general, could not be more grateful to Rep. Kilmer for spearheading this visionary place-based economic program and helping us make it come to fruition,” said Colleen McAleer, executive director of Clallam County EDC. “Clallam and Jefferson Counties will be forever improved by this substantial award. This is a win that so many in our communities sorely need.”

“I am absolutely thrilled to see a Recompete grant awarded to our region,” Kilmer said. “This is the culmination of years and years of work. And it’s testament to the power of partnership in our community. I’m so proud of the work of folks in our region to come together and earn a Recompete grant against extraordinary competition. We have here a diverse coalition of stakeholders throughout the North Olympic Peninsula committed to connecting people to economic opportunities.

“This grant will help ensure that we can create good-paying, long-lasting jobs that will reinvigorate the region’s economy for decades to come. I just couldn’t be happier to see this happen for the region in which I grew up.”

The Recompete Pilot Program was established by Rep. Kilmer’s Rebuilding Economies and Creating Opportunities for More People Everywhere to Excel Act (Recompete Act), which was signed into law, in pilot form, by President Joe Biden in July 2022 as part of the CHIPS and Science Act.

“Recompete will have a major impact on the regional economy by creating good jobs and providing the training and support to help people get and keep those jobs. I’m proud of the strong collaboration among local governments, Tribes, economic development organizations, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations and the private sector that made this award possible,” said Karen Affeld, Executive Director of the North Olympic Development Council.

“The North Olympic Development Council is excited to continue and build on this collaboration and to partner with Tribes and under-served areas like the City of Forks and the south Hood Canal community to ensure that the benefits of this program reach all corners of the region.”

The CHIPS and Science Act is a sweeping investment in American innovation and manufacturing led by Sen. Maria Cantwell and is a key part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda. The statute authorized $1 billion for the program. To date, EDA has been appropriated $200 million for the program — funding that Senator Patty Murray and Rep. Kilmer helped secure primarily in the FY23 government funding bills.

“The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe is very excited that the North Olympic Recompete Plan has been accepted for Phase 2 implementation funding,” said W. Joe Allen, Executive Director of the Jamestown S’Klallam Economic Development Authority.

“The Jamestown Tribe looks forward to seeing these funds enhance our Tribal and Local communities to further our collective vision of economic growth. This grant will help tribal families overcome common economic obstacles for the workforce in the area as well as assisting those looking to getting into the workforce who have difficulty overcoming those barriers.”

“Peninsula College is thrilled to be a part of our region’s Recompete proposal. I am confident our collective work will bring economic prosperity to families and the greater community,” said Dr. Suzy Ames, President of Peninsula College. “Workforce development will play a critical role in getting people prepared for good paying jobs while serving the needs of our local employers. Peninsula College is ready to meet the challenge, bringing high tech education to the furthest corners of the North Olympic Peninsula.”

“I was proud to help fund the Recompete program — and I commend Representative Kilmer and Senator Cantwell for helping to make this grant program a reality,” Murray said in a press release. “Securing this highly competitive federal award is a testament to the ingenuity and hard work of countless local leaders, and the message is clear: the Peninsula is worth investing in and its future is bright. I look forward to seeing the difference this will make to help build opportunity for people across the North Olympic Peninsula, and, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ll keep working to bring federal dollars home to every part of Washington state to make sure that families in every community aren’t just getting by—but can get ahead.”

Said Cantwell, “This award is a powerful vote of confidence in the potential of Olympic Peninsula communities. By building off the region’s history and expertise in the marine and timber industries, and a decade of innovation in new materials like CLT and composites, this federal investment will help launch new products our economy needs for commerce and defense while growing the local manufacturing workforce. Today’s announcement demonstrates the promise of the CHIPS & Science Act to support innovation and job creation in key sectors all across Washington and the nation.”

“Now more than ever is the time to invest in our future, and we’re proud of the hard work done by Representative Kilmer and our coalition of regional partners to secure $35 million in funding for the North Olympic Peninsula through the Recompete Pilot Project,” Clallam County commissioner Mike French said. “Our investments in public infrastructure that supports the natural resources and maritime industries will create good jobs, and our investments in workforce development will connect our residents to those jobs and support them along the way.”

“This funding is a big boost for the North Olympic Peninsula’s efforts to drive its own economic and environmental destiny,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said. “Using triple bottom line strategies, the North Olympic Peninsula has a plan for a sustainable, innovative, and resilient economy with important roles for industries like forestry and the marine trades. Their plan also focuses on removing barriers to employment such as childcare and workforce training. I am thrilled that the EDA has recognized the hard work and natural strengths of the Native Nations, businesses, and communities of Jefferson and Clallam Counties.”