Bringing Diverse Voices Together for a Common Goal
Who We AreThe Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition is a non-profit citizens group founded in a historic bipartisan effort by former Governors Dan Evans and Mike Lowry. Our members consist of a diverse group of over 250 organizations representing conservation, business, recreation, hunting, fishing, farming, and community interests. Our breadth and diversity is the key to our success--no one member of the Coalition could secure such high levels of funding for parks and habitat on their own! What We DoThe Coalition promotes and advocates for state and federal funding for parks, wildlife habitat and working lands across Washington State. In 1989, the Coalition founded the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP grant program) to address the need to preserve more land for outdoor recreation and wildlife habitat. The Coalition also leads the national Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Coalition in Washington State, promoting federal investments in Washington's natural heritage and outdoor recreation economy. What is the WWRP?The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program is a state grant program funded from the capital construction budget that provides funding to protect habitat, preserve working farms and create new local and state parks. The Coalition lobbies the Governor and the Legislature, which sets the funding level and approves the final list of projects. What is the difference between the WWRP and the WWRC?The WWRC, or Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, is the non-profit citizens group that serves as the watchdog and advocate for the WWRP grant program. The WWRP is a state grant program funded by the legislature and administered by the RCO. The Coalition relies entirely on the generous contributions of individuals, organizations, and corporations for our operations. What is LWCF?The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is the premier federal grant program to expand and protect our local, state and national parks, wildlife refuges, working forests, and trails. The program has been chronically underfunded, leading to a number of missed opportunities for investing in important areas in Washington state. The Coalition works to ensure our Congressional delegation provides robust funding for LWCF. |
See one of the many projects we've funded!
The Trout Lake Valley Farm is one of over 1000 projects that the Coalition has secured funding for since 1989.
The WWRP grant program is the only state source of funding for protecting Washington's farms and ranches, keeping them in production.
LWCF is funded by offshore oil and gas royalties--not taxpayer dollars--to protect natural resources around the country. |
