Federal funding from the state of Arizona is being sought by Pinal County for the 498-acre Peralta Regional Park to be constructed near Gold Canyon.

Pinal County’s open space and trails department is slated to develop recreation facilities at the site, including picnic tables and shelters, equestrian and hiking trails, restrooms, car- and walk-in campsites and educational kiosks, and a dedicated area for stargazing.

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors recently voted on a resolution to submit an application for financial assistance under the provisions of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, Public Law 88-578, to Arizona State Parks and Trails. It authorizes the director of the county’s open space and trails to enter into an agreement between Pinal County and the state of Arizona upon federal approval of the project.

The amount of money sought wasn’t listed in the resolution.

Estimated implementation costs for the park were recently detailed by Kent A. Taylor, director of the Pinal County Open Space and Trails Department, in an update for the county’s open space and trails advisory commission.

Those costs, he said Jan. 14, according to county documents, are: Phase 1, $3,848,500; and phase 2, $320,080; and one-time start up costs, $90,000

Estimated operational costs are $200,000 annually, with staffing estimates of 1.5 full-time equivalent for rangers, one FTE for trail/grounds maintenance, a volunteer park host October-May and additional assistance from the Friends of Peralta Regional Park, according to the presentation made to the commission.

Arizona State Parks and Trails invites nonprofits, clubs, local, regional, state, federal and tribal governments to submit grant applications, according to azstateparks.com/grants.

Eligible projects, according to the website, include:

• Trail development

• Trail maintenance

• Pedestrian uses (hiking, running, wheelchair use)

• American Disabilities Act/accessibility

• Bicycling, equestrian use

• Off-road motorcycling, all-terrain vehicle riding, four-wheel driving, other off-road motorized vehicles

• Off-highway vehicle law enforcement

• Trail etiquette and education --- safety, environmental and cultural education