$100 million to Protect Washington's Special Places

State and local agencies applied for a record number of Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) grants this year.  The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition has secured an increase in state WWRP grants for new parks, trails, habitat and working farms to $100 million.

Editorials

•    Wenatchee World - 5/2/07
•    Olympian  4/30/07

•    Olympian - 3/26/07
•    News Tribune - 12/4/06
•    Columbian - 11/29/06
•    Kitsap Sun - 11/17/06
•    Wenatchee World - 9/17/06
•    Olympian - 9/14/06

Supporters of $100m Include:

•    Association of Wa. Cities
•    Boeing
•    Priorities for a Healthy Washington
•    Puget Sound Energy
•    Nature Conservancy
•    Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
•    Washington Realtors
•    Wa. State Association of Counties
•    Wa. State Fish & Wildlife Commission
•    Wa. State Parks & Recreation Commission
•    Weyerhaeuser

Why Increase WWRP Grants Now?

• Planning for Future Generations – Washington’s population has grown by 25% since 1990, and it is projected to add 2 million people in the next 25 years.
  
• Broad Support & Increased Demand – Program improvements passed with bipartisan support attracted an 84% increase in applications over last cycle.
• Funding Hasn’t Increased Since 1990 – Inflation and real estate prices have eroded the WWRP’s buying power.

• Our Quality of Life Drives the Economy – If we don’t act now, we will lose the natural values that help attract qualified employees and retain jobs.
• New Categories Are Funded Last – Funding for the new Farmland and Riparian categories starts after appropriations exceed $40m, but they are not well funded unless the appropriation approaches $100m.
• Restoring Puget Sound – According to the RCO (formerly the IAC), at $100m, 33 proposed WWRP projects totaling $21m would help Puget Sound.  Local matching funds raise the total to $51m.  
  
• Responding to Initiative 933 - The new Riparian and Farmland categories may help lessen tensions between land owners and local governments by enabling them to purchase some or all of the rights of a property.
• Matching Funds are Leveraged – Public and private dollars match local projects by 50%, and state projects are used to match federal grants.

What’s the Source of WWRP Funds?

WWRP grants are funded in the state’s capital construction budget, primarily from the sale of general obligation bonds.  They do not compete with operating dollars for teachers and human services. 

How WWRP Funds Are Used

The WWRP grant program is administered by the Recreation and Conservation Office or RCO (formerly the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation or IAC).  This state agency reviews, ranks and distributes WWRP grants in a competitive process that guarantees the best projects are funded first.  $100m funds 135 projects:

• Outdoor Recreation - $36m for state and local parks, trails and shorelines.
• Habitat Conservation - $36m for natural areas, habitat and land stewardship.
• Riparian Habitat Protection - $19m for acquisition and restoration of fresh and saltwater riparian habitat.
• Farmland Conservation - $9m for conservation or restoration of working farms.

See also:  Frequently Asked Questions