A planned boardwalk through the Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve, near the state ferry landing, moved a step ahead this week with the City Council's okay to fund it with $30,000 in city money.
The city money will go to the Anacortes Parks Foundation, which will construct the trail, which will be composed of about 900 feet of boardwalk, one beach observation deck, one water sampling station, three deck bumpouts and four interpretive signs.
City Parks and Recreation Director Gary Robinson told the Council that the $30,000 will get the city benefits worth $90,000. The Parks Foundation will throw in some of its own money, at least $10,000, to help fund the project.
The Ship Harbor Interpretive Trail will link, at the east end, with the existing Guemes Channel trail east of the state's ferry landing and, at the west end, will end near the ferry terminal. Connection to the ferry terminal isn't expected until the state moves ahead with plans to construct a new ferry landing.